How sad. We used to go to Beirut several times a year to go shopping or visit friends... visit Baalbek or Byblos.
There were two excellent American schools in Beirut... AUB and The American Community School Beirut (Arabic: مدرسة الجالية الأميركية في بيروت), also known as ACS Beirut, is a private school located in Beirut, Lebanon. Founded in 1905, it is traditionally attached to the American University of Beirut.
There were many checkpoints on most corners of Beirut in 1977 with Syrian peace-keeping soldiers and a tank, checking ID’s. My hotel in Beirut was within walking distance from the American university. Silly, but not irritating, was that every Christian claimed to be related to Danny Thomas. Yeah, I’m sure they all were, LOL! One thing that was definitely infuriating was the taxis. They’d stalk me all day long,
“Taxi-Taxi-Taxi?” If I did want a taxi did they think I’d not know how to stop walking and flag one down? I mean, did it look like I wanted a taxi, the idiots? EXTREMELY infuriating was when I wanted to walk across the road! A friggin’ taxi would stop right in front of me at the curb blocking me!
“Taxi – Taxi?” I’d reply,
“No thanks” but they wouldn’t move out of my way. So, then when I tried to walk in front of the taxi to cross the road, he’d roll forward and continue blocking me,
“Taxi – Taxi – Taxi!” And when I’d try to go around behind the taxi he’d roll backwards and block me still,
“Taxi – Taxi – Taxi!” I seriously wanted to punch those b’stards in their faces but I found a better way. Instead, I’d reply,
“Yes!” Then I’d open the rear door, slide across the seat and exit the other door to get across the road ….. leaving both doors open! Screw them! The exact same happened in India with their
“Rickshaw – Rickshaw-Rickshaw!” but you can’t slide across a rickshaw so I had to punch a couple of them and then everyone in town knew who I was and they left me alone.