For a foreigner traveling in Yemen, they must be granted a permit by police and the army has security checks on the highways. If a foreigner is found to be in the car, there can me serious delays as they have to radio in to the next check point that a foreigner is on the road...this is all for security reasons because of the kidnappings that used to happen here. The Yemeni government has become very strict with the issue of kidnapping because the problem was really bad. The death penalty is now enforced for anyone involved with a kidnapping. The combination of a potential delay along with fear of a something happening and being held at fault makes a lot of bus and taxi drivers afraid to drive a foreigner somewhere...especially a British or American citizen. They often says it's forbidden.
The solution? Wear burka, this could apply for men in extreme cases.
If a woman is in burka, no one is not allowed to speak to her...it's forbidden to talk to her if she does not talk to you. So when I put burka on, I'm allowed to go anywhere do anything, see everyone...but at the same time they have no idea who I am.
This past week I traveled to Mukalla, a ten hour bus or taxi ride from Aden. I had told my friends I would wear burka to prevent any problems, and they all told me it was not necessary. However, when I showed up at the taxi the driver took one look at me and asked me where my veil was. So I had the pleasure of being incognito in a car full of Yemeni men chewing qat. It is pretty freaky when going thru some security checks...the guards with automatics slung over their shoulders shine flashlights in the car barking out questions of where you are from and sometimes checking the cargo. However when the light would shine on my black face they virtually ignored me. Not even a question was asked about the lady in black.
As intimidating as they can be, some of them can be humorous. A friend of mine once told me, how can I take a man seriously when he tries to look official and intimidating asking me where I'm from and what I'm doing...while at the same time he's looking at my passport upside-down.
Yemen. A diamond in the ruff.
