New Jack City: Mahboula

Hey – have you guys heard this because it is news to me: I was talkin’ to an ‘merican friend who says that his friends call Mahboula “New Jack City”. He says that all the Western contractor furnished high rises are full of drugs, prostitution, and alcohol.

I don’t have any reason to go to Mahboula – no friends there and there aren’t a lot of restaurants I want to frequent – so this is the first I’ve heard of it. Is it that common?

I’ve been witness to prostitution and alcohol in Kuwait, but I didn’t know about drugs. Well, I have heard there are problems (like in any country – anywhere in the world, unfortunately), but I didn’t think that Westerners would risk so much. I have never done drugs and never intend to, so I wouldn’t know. Honest. I’m way too much of a control freak to give up my powers to substances.

The subject came up because I heard a story recently about a contractor who was popped for drugs and could have faced the death penalty for trafficking. He was released from the central prison after six weeks. Turns out that he was riding in a car and the driver had drugs on him.

For those of you who aren’t aware of this – if someone has drugs in their possession, it doesn’t matter who is around them – the police arrest everyone. They will keep the peripheral people and interrogate them to determine if they are really innocent and/or to try to glean information that may lead to further arrests. For example, you may not know that dude hosting a party has drugs, but if you go and the police go to arrest dude, you go to jail. That’s why it is VERY important in Kuwait (and anywhere else really) to know the people you are with.

Even if I'm riding to work with someone, I take my own car.

Someone I know years ago (like around 1999) used to go to parties at the chalet of someone well known in Kuwait. He used to invite literally hundreds of people – lots of Westerners and people from embassies, etc. The girl stayed with him after others had left and he took out a briefcase containing a gun, bullets, money, and illegal substances. Had the police raided the place, each and every one of those people could have faced drug charges. She told me and I told other people so we were all sure never ever to go there.

Nothing to be toyed with here. It is baaaaaad news. Why would anyone want to jeopardize so much?

Like the guy this week who was arrested in a "prostitution den". Dude was on his way back home and had received his final pay when he was busted. He lost all his money and went home broke because the authorities labeled it dirty money. Now dude - aren't their pro's back home? Is it just less expensive here? Why ya gotta go to a "den" anyways? Think with the big head!