Bahrain GP - Day 1.....if you can find the tickets

In writing up about the trip to the Bahrain GP I have decided to report on the first day in two parts. This is to allow me to separate the initial annoying crappy, disorganized, un-helpful, $h!tty rip-off parts from the fantastic part that was the rest of my Bahrain GP trip.

And being a Brit, and a typical whingging pomme, I will start with the complaining. In my defense this is also almost the chronological order as well.

The plan was to travel from Dubai Friday morning, meet up with Richard in Bahrain (who was coming from UK where he had been surprising his parents....that's another story) and then get a taxi to the circuit.

My co-pilot and I arrived at Bahrain no troubles (see the non-whingging version), met Richard and after some discussion we figured hiring a car might be the best option as we could find our own way around, avoid repeated taxi fares and do a bit of exploring. And so we headed to the "Frequency" car hire company desk where we were told it would cost us BD50 for a small car. Thats AED500 a day for a small car so we politely suggested somewhere they could park their small car. As we walked away it seems there had been a massive crash in the Bahrain car hire market because he was suddenly able to offer us a 20% discount on their 'standard' price and dropped to BD40. We still though too high for a small car so went for the taxi option. "Frequency" were clearly making the most of the GP weekend!!

However, once we got outside the taxi proved no better. We got in to one of the airport taxis to find it had no meter. Instead the driver produced a list of “special agreed rates” for the Bahrain GP weekend. Looking down this "special list" we found it was BD30 to the circuit!! That’s AED300. We took it but in hindsight should have refused - but 20:20 is hindsight - as it appeared clear that the whole of Bahrain had embraced the "fleece the tourists" approach to this major international sporting event and we just wanted to get there.

[Apologies to Bahrain, but this was only our first impressions, it later proove to be unfair]

After a manic journey at break neck speed we arrived at circuit, paid Dick Terpin the taxi driver, and spent half hour trying to find somebody on the gate who knew where to collect the pre-purchase tickets.

When booking the tickets on-line at their web page I had chosen to collect the tickets at the box office rather than have them delivered as I was sure that with just two weeks notice the courier was bound to get it wrong, not be able to find my location or generally bugger things up as is the norm in Dubai. So we strolled over to the nearest gate where we had to have all our bags scanned, near stip searched and then had to feed ouselves head first through a metal detector before we could speak to the man who knew - this is honestly how he was pointed out to me when I asked where I collect my tickets "speak to him, he is the man that knows".

Sadly he turned out to be the man who didn't know where the box office was, and pointed us in the direction of the next gate....only to find that their man who knew also didn't know either and pointed us on to yet another desk, after first requiring we be scanned and searched again of course (what on earth were they so despirate to search for as they didn't pick up my co-pilots Leatherman knife or the numerous electronics we had in our bags?) Eventually after a few of these gate hops we decided to head over to what looked like the main entrance where we managed to find a very helpfully german sounding lad who was working at the same desk as 'the main gate man who knew' (who of course didn't know), who looked at my e-ticket, scratched his head and said:
"Ah yes, you are supposed to collect zem from zee box office"
"Yes I know that, it says that on my e-ticket, but where is the box office"
"Oh, I do not know, but it is probably zee same place they sell zee tickets"
"Which is where?"
"Ah yes, zat is at zee petrol stations on zee Manama road"
"OK, and how do I get there?"
"Well you drive back out of the stadium car park..."
"Wait a minutes, drive? I have just come from the airport in a taxi. I don't have a car"
"Oh dear......zen it iz a long walk"
And that was as good as it got. He gave us directions and we set off on a 2.7km, 45 minute walk into the desert in the 39 degree heat......I kid you not, below is a view of the box office from the stadium:



When I finally arrived at the box office, the co-pilot and Mr Bailey have faded and stopped under a shady tree en route, I stumbled up to a desk and asked if this was the place to collect the tickets "no sir". "What! " I growled getting ready for a fight "The collection desk is that one there" he said indicting the other side of the room. Phew, I didn't have the energy for a fight.

I stumbled up to the new desk, sweating perfusely, and requested my tickets. While waiting, and sweating, I explained to the Bahrainee guy behind the counter (yes, for all those living in Dubai you read that correctly, a Bahrainee was manning the desk) that they really need to get their act together and have the box office at the stadium, or else explain in the e-ticket where this place is. "but they know to send you here at the stadium, and there are free shuttle buses". "Oh no there isn't" I explained "and they know nothing of this place at the stadium, I've just had to walk here". "What!!" he exclaimed and got on the phone and started shouting in Arabic. Mid sentence he switched back to English, asked me a few questions about how I had been treated, then turned to another fella and said "get him his tickets and get him back to the circuit....and get him something to drink" and turning to me apologized and assured me he would sort it all out.

Five minutes later I had my tickets, plenty of water and fruit juice and the distinct impression somebody somewhere was getting a new ar$e ripped. I was lead out to the staff transport which, in true gulf Arab style, was a brilliant white Porsche Cayenne!! It was very comfortable and got me back to the circuit VERY quickly and VERY smoothly.

With the initial fiasco sorted out we can now return to the rest of my Bahrain GP report, which contains far less complaining (but not completely without) as the rest of the weekend was BRILLIANT!!