10 things to do while stuck in traffic

We all have our personal lists of the zaniest, quirkiest,
funniest, craziest, smartest ... We devote this page to them.

This week, Saud Alhalwachi, director, Education Zone FZ LLC, Dubai, lists her top ten things to do when stuck in traffic

Learn a lingua franca: Many bookshops sell CDs or tapes that teach languages. Utilise the time spent in traffic by learning a new thing every day. I learnt French while stuck in traffic. Though I cannot say more than voila, it does, ahem, take me places.

Be a number cruncher: Look at the numbers on a car number plate ahead of you. Now multiply them in succession. Then divide the total by each of the numbers. I do it regularly and have even created an alphanumeric formula!

Check the stats: Do a statistical analysis on the most-bought car in Dubai. You will discover that 95 per cent of the cars are those that are mass produced, 2 per cent are for the rich and the remainder for those using plastic and pretending to be rich.

Find a celeb lookalike: Look at the driver of the car on your left and on your right. See if they resemble any celebrities. You'll be surprised!

Explore gender dynamics: Count the number of male and female drivers and observe if there are any differences in their driving habits. (Do all those chain e-mails you receive about women being better/worse drivers make sense?)

Make it memo-rable: Have pending memos and letters to be sent? Record them on your cellphone and ask your secretary to type them out as soon as you reach the office.

Face it: If you are a woman start your make-up regimen beginning with a facial. Of course, this should be done if you're not behind the wheel. Imagine the time you can save at home.

Listen to audiobooks: You can finish two books in a week if you utilise this time wisely. You could even start a traffic jam book club and exchange e-books or CDs with car drivers in your neighbouring lanes.

Send e-mails: Invest in a mobile internet device that can be fixed to the laptop and check your e-mails. Again, you must be the passenger, not the driver.

Survey your surroundings: Count the number of new buildings that have mushroomed along your route. Check out the prices and try to figure out who could be living in those apartments. Now think about how they are all going to contribute to Dubai's traffic.