Gavin Bell - Facing down a Lebanese driver with Glaswegian insults

When Gavin and I were both posted to Beirut, I recall one weekend trip to the crowded ski slopes in Faraya, with Gavin driving us home at the wheel of his battered green Fiat through the usual chaotic traffic jam.

A Lebanese driver cut in right in front of us and Gavin languidly opted not to use his brake, so we rolled gently downhill into the rear end of the fairly new Mercedes.

This was a somewhat risky choice given that at that time almost every local driver stashed a Kalashnikov under the seat or at least a pistol in the glove compartment, just in case…

As it turned out, after a fruity exchange of insults in Arabic and Glaswegian and an almighty cacophony as the drivers stuck behind us leaned on their horns, Gavin’s adversary correctly concluded that he wasn’t going to get any change out of this gloweringly unrepentant Scotsman and got back into his car.

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