Mobile radio takes a load off workers' mind

DUBAI - If you think that mobile phones with various features like FM/AM radio facilities are the exclusive domain of the upwardly mobile crowd, you have another thought coming.

By Ahmad Al Kabariti

Published: Tue 2 Aug 2005, 11:13 PM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 7:08 PM

Take a ride on any of the buses belonging to Dubai Transport or those run by companies to ferry workers, and you will find the workers plugged to music from their mobiles. This trend has really caught on, with the workers willing to shell out the few extra bucks if only to let the music soothe one's tired bones.

Invariably, most workers travel long distances, spending a lot of time in the bus, and what better way to while away time than listening to music after a tired day's work. Most workers who have been taken in by the trend are Asian workers, comprising the low-earning group.

Though the prices of some mobiles with these features seem beyond the reach of the labourers, they manage to acquire it.

Jerry Carl, a 29-year-old Filipino salesman, says he usually listens to the latest news during the long bus trip back home from work. "The trip takes two-and-half hours, so there is no other way to spend the time except listening to the radio."

Mohammed Kuty, a 31-year-old Indian worker, said he found it essential to have a mobile with radio despite financial problems. "I bought the mobile for Dh250. This amount is big for me because it is a significant portion of my Dh700 monthly salary. I have to send most of my salary to my family back in India. I arranged to buy a mobile with radio facility only to help me relax during the long trips from and to work," he said.

Ali Dawlat, a 36-year-old Sri Lankan worker, was seen searching for a radio channel on his mobile phone while travelling in a Dubai Transport bus. "Listening to radio gives me some relief from unending work pressure and other problems. Working in the heat also makes me completely exhausted and tired. I need some sort of relief after that," he said.

Kumar R, a 35-year-old Indian worker, said he listens to the mobile radio for an average of nine hours a day. "I began listening to mobile radio during bus trips, but it soon extended during working hours too. In fact, I land up listening to mobile phone the entire time I am out of the house," he said.