Muntazah Park

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I have the good fortune to live beside two of Doha's landmarks, the Dubiyani Restaurant and Al Muntazah Park. The Dubiyani is a name not known to many, but for years it has gone by its unofficial name, Taxi Hotel. It's not a hotel of course. and at most it can seat ten people, but the great thing is, most of them are taxi drivers. So, from anywhere in the city Taxi Hotel is all the directions I need to get home, and from home, when I do want a taxi, there's never a wait of more than a few minutes. Across the road from Taxi Hotel is Al Muntazah Park. It's nice to look out over trees, but I can't go inside because this is a Ladies' and Children's park. Unfortunately, the Ladies & Children can't use it either because it has been closed for maintenance for at least four years. Who are they kidding? Nowhere in the world are parks closed for maintenance. You might fence off one sector at a time, for replanting or landscaping, but you keep the rest open. Besides, what park maintenance can take four years? Paraglider's Park Conspiracy says this valuable city centre land will soon become a building site. Just let enough people forget it's a park, stop all watering and let the sun do its worst, then bring in the bulldozers. After all, no-one uses it. The gates are locked.

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