bahrainthismonth.com | OCTOBER 2025 OPINION 74 Anyone who drives knows the reality: reckless drivers speeding through traffic lights, tailgating or using their phones while driving. Fatal accidents are reported almost every day, yet too many witnesses remain silent. Reporting dangerous driving is not about ‘interfering in someone else’s life’ – it is about protecting innocent lives at risk on our roads. If someone sees a dangerous driver but says nothing, and that driver kills a pedestrian, is silence not a form of complicity? Civic responsibility starts with small acts and reporting dangerous driving is one of them. But there is more to do: reporting a hole in the road, a displaced manhole cover, a dangerous object lying in the road or poor street lighting is the duty, obligation and responsibility of all road users. A common frustration is the appointment of friends, family members or loyal followers into senior management positions regardless of their ability or qualifications. It happens in businesses, real estate owner associations and even within public offices. The result is predictable: confusion, friction, loss of productivity, inefficiency, incompetence and a ‘me-first’ attitude. A residential building owners’ association led by inept individuals can neglect basic building safety or maintenance, endangering occupants. A company or organisation led by incompetent management bleeds talent and resources and wrecks opportunities. When those in power cover up for them instead of holding them accountable, the entire organisation suffers. The real estate sector is an essential part of any economy, often plagued by corruption, incompetence and mismanagement. Unscrupulous real estate agents mislead buyers about property values, hidden defects or future development plans. Some owners’ associations act more like private clubs for the few at the top, neglecting the very residents they are supposed to serve. Others engage in shady financial practices, diverting or pocketing money that should be used for building upkeep. Reporting such corruption is not only a legal responsibility – it is a moral one. Families invest their savings into these properties; their dreams should not be stolen by dishonest individuals or companies and their peace should not be shattered by incompetent building management who are corrupt through their own inaction, ineptitude and neglect of their duties, responsibilities and obligations such as enforcing bylaws. In his monthly series for Bahrain This Month, Bill Grieve casts his civic lens on areas of concern, offering an enlightening and engaging perspective on various issues affecting life in the Kingdom. Don’t Turn a Blind Eye! WHEN THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG, THERE IS A RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT! In every society, silence in the face of wrongdoing becomes a silent endorsement of that wrongdoing. People see corruption, incompetence, dangerous behaviour and social problems daily. Some shrug their shoulders, whisper in private circles and move on looking the other way, enabling the rot to spread deeper. The truth is, when people with authority, influence or even just the courage to speak up fail to act, the damage goes far beyond one bad driver or one corrupt manager. It becomes a culture where wrongdoing thrives. The Dangerous Roads We Share Incompetence in Authority When Real Estate Turns into a Nightmare
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