But he's a professional athlete

As you are all well aware, it is Ramadan here in the Muslim world, which means no eating or drinking from sun-up to sun-down. That does make it tricky when you spend a good deal of time outside exercising. We've learned to be a little creative and sneaky when it comes to snagging a quick drink or a bite to eat while out on long rides and runs. Apparently we are pretty good at it, because we haven't been stopped by the authorities.

Rebecca and I were out running early last Friday morning when we came across a scene along our normal route. There were four UAE police officers, an Emirati, and two white people (one woman in street clothes and a man in running gear). The man looked the part - spandex shorts, tight tank top, scarf on the head, and a camelback slung across his shoulders. As we passed the meeting, we overheard the woman say to the officers, "But he's a professional athlete!"

We can only assume that the man was stopped because he was caught taking a sip from his camelback. The woman's statement just made me realize how ignorant some people can be... so what if he is a professional athlete? Does that transcend law? Religion? Regardless of who you are... you are in a Muslim country...

For the past week I have been trying to think of an analogy to compare this incident to a situation in the US, originally thinking it would be like someone getting caught speeding or drunk driving, and then claiming "but he's a professional athlete!" But the more I think about it, the more I realize that that line would probably work in the US... ridiculous! I guess even professional athletes can get away with murder in the US. What does that mean?