If there’s one thing that keeps me from heading to the Beqaa or visiting friends in Zahle, it’s the Dahr el Baydar – Bhamdoun traffic on the way back. Last weekend, people got stuck for over 3 hours on their way back to Beirut and in the absence of police officers, scouts ended up organizing traffic.
If there’s any road that symbolizes the state of lawlessness and the big car jungle that we live in, it’s the Dahr el Baydar road. No respect for the lanes, no respect for speed limits, no respect for drivers, buses, ambulances nothing! Trucks are always cutting you off and driving recklessly and there aren’t any policemen on the way to impose order.
If you’re planning on going towards Chtaura or the Beqaa anytime soon, I recommend you sleep over at some friends or at a hotel or drive back to Beirut at a late hour (After 10PM). Otherwise, here’s a video on what to expect: