My trip to Sealine

I went with some Carnegie Mellon University folks to Sealine on Friday. Sealine is a locale near the Saudi border where people go to the beach and dune. Mostly dune as I learned. I was hoping I would be able to get some sun on this excursion, but NOOOOOO because the place was packed with guys (my guess is 95%) and thus I did not want to be gawked at. But it was like being on another planet! I have never seen such a thing! You could feel the testosterone for miles! SUVs and ATVs all over the damn place! And basically no rules! It was Mad Max meets Burning Man meets Dune... I was all down with observing the madness, but then two of the CMUers decided to join the crazies and rented ATVs. And of course I ended up on the ATV with the guy who never in his life drove one and should never drive one again (guys think since they are dudes they automatically got the ATV skills, but they are sorely mistaken). I have been on ATVs several times before and know how they are supposed to go. It was one of the most frightening experiences of my life the way he drove around with all the other ATVs and SUVs buzzing about. Plus, I would ask him to slow down or take me back and he would not listen. This kid is on my shit list. And it did not help that my helmet was way too big no matter what I did to keep it tight and subsequently I had to hold it down with one hand to stop it from blocking my vision or flying completely off. I also worried that if I was to fall off due to the douchebag's reckless ways or get into an accident, we were miles from any medical facilities, facilities that are not very good in the first place. I was so thankful to make it back to our starting point in one piece. I definitely let out one of the biggest sighs of my life. Anyway, here is my day at Sealine (but these pictures do not do it justice):

What it looks like as you approach Sealine - MILES of camps (I guess their version of cabins on a lake or a beach) and LOTS of ATVs.

NO way was I going to get a peaceful day at the beach! Lots of people, particularly dudes, and asses on ATVs and SUVs who got a kick annoying people, particularly me (put throwing grapes at them helped a little), who were trying to enjoy the beach.

And this is what happens! A Life Flight helicopter is summoned! I have no idea what happened, but serious injuries and even deaths are not that uncommon.

The dunes at sunset. Kind of pretty...

And no they do not stop the madness at night! It only seems to amplify!

And this is what pays my salary...