Abu Dhabi Police Major Khaled Al Dhaheri handing out a gift to a driver during the 'Happiness Patrol' in Abu Dhabi on Monday. KT photos: Neeraj Murali.

Patrolling the roads, streets, and communities of the Capital city from north to south, two Abu Dhabi police officers were on a mission—not to penalize drivers, but to reward them. Major Khaled Al Dhaheri and First Warrant Officer Omar Al Shehhi embarked on a routine Traffic Happiness Patrol Monday morning, seeking out instances of exemplary driving behavior.

Driving a UAE-made Rabdan 4x4, adorned with festive decorations and smiley faces, the vehicle stood out as anything but a conventional police car—until the flashing blue and red lights activated. Even then, many motorists seemed unsure of the situation. As they cruised down Airport Road, the officers noticed a taxi and decided to pull it over. After activating the overhead police lights, they followed the driver for a short distance, but the taxi continued moving forward.

"It’s quite common for drivers to get confused when we start following them, and they don’t stop right away," explained Officer Al Shehhi. He then drove alongside the driver’s side and signaled for him to pull over. The puzzled cabbie lowered his window and inquired if something was amiss. "Stop after the traffic light on the right," the officer instructed. Major Al Dhaheri approached the driver with a gift bag, explaining, "We are the Happiness Patrol, not your typical police patrol; we stopped you because you are a good driver."

Before the officer could finish, the driver, Joseph Quayson, responded in disbelief: "But why? I don’t understand." Once the confusion was resolved, the 32-year-old Ghanaian driver stepped out of his car with a broad smile, gratefully accepting his prize. He then posed for a photo with Major Al Dhaheri. "At first, I thought the police car wanted to overtake me, so I moved aside; I didn’t expect them to stop me, but they kept driving behind me, which made me nervous," Quayson recounted.

Interestingly, the day prior, Quayson had been stopped and fined by the police for changing lanes without signaling. "I learned my lesson and was extra careful about following all rules today. I’ve been driving here for five years and had never been stopped for something like this before; I’ve only been stopped twice to be fined," he said.

A few moments later, the patrol officers spotted a black BMW driving along the Corniche. "The driver is adhering to the speed limit and using the indicator even though the road is empty," noted Major Al Dhaheri. They activated the police lights again, but the motorist continued driving. Officer Al Shehhi honked and directed the driver to park on the side after the traffic light. Zohair Ksontini, 50, was all smiles once Major Al Dhaheri clarified their identity. "I’ve been here for a year, and the police never stopped me; I got scared at first and wondered if I had done something wrong. I was at a red light when I saw the car behind me and didn’t know where to stop," said the executive director from Tunis.

Uber driver Baiju Jayarajan, who has been driving in Abu Dhabi for 17 years, had never been stopped by traffic police. Little did he know, the day he was finally pulled over would turn out to be a pleasantly surprising experience. "I was only stopped a few years back by CID because I returned home late from the cinema. I live in Al Bateen, and they were monitoring the neighborhood," said the 34-year-old from India. His client, Bianca Vagner, 50, was impressed by his safe driving throughout their trip from Reem Island to Marina Villas. "I am pleased with his driving, and I wish he could be my private driver," said the German expat as she watched the police reward him.

Ajith Kumar was initially puzzled when the police stopped him, his eyes widening as he tried to understand what was happening. Major Al Dhaheri attempted to explain that he hadn’t done anything wrong, but Kumar remained confused. Finally, with the help of a translator, the officer’s message was understood, and Kumar’s expression changed from fear to pure delight. "Have no fear," the major assured him, "you did nothing wrong." The 55-year-old boat captain from India said the police had never stopped him. "The speed cameras fined me a few times, but never like this," he added.

Sultan Al Zahmi was traveling down the Al Khaleej Al Arabi highway from one business errand to another when the Happiness Patrol noticed him. He was being particularly cautious while switching lanes, which impressed the officers. "I had heard of the Happiness Patrol before, but I didn’t realize it was them when the police signaled for me to pull over," said the 49-year-old Emirati.

The Happiness Patrol then ventured to the Rabdan area, searching for a good female driver to conclude their two-hour patrol. They drove from one side of Al Qanah to the other, but none of the women they observed seemed to fully comply with traffic regulations. They patiently cruised for over 40 minutes through Rabdan’s main streets and neighborhoods.

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