Two street drifters detained after blocking Amman tunnel

AMMAN — A video of street drifters blocking a tunnel in Amman went viral on social media on Friday and Saturday, with police intensifying campaigns targeting reckless drivers.

The video (www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_JvcwyWab4) shows young motorists “performing doughnuts” and blocking traffic in the tunnel, which police said was in east Amman.

The Public Security Department (PSD) said the video, which drew criticism from social media users, was recorded a year ago. 

A statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times Sunday by the PSD media office said after investigating the video, police officers were able to identify one of the cars and the driver, and he was apprehended and charged with reckless driving.

Another motorist was also arrested and work is still under way to arrest the others involved in the incident so legal and administrative actions can be taken against them, said the statement, which added that three days ago PSD launched a campaign targeting “irresponsible” driving and drifting.

A total of 91 cars have been seized so far, and the drivers will be subject to legal actions such as fines.

Commenting on the video, Alia Omar said on her Facebook that police should intensify the campaign against such people, whom she described as irresponsible and childish. 

Those people should be thrown in jail, wrote Basel Taha on his Facebook page.

The video posted on various YouTube channels on Friday was seen by more than 30,000 people.  

Al Arabi ‏(@ArabiMogtareb) said on his Twitter account that it is unacceptable to block the streets, wondering how these drivers would feel if a woman were on her way to hospital for delivery and could not pass through.