"It's more fun coming to a restaurant these days," said Mona, 21, as her two
friends giggled. Their Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones rested on the table next
to the remnants of a dinner of club sandwiches and fries.
"I've been using Bluetooth since it came out last year. We're always looking
for new things to add a spark to life," Reem, 24, said.
The women would not give their full names when talking about communicating with
the opposite sex -- so strong is the taboo in this kingdom where men and women
are strictly segregated. Unrelated men and women caught talking to each other,
driving in the same car or sharing a meal risk being detained by the religious
police.
But connecting by Bluetooth is safe and easy. Users activate the Bluetooth
function in their phone and then press the search button to see who else has
the feature on within a 30-foot (9-meter) range.
They get a list of ID names of anyone in the area -- names, mostly in Arabic,
often chosen to allure: poster boy, sensitive girl, lion heart, kidnapper of
hearts, little princess, prisoner of tears. Some are more suggestive, like
"nice to touch" and "Saudi gay club."
Users then click on a name to communicate with that person.
The phenomenon has started to receive attention in the media, especially after
stories appeared saying women were photographing female guests in revealing
evening gowns at weddings -- which are segregated -- and circulating them to
friends by Bluetooth.
That created some panic among those who feared pictures of their mothers,
sisters or daughters would be seen by men. Some families hired female guards to
confiscate camera-equipped mobile phones from wedding guests.
There is little the government can do to control Bluetooth use. Last year, it
banned camera-equipped phones, but backed off because cameras have become a
feature in most phones.
Abdul-Aziz al-Aseeri, a 25-year-old computer science teacher, said he tells his
students that Bluetooth technology can be misused. "I warn them of the dangers
of having pictures of their mothers and sisters ending up in the phones of
their classmates," he said.
But for many Saudi youths, who have almost nowhere to meet members of the
opposite sex, the technology is a godsend. It is replacing a favorite method of
flirting: throwing phone numbers at women through car windows or in shopping
malls.
With Bluetooth, men and women can safely flirt at malls, restaurants and even
traffic lights.
For the most part, the messages are innocent. But for this conservative
society, it is pretty bold stuff.
Many images feature babies -- some blowing kisses -- perhaps because women
consider them cute. Animated cartoons doing belly dances, dreamy Arabic songs
and sappy, sentimental messages are also popular.
"Last night I sent an angel to watch over you, but he came back soon," said one
message. "I asked him why, and he answered, 'Am not allowed to watch over other
angels."'
Some are more forward: a picture of a woman covered in a cloak and then another
one of her in a white top, looking coquettishly from beneath the rim of a cap;
an image of two women kissing; a woman taking off her trousers while
suggestively shaking her hips.
On a recent warm night, Abdullah Muhammad sat in front of his laptop at a
sidewalk cafe waiting for his computer's Bluetooth to pick up nearby users.
"I use Bluetooth to meet girls," said the 24-year-old businessman. "The
religious police cannot catch me."
His long, dark hair combed back, Muhammad said when he sees a woman walking
past, he presses the search button in the hope her phone's Bluetooth is on.
With women forced to cover up in the kingdom, how can he tell if she is someone
he would like to start a relationship with?
"I check her Bluetooth ID," he said. "If it's cute, then I'm pretty sure she
will be pretty."
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
