Every Lebanese (and non-Lebanese) who has been to the North has to pass by a Lebanese army checkpoint at the Madfoun bridge, known as the infamous Madfoun checkpoint.
We used to pass by that checkpoint every day, not caring about it since it wasn’t that problematic to through. But now, every single time you go through the checkpoint, you:
1) Get stuck in unbelievable traffic,
2) Solve a barricade puzzle with your car,
3) Take another driving test, which most Lebanese people undoubtedly need.
And why’s that? Because by the looks of it, the only spot where the Lebanese army decided to reinforce law is the Madfoun checkpoint, even removing the more necessary checkpoint outside Tripoli, which was set up after the Nahr El Bared incidence with the terrorist group of Fath Al Islam.
The new reinforcements include barricades placed left and right (and if they could, I’m sure they would have put some floating in the air) and road bumps that are as bumpy as you could get (they actually add these for a week then remove them because they could damage cars).
Why so? Are the people of Jbeil going to attack the people of Batroun? Or is Batroun the filthiest area of the country when it comes to crime?
I understand my state is the entry district to the North. But I can think of many other locations where such a checkpoint might be more beneficial to fight crime and would cost even less manpower, money and time. Besides, don’t you think a criminal would take the longer inside roads to North Lebanon, instead of a checkpoint that has been here for decades?
And for God’s sake, if you want to keep it, how about you open up the freaking side road that you keep for hotshot people so it doesn’t take me ten minutes to cross a fifty meter stretch of road?
A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares 
haha just yesterday, I was arguing with my dad about this!
If the checkpoint is at this particular point cz it’s the entrance of ‘mouhafazat al shamal’ then what about Mount Lebanon or Beirut… No problems there? They all live happily ever after?
So I think that most probably the Madfoun checkpoint exists to protect ‘ahel jabal lebnen’ and beirut from us the barbarian batrounees.. We must accept the harsh truth and deal with it! :O
LikeLike
3anjad 😦
Should we be happy or not? 😛 #WeAreStrong!
LikeLike
hahaha Elie, sure is a “fuckery”! hahaha 7abbet and very annoyingly true!
LikeLike
I thought twice about using that word in the title then I remembered all the fury I felt whenever I got stuck there and thought the hell with it 😛
LikeLike
hahaha ana feyte men 5 years be the plastic ones 3al ATCL bel kaslik, mnih ma keno metel hol hahaha bas yea i get the whole fuckery thing!! :p u chose the right word indeed
LikeLike
Ktir hayyne tfoute fiyon 😛 W taba3 l madfoun bighayyro l ordre taba3on every few days. So no way tet3awwde 3layon 😛
LikeLike
Pingback: Lebanon’s Syrian Occupation – A Persistent Matter That Should Never Be Forgotten « A Separate State of Mind
Pingback: Kataeb and Ahrar “History Book” Protest Turns Bloody – Reminiscent of Syrian Occupation Days « A Separate State of Mind
I can’t believe how u people think
First of all, everybody forgot that this checkpoint used to be a syrian army checkpoint where people drove through it daily and everytime they would have to put up for different kinds of humiliation with no single complaint ( as the lebanese say : like dogs) so be a little grateful that its a lebanese army checkpoint now with soldiers that can’t be more respectful and being always trained for that
Second, as much as you tried to understand the importance of this checkpoint you won’t and for a reason that you are a civilian (and i’m not by the way), you don’t know how many people with several arrest warrants get arrested daily on this checkpoint plus its a safety sign for many people who drive on the highway protecting them from dangerous influences such as car harrassments, kidnapping….and there is a lot of such stories that happened on this checkpoint like people who kidnapped or death threatened ( i’ll be glad to narrate them anytime)
Third, if you don’t want to show respect to this checkpoint and what it represents, at least show respect to the military men standing on it, and i’m pretty sure you have no clue the amount of effort and fatigue they go through standing all day long, till u arrive and complain about couple of minute traffic or barricade puzzles ( it wont show the right expression in english so i’ll say it in arabic ” CHED 7ALAK”
Forth, please don’t comment about things you don’t understand about ( i can’t describe how naive you showed in your article, i showed it to some friends and we laughed our guts out)
Finally, i can’t miss the word FUCKERY, i’ll tell you whats the FUCKERY in all this, the FUCKERY is that with everything going wrong in this country, you chose to criticize the work of the only institution working right, so be more useful
Remark:” taking pictures of military facilities and equipments is a felony in lebanon, so elie fares my advise to you is to delete them”
LikeLike
1) The fact that is checkpoint was one for the Syrian army does not mean you can use that argument to justify it staying today. The syrians are long gone.
2) The fact that I’m a civilian is also besides the point – the fact of the matter remains that most criminals will find ways around it (if the checkpoint is catching 1 criminal, I’m sure there are ten using other roads to get past it). No, it’s not a safety sign – it’s a sign that we are living in an army state. Which we are not.
3) Nowhere in my post did I show disrespect to the armed forces of Lebanon. If anything, they should probably use their energy elsewhere and not get overworked and tired on this checkpoint. The fact that this checkpoint did not have barricades and didn’t have traffic before means the problem is not with me.
4) I’m glad you were entertained. And we can disagree as to exactly how “right” the army is doing his job.
And if we go by your logic, then every single region in Lebanon should have one which we both know is far from the case.
Remark: I hardly believe taking a picture of a highway is taking picture of military facilities and equipments, as you mentioned. But I will gladly remove the pictures that will apparently cause a threat to our national security if they stay online.
Keep in mind this post is 9 months old.
LikeLike
Pingback: Should the Lebanese Army Be Beyond Retribution? « A Separate State of Mind | A Lebanese Blog
Niceee,, blogger with an attitude, i like it
Your reply only emphasized on the things i already said, so we’re turning around the same points here:
Again you are talking about a subject you don’t know about, or to make it clearer ” YOU HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT”, actually there is lebanese army checkpoints on the entrance of each region, checkpoint at Awali-Saida which is gate of the south, checkpoint at Dahr Baidar which is gate of Bekaa and many more,so its not that far from the case, you only need to get out more bro
If you are so certain that criminals are finding there way around this checkpoint, we will be more than glad that you point them to us since you have so much knowledge in national security, yet even better why don’t we make you in charge of this checkpoint and maybe you’ll find out what these barracades that annoy you so much are used for
As if your first article was’nt enough, now your doughting or even stating that the army of your country is not working right, but its not your fault, the army is to be blamed, because of there policy of single handedly preserving security in this country and not taking credit for it as it is called the unknown soldier preventing chaios and war, but this policy allows people like you to believe that the army is just a burden for urban society and useless and should be isolated inside his barracks and not on the streets and highways ( because they cause traffic 😦 😦 why are they so cruel?)
This checkpoint is ( غص من عن رقبتك) a safety sign, and i wish so badly that comes a day where you find yourself in trouble running like crazy looking not for a checkpoint but a single soldier, its not to show that we are an army country, and like you said we are not because if we were you wouldn’t survive nine months to talk about a blog critisizing lebanese army. The fact that you see army checkpoints and patrols on the street and cities not to show that we are an army country but because the lebanese army was assigned to maintain internal security by a decision from the goverment in 1993 ( 10 years before you were born) till today since ISF forces ( darak) aren’t and still qualified for this task
Finally i know its a nine months old blog ( as if it has an expiry date or as if i’m a constant follower of your sucky blog) but i couldn’t miss it as i was googlin:” state of mind similar to my penus’ state of mind”
PLZ REPLY, you chose a topic that triggers me and many people as well, you can’t just talk about the شرف تضحية وفاء institution and expect a few comments and smiley faces from your cute little friends and just forget about it, i’m just warmin up 🙂
LikeLike
An army man with an attitude – how stereotypically true. And how nauseating.
As for the entirety of your comment, simply meh. Not only do you not understand what I’m saying, you actually have the guts to say that I don’t understand.
Dude, get a grip.
Also, Mr. Paul, the attitude of people like you is what makes many people not fall head over heels for the Lebanese army. Army people are doing their job, which many applied to. I, as a future doctor, don’t bitch around telling people I’m overworked and I need them to appreciate me. Perhaps you should take a hint?
And no, we get to criticize all we want because this is a free country. And since there are checkpoints everywhere, why don’t I see one on the entry to Beirut?
Or do criminals not pass via Beirut?
Or why is there no checkpoint at the entry of Tripoli? So many questions. So little answers.
And yeah, if you think no criminals are evading the army then you are delusional.
For the record, my year of birth is not 2003 – perhaps you got me confused with yourself. It happens. You’re excused.
And if you think my blog is “sucky” the least you can do is not “waste” your “precious” time reading it.
W ghasb 3an ra2ebtak I will continue to think the Madfoun checkpoint is useless.
PS: I’m sure your penus’ state of mind is just honorable.
PPS: When the army is truly at the same distance from everyone in Lebanon, then come talk to me. Until then, have a good life, bro.
PPPS: Happy Easter, bro.
LikeLike
I won’t tolerate disrespectful comments on my blog. You should be taught some manners before you speak.
Also beddak tshedd 7alak ktir. Mesh masmou7 hal2ad l infi3al
LikeLike
My last comment and i’m sorry for my disrespectful manners, is too much for you??
And for your blog shuv it up your ass, this where your state of mind belongs
LikeLike
For someone who wants me to shove* my blog where you said, you are sure becoming too involved.
LikeLike
I’m sure a Lebanese army man cannot be allowed to be this disrespectful.
LikeLike
You never know.
LikeLike
When it comes to someone who critizices, a subject he does not understand, and this subject happens to be your career, then chris you’ll understand how anyone (not just an army man) will appear to be disrespectful or in fact defending a thought
LikeLike
I saw the comment that Elie removed before it was removed. I’m subscribed to this post. There’s no way you’re helping your point by saying those things.
You can defend your career without calling people things and telling them you want to smash their face. In fact, saying those things hurts you more than it helps.
You are entitled to be passionate about your career, but people are also entitled to criticize. And I see nothing in this whole thing that is an attack on the army so I don’t see how you feel he’s attacking your career if he’s criticizing a checkpoint.
LikeLike
Either way, ma bedda hal2ad. Paul got way too passionate. Elie got way too defensive. Get into the Easter mood both of you w khalas.
LikeLike
True, i’m passionate about this subject and i got carried away in my last comment and the words i said won’t help, but thats because i still refuse criticism, i would never criticize a job or career i have no idea about, still i have no problem with discussion and conversation so that if anyone have doughts or unclear thoughts, i’ll be more than glad to ellaborate
Happy easter chris
LikeLike
Pingback: The Lebanese Army is Becoming Way Too Reckless « A Separate State of Mind | A Lebanese Blog