From the Introduction: The road is nothing more than a thin band of tarmac running through the sheer endless desert as far as the eye can see. With a single lane for traffic in either direction it is barely worth mentioning, but at least it appears to be in good repair. A glance to either side of the road revealing nothing but sand, rocks and some cacti suggests that the drive would be even less pleasant otherwise. Under these circumstances the checkpoint ahead might even be a welcome sight for some. For others it most certainly is not. Heavy concrete dividers and a pair of simple barriers have been set up to regulate traffic. Even a pair of watchtowers and heavy steel tank traps have been strategically placed to either side of the road to make sure no vehicle can easily bypass inspection.