Newham Carnival

Prostitutes are known for their skimpy attire, but Kenya's coastal port of Mombasa is witnessing a controversial fashion makeover. The twilight ladies, as the city's residents refer to the sex workers, have traded their revealing outfits for the more austere buibui - a loose, floor-length gown and head covering favoured by Muslim women. Walking along the city's main red-light streets at night, one comes across many of the buibui-clad prostitutes. Although most shy away from speaking to the press, a few are willing to talk. "I'm better off wearing the buibui so I look respectable. I can avoid arrest. I am just trying to get some money to live on," one says. Another claims she wears her buibui to hide her identity. "I know I am sinning, but I'm forced to because I am looking for my livelihood. So to me, it's acceptable," she says. Most of her customers are local men, not tourists. She says wearing a buibui helped them to more easily pick out women from the region. But the phenomenon is causing a stir in the predominantly Muslim city where religious women are required to cover their bodies from head to toe. Some female residents say it is a big disgrace. "I feel so embarrassed that sometimes I contemplate removing my buibui and throwing it away. The buibui has lost its respect," Mariam Salma says. Another resident, Asha Hussein, claims the sex workers are not native to Mombasa. "They are not Muslims. Most are from Somalia and Ethiopia. They wear it to avoid public humiliation," she says.

Wearing the buibui not only allows prostitutes to mingle freely with other women, black buibuis allow them to hide under the cover of darkness. City authorities have mounted numerous operations over the years to get prostitutes off the streets, with limited success. After the crackdowns, the prostitutes go underground for a while, creating the impression that the operation has succeeded, only to emerge later. The newly adopted attire has ensured their trade is not disrupted. However, it is not the first time the prostitutes have used this tactic. It was popular in the 1990s until a religious vigilante organisation illegally rounded up the prostitutes hiding under buibuis and flogged them publicly. Religious leaders are now urging the government to take action. "We cannot arrest any of these women; it is the government's responsibility," says the organising secretary of the Council of Imams of Kenya, Sheikh Muhammad Khalifa. "We are saddened because the government is ignoring the problem." If the trend continues, police are likely to mistake respectable women for prostitutes, he says. "For God's sake, if one has decided to join this profession, the uniform of prostitutes is well known. "They should stick to their disgraceful attire."

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Why women drive with two hands and men with only one

Men drive with one hand because they are 'physically relaxed' at the wheel

Cruising along with one hand on the wheel, he may look detached. But he isn't.Psychologists say that the average male driver only relaxes like this because he considers his car as a part of himself. It takes a female driver to understand that her car is a separate entity - which means she is more likely to grip the wheel with both hands. Research has also found that men use chat about their cars as a way of expressing their own feelings. Co-author Dr Iain MacRury, of the University of East London, said: "Men talk about their cars as if talking about themselves. "Women are more comfortable expressing their feelings directly and see the car as separate. That's why women give names to their cars. "It's also why men drive with one hand on the steering wheel. They are physically relaxed as they think the car is part of them. "Women drive with two hands because they see the car as more 'detached'." The study noted where one-handed drivers preferred to put their spare hand. It found that 46 per cent of men rested it on the gear stick. Just 31 per cent of women did this.

Women drive with both hands on the wheel because they see the car are more 'detached'

But although only 27 per cent of men put their spare hand in their lap, 39 per cent of women did. Co-author Dr Peter Marsh said: "Men hate talking about relationships. But the relationship they have with their car is different - because they identify with their cars. "This is often demonstrated by genuine feelings of annoyance at the threat, or potential threat, of someone scratching or scraping the car. Affectionate patting of the steering wheel, car roof or dashboard, or glancing back as if to say goodbye, are also signs."  The study - called The Secret Life of Cars and What They Reveal About Us - also found that motorists are four times more likely to sing on their way to work than on the way home.  This is because they think of their car as a cocoon - "an extension of their shower or bath". Dr Marsh added: "People wouldn't sing on a bus or a train - but on their way to work in the morning there is a feeling of escapism.

"Most people are gearing up for work at the beginning of the day. It is the last bit of me-time before they arrive at their workplace or desk.  "This mood lends itself to singing, hence the dawn chorus observed during our research."  On their way home, motorists are winding down and are more likely to be thinking about catching up with the news or their families, so sing less.  Cup-holders were said to reveal a lot about a driver. Anyone who obsesses about them is likely to be a workaholic - not wanting to waste a minute.  Dr MacRury added: "Generations ago, luxury cars would have picnic tables installed - now it's a cupholder.  "Cupholders show you live a contemporary executive lifestyle - that your time is precious." The colour of our cars is also changing. After a decade in which black, silver, blue and grey have dominated, drivers are switching to "expressive" colours such as neon pink, the researchers added. Their report, commissioned by BMW, is to be used to help plan and design future models.