The curious practise of “Door Door” aka Iranian Car Tinder

Just across the Persian Gulf from Dubai lies the Iranian industrial port of Bandar Abbas. It's a world away from its glitzy neighbours, and most tourists know it as the jumping off point for the more relaxed shores of Qeshm and Hormuz. With an evening to kill before my ferry left, I decided to hit the beach. I soon found myself dodging cars, motorbikes and stray dogs - the air filling with noise and fumes, as men and women in the latest Western clothing drove endlessly around. I was watching what could only be described as Car Tinder. Known locally as 'Door Door', it involves driving past each other, flirting from behind car windows, stopping and exchanging numbers whenever there's a match. There's a special place for beaches in every culture but Iran takes it to up 11. In a country where the Islamic Regime keeps a close watch on everyday life, with a ban on public flirting and restrictions on social media, the beach is truly special. It's a place for young Iranians to dodge the Morality Police, to flirt, to show off their cars, to express themselves…