118 CultureShock! Egypt
they may well remind you with the word ‘tip’ in whatever
language. If not, they may use the word baksheesh if you
seem particularly ignorant to what they expect.
Since tipping is considered rude under some circumstances
and simply not necessary in some cultures, foreigners often
do not realise that in many situations in Egypt they are
expected to give a tip, whereas they might not be expected
to tip in their native culture. Furthermore, Americans may
find it an affront, especially if the person seems to be doing
nothing or is in some kind of uniform. A couple of examples
should suffice to show how this works.
First, if you are at an ancient site where there are uniformed
guards protecting the place or at an entrance/exit gate, a
person from the United States would usually not consider that
these people should be tipped. They are employed, getting
a salary—just doing their job with seemingly no service
provided. After all, they didn’t bring you a meal or carry
your bag, right? Besides, some are government employees
or members of the military. In the United States, it is not
only immoral, but illegal, to tip government employees. Why
should you tip them? Well, in Egypt they are performing a
service for you—they are protecting you or easing your stay
or assisting you in having a good visit. It is true they may get
a salary, but like people in the service industry, their income
also depends on getting tips. Their employer is irrelevant. If
you look closely, you will see people or tour leaders almost
imperceptibly passing a small tip as they shake hands upon
going through the gate or when they leave. The average visitor
may never notice money exchanging hands.
The same goes for monument watchers or keepers at
mosques. These men appear in total silence out of the
shadows when you least expect them. They are there to
keep disrespectful people from leaving graffiti or trash, or
otherwise defacing public monuments. They also tell you
in no uncertain terms when you are not supposed to be in
an area. Again, you shouldn’t make a big deal out of it, just
quietly give them a small tip for this service. You will readily
differentiate between these men and the ones that appear
out of nowhere with goods to sell.