Culture Shock! Egypt - A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

(Brent) #1
The Logistics of Settling In 161

A strategy I learned from a long-term expatriate to ensure
drivers don’t demand more than the negotiated fare or more
than you know is reasonable is this: always carry a large
quantity of very small Egyptian bills—25 and 50 piastre
notes are best. When you get to where you are going, do
not pay the driver while you are sitting in the taxi. Get out
of the taxi, making sure to take all of your belongings with
you. Then hand the driver a wad (not neatly folded stack) of
small denomination notes through the front window. Taxis
are not air-conditioned, so the windows are always down
and provide an excellent way to pay the driver. Then walk
away. Unless you have tried to cheat the driver, by the time
he has counted the money, you will be well on your way.
Never try to cheat a taxi driver. They can, and do, yell loudly,
attracting the attention of numerous police standing around
with nothing better to do than settle the dispute. Even if you
do not have piastre notes, small bills are always better than
large ones. Some drivers may not have change, or at least
say they don’t have change.
By the way, a word of warning for women riding in taxis:
do not ride in the front seat or next to the driver unless you
are willing to run the risk of the driver’s hands wandering a
little. While they would never consider such affronts to an
Egyptian or Muslim woman, foreign women are fair game.
One reason for this is that no Muslim or Egyptian woman
would place herself in the position of being accessible to
such confrontations; therefore (according to their logic), if a
woman places herself next to a man, it must be for a reason,
so it is all right to touch her.


The Metro


The Metro in Cairo is exceptionally good, especially when
compared to the time needed for the bus or a car. It
provides the fastest and easiest way to get around Cairo
if you are going near to the places it connects. The Metro
system is modern, air-conditioned and clean throughout,
and is getting a face lift. The Metro provided rides to
approximately 2 million passengers each day. To keep
the system top-notch, construction of additional lines and

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