164 CultureShock! Egypt
on the spot that can be both expensive and time-consuming
by the time you get it paid.Traffi c
Hang on to your hat, now you get to experience Egyptian
traffic, Cairo-style! Traffic in Cairo is notoriously horrible!
Most people tell you there is no logic to driving in Egypt.
Egyptian traffic does not defy explanation, but it does take
some understanding.
Cairo driving is extremely aggressive. The first rule is, if
there is room for your car, take it. If there is not and you can
bluff someone else, go for it. I have been in small buses whose
driver bluffed out larger buses by sheer guts. Other drivers
have bumped vehicles to get a space first. I have even had
drivers pull bumpers off parked vehicles because ‘they were
parked too close to the corner (to make a turn) and should
have known better’.
If you arrive at night, you may get a special treat. People
drive with their lights off at night going as fast as room
allows. Several explanations have been given for driving
at night without lights such as ‘I don’t want to bother the
driver in front of me’. Others think keeping lights on bothers
oncoming traffic or runs the battery down.Just fi nd a spot and squeeze in on one of Egypt’s crowded streets.