Monday, January 26, 2009

To get to the other side

Traffic in Downtown Cairo is ridiculous. To cross a street, you have to dodge bicyclists balancing giant trays of bread loafs on their heads, honking taxis and speeding buses and trucks. Traffic lights and signs are universally ignored, and pedestrians simply dart in and out between cars that show no sign of stopping until they are about an inch away from you.
At first, my fellow lodgers at the hostel and I would run two meters, shrieking at the top of our lungs, stopping briefly in front of an oncoming car, panic-stricken, and would then continue on in a fit of hysterical giggles. We've gotten better, but not by much.
The daytime host at the King Tut has made several illuminating remarks about traffic accidents in Cairo over the last few days. In chronological order:
1. "People get hit all the time."
2. "Just cross, the cars will always stop for you."
3. When I suggested, "I guess you just have to look non-chalant and self-assured," he shook his head. "The cars never stop."

I give you this as an example of the inconsistency in Egyptian stories. Information changes all the time.

7 comments:

  1. Schatz, ich liebe das Bild mit den Damen, das du fuer deinen blog gewaehlt hast.
    Und ich kann nur sagen:Augen auf im (Stra8en)verkehr! Und vergiss deine Versicherungskarte nicht. Ich werde anfangen,hier fuer dich zu beten.

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  2. Anna, I don't see the problem. Those three statements are not in the least contradictory.

    Please don't get hit by a car.

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  3. Anna, your blog is great. Next I expect an entry about learning how to bribe police officers. Keep us posted!

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  4. Note that my previous captcha was cairu.

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  5. Yeah, that seems tough. Similar situation in Turkey. The best was five of us in a cab to the Takim (?) Square to go clubbing racing along the river side on the highway.

    Well at least we can infer that maybe the chicken didn't actually cross the road because he got hit be a car in Cairo.

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  6. erzaehl mir wieder von deinem leben. not that i'm obsessively checking this blog...

    ICH VERMISSE DICH!!!!!

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