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Hi people, I don't want to be mean or lame at this topic so if you were too enthusiasm for Egypt don't continue..adult section :P Really! I've been to Egypt more than 7 times & I really do think that it's quite magical country but lately I've found out that people in Egypt are quite nervous specially in heat! I don't deny that there are many kind people who make you enjoy your stay in Cairo. But there are some people that made me understand what humiliation like!! Specially Taxi drivers! Oh my god what those men are capable to do! I remember at once that I've gone with a Taxi driver to Metro (super market) in Ma'adi & he went throw argument with another Taxi driver during the lovely drive! And they ended up spitting on each other throw the windows!lool! So I was wondering in situation like this! What is the best thing to do? :S And am I the only one who's facing like this stuff coz am quite young? Have you ever been in something like that? Any weird idea or experience to add? Posts: 116 | From: Cairo - Maadi | Registered: Apr 2005
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It seems that nearly all taxi drivers are almost always fighting, either with the passenger or with someone else (another driver..etc). Once a taxi driver got out of the car to fight with another taxi driver, so I just got out and took another taxi. He had only driven for like 3 minutes or something so I wasn't ripping him off.
Is it me or are taxi drivers almost never satisfied with the money you give them?
I tell u a story when i first came into cairo i got a taxi and it was a hot nasty day, but the taxi driver was cool and all he was laid back and we were generally tring to enjoy the ride cause it was so crowded. Then all of a sudden another taxi comes across and cuts my taxi up at which point my taxi slammed on his horn and chased this guy then pulled up in font of him and they started having a fight, swearing spitting pushing shoving all that sorts. Then my pleasent taxi driver walked away back to the car and to my amazment picked up a screw driver ! he went to go stab the other taxi driver thank good a police officer came by and stoped it.
Since that point got my own car and driving around its not that bad its like playing an arcade game when your driving here but i love it to tell you the truth.
From what i can understand you coming out here soon and i hope you enjoy it buddy. Your are riht about this forum it does help alot when people reply to your posts.
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My Dearest, I would not really want you to take a bad idea about my country Egypt through one incident or should i say accident i do not deny that we have some negative aspects specially taxi driver's attitudes but i recall when i lately visited new york then the taxi driver took me to my hotel then i paid him the exact fees on the meter then he came down saying f*** you aren't you paying tips with other words not our issue here and he was going realy like hitting me and i got over that allright .I need to hear your comment please . Posts: 1 | From: cairo | Registered: Apr 2005
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Hey MoeBelal, Thank you very much for posting! And sharing your story! though, it's funny I liked it! Maybe we should do an association against taxi Drivers in Egypt! We would get like a 100000 member! lol Think about all the money that we're going to get! I'll be damn rich alright am kidding! You right! @ least it's a new experience in your life! But you know GOD you're so brave to stay @ the car! If I were you..no one would see me ever! So tell more about yourself! Where have you came from? What r u doing in Egypt? Thanx again!
Hello af8, Is that your name?? i've noticed that is your first post on the forum?! God I'm damn lucky to have you then You're very welcome aboard! I guess taxi drivers are damn crazy worldwide! lol Guess this job is going very well with my capabilities & my CV as well I'm sorry if i made you feel bad about your country! But let me add that it's the most magical country I've ever seen (excluding taxi drivers :P) No really! It got a very unique spirit! lol r we ok now?
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Hey guys, Not saying the taxis hee are bad not trying to bad mouth any country but its true no matter what country you go too the taxis are always something people commint on its part of the culture of that country.
I mean look i come from london origanally and the taxis arent always as great as they say especially if you use minicabs now thats funny!
Yeah porcelian m8y read your post about yourself. good on you but your GINGER! that i cant except.......NAH only joking mate look i'm from england came out here to work been here what now six seven months. its ok not getting used to the country itself but like you i do belive its magical m8 every time i get sick of this country i go for a long walk around the city in different areas then you relise what an amazing place this is with so much history an so forth plus the people always make me laugh when i'm down i mean complete strangers they are friendly people.
Hope all goes well just put up a post if you ever need anything maybe i can help.
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Hey Mr.B Can another down person join your long walk too? See, am looking for friends! I'm just wondering? lol but if you like 80 years old no thanx! So really, are you planning to stay for a long time in Egypt?
Posts: 116 | From: Cairo - Maadi | Registered: Apr 2005
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The first time I ever got into a taxi in Cairo was at the airport. When we got into the city, near where my husband's relatives live, I was surprised at how people would just cross the streets between moving cars. I said to my husband, gee, someone is gonna get hit with our driver because he would speed up whenever he saw someone trying to cross in front of him. As soon as I said that, a little boy about 9 or 10 years old walked into the street close to our taxi. The driver cut the car so close toward the boy that he brushed the car and fell back into the street.
The driver never even stopped!
When we go to Egypt, my husband tells me never to open my mouth because as soon as they know I am American, the price goes up! True with taxi's and true at the market.
I once saw an Egyptian policeman brave enough to stand in a busy street trying to direct the traffic. He tried to get the traffic to stop, but everyone ignored him, and continued on. I guess I must have had a look of surpise on my face because when we passed by him he threw his hands up in the air as a gesture to me that he did all he could do.
I drive in Houston everyday where there are 12 lanes of traffic from downtown. The lanes are very narrow and there is construction. I thought I was brave driving in that traffic. But, driving in Cairo would never happen with me. The only rule for driving in Cairo is there are no rules...!
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H_P, welcome to this board. Regarding your topic the simple answer is yes its mostly because of the heat. Many people are more nervous, short-tempered than usual and do things they wouldn't do normally.
But just wait til Ramadan comes around..... and you are going to witness similar things.
About that taxi drivers spitting at each other ( ) this is a very tough case and definitely not normal. I met many taxi drivers which were nice and down-to-earth and were costumer friendly - even in the hot weather.
[This message has been edited by Tigerlily (edited 24 April 2005).]
Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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hi hunted porcelain, firstly thanks for your compliments about egypt. secondly, i'm really sorry for your experience with taxi drivers. believe me everyone complains from them even us egyptians. and yeah cairennes do have a temper. as exciting as cairo is it is a difficult city to live in, the heat the traffic. its all very tough. i mean i drive to work and i feel so pissed off, can you imagine how a taxi driver would feel staying in that traffic ALL day. i'm not making any excuses for them you are right they are RUDE. i think the best thing to do in that situation is just try to ignore it and hope it ends as soon as possible. sorry
Posts: 4446 | From: Egyptian in Sydney | Registered: Mar 2005
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Last summer I spent some weeks near Munich, which is one of the most well-to-do regions of Germany, I was told, and of course, the headquarters of BMW. There was a long article in the newspaper then about how drivers - the well-to-do, high-class, highly educated German people - behave on motorways. I do not remember the whole plot exactly any more, but it was basically about that there is something in the combination of a powerful car, hot bitumen and traffic lights, that makes people abnormally aggressive when they drive. It is not a rare sight to spot e.g. a well-dressed older lady wave her middle finger at you when you outmaneuvre her. I think they tried to explain it with that in our modern well-behaving world where you are required to be NICE all the time, like nice to your colleagues, nice to clients anyway, nice to managers if life is dear to you, and go home and be also nice to your partner, and then go to web and be NICE in ES, too, there is practically only one place left where you can let out all your negative emotions and pressures of the day, and that is -- highway. That it is kind of mutually accepted behaviour there. :D
Essentially, it should be good when people let out their emotions freely, because it keeps the inside pressure down and keeps worse things from happening. The nordic countries in contrast are well known for that noone ever says or shows anything but then they go kill themselves secretly because they cannot bear the pressure any more. I'm not sayng it is ideal, I'm saying it is BETTER THAN some other option.
And drama (like taking a screwdriver to aid you in your conversation) IS a very effective propagandistic tool, It helps to drive the point home. I think egyptians are essentially good at using drama :)) so a good idea might be to simply watch and enjoy, and laugh at proper places, I think egyptians like laughing people so much.
(But I have not been to Cairo yet, so....)
P.S&BTW just came to think about it now but.. knowing the egyptians, could it be possible that the taxidriver who came back to take a screwdriver did it because the other agitated driver happened to say he was doing what he did because something in his car was not properly working?? and the other driver while yelling at him, went to help?? Would be a very egyptian behaviour from what I have understood -- the bark is as loud as the heart is big :)))
[This message has been edited by nevermind (edited 25 April 2005).]
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[was again posting to myself :). We have a children's book in my country about a small hairy lonely being who always writes to himself because he LOVES to get letters]
[This message has been edited by nevermind (edited 25 April 2005).]
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dear Hunted Porcelain i am a 17 years old egyptian, taxis is my transportation method since i was 11. Taxi drivers are human beings, they get nervous because of the heat or the damn traffic yet some r just mean and stupid. so its ok to bump in one of these dumb taxi drivers every now and then, cause thats life you cant choose ur taxi driver.
Posts: 5 | From: cairo | Registered: Apr 2005
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kidmetal thanx for advise! You know I just turned 18 so i still consider myself as not adult! Well, can you tell me more about hobbies interestes? stuff like this? I don't mind hunging out with ya next summer! Maybe you'll help with some questions about stuff in Cairo? Yeah?
7aya I'm not just complimenting, it's the truth! Thanx for Welcoming & I'm going to study journalism as well! So maybe you can give me sdvises sometime!
Shadya! loool So damn funny! Thanx for posting! tell me about being mute infront of Taxis in order not to pay less :S You know I do the same thing with my parents in order to get money specially if I made any disaster @ home lol! Great strategy!
nevermind! Thanx for posting! Believe it or not! I'm that kind of ppl who is always nice & have this pink look for the world! But I've been criticized for that, specially from ma family. they told me that I'm just a face & I have to act my age. Specially after very bad situation with an Egyptian officer. Now I've learned to loss control on EF only lol thanx for everyone helped me to do that but I really feel it's not like me. I hope everything would work just fine & ppl coulld just love each other more!
Try to smile to the Taxi drivers it might work! If it did! Tell me & I'll try that. Though I tried it once in my hometown & he thoght I'm trying to seduce him so I just took myself out of the car with the rest of the dignity that i have! :P
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I'V BEEN IN CAIRO MORE THAN 10 TIMES AND I USED TAXIS QUITE OFTEN FOR SHORT OR LONG RIDES. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEM WITH THE TAXI DRIVERS. THEY ALWAYS BEHAVED IN A POLITE MANNER AND DIDNT ARGUE FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I WAS GIVING THEM FOR THE RIDE. A FEW TIMES THEY EVEN REFUSED CHARGE ME (IN CASE OF A VERY SHORT RIDE)! ONCE THE CAR STOPPED AND DRIVER COULDNT FIX IT SO HE WENT OUT AND FOUND OTHER TAXI FOR ME. MOST OF CONVERSATIONS WERE IN ENGLISH BECAUSE MY ARABIC IS POOR BUT ENOUGH TO SAY WHAT WAS MORE IMPORTANT. Posts: 16 | Registered: Dec 2004
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When it comes to " Taxi Drivers", yes they drive like they are blindfolded, and without any regards for traffic rules. That seems to be the norm everywhere. When I touched down at JFK in New York Airport, Taxi driver was a maniac also, I told him stop and I will walk to the other terminal. They try to charge you outragious amounts for a short distance, drive crazy, then expect a tip. Some middle eastern countries I was in, they drive without any rules or, regards to safety, no speed limits, etc. No one even stops for an ambulance to get through, in the states you can receive a ticket for that. God Bless the police officer that stands in the middle and directs traffic sometimes, they don't even obey him. I have seen them start their meters at $7.00 in New York and the taxi hadn't even moved!
Posts: 273 | From: USA | Registered: Jan 2005
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Listen taxis are the same all over the world but here in egypt i had some of the best conversation adn sightseeing with taxi drivers.
Like all things in life there are good and bad things but one thing i can say the egyptian driver are in the extreme in both cases, they can be the worst driver or the nicest person you have met in cairo.
Thats what keeps me here in this country is the peoples friendliness.
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I just wanted to say for an 18 yr old and you keep reitterating that fact that you may not be wise enough or "that you are only 18", You seem to be very mature, upbeat, witty so don't worry so much about being 18! It's a great time of your life. You are so courageous and independent for coming to Egypt by yourself,(at least it sounds like you are) keep up the great posting! I haven't had many taxi experiences myself here, but see the abundance of Taxi drivers daily and boy I could not do it..more power to them. They do tend to stop in the worst places here to let off or take on their passengers! It's like there are no taxi etiquette rules. I guess like some people said above there are always a few bad apples in every bunch and taxi drivers do take the heat everywhere. If you can't take it hike it! LOL! Good luck here. Posts: 395 | From: Whereever I go | Registered: Jul 2004
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yeah i have come across some friendly taxi drivers, but also some really mean & rude ones.
Posts: 537 | From: Cairo | Registered: Mar 2002
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Hi again! I just want to say something that made me awake all the night! Violet...you're confusing me really! God you're so lucky! No one ever argued about the fee or the tip? Thoguht that happens in wonder land! Anyway thanx for all the cute ppl who post! And MisplacedinAlex thanx very much! You're the first person in my life who told me that I'm mature lool REALLY! God I should throw up a party for that & you're so invited! Thanx for your nice post! Keep it up! Good luck 4 u 2!
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Maybe it was as you say and I'v been just lucky! Anyway when you are not sure how long the distance to your destination just offer him ( taxi driver) an amount from the bigining. if he accept it is ok , if not negociate a bit..That's the best way not to argue with him about price when you get to destination. Plus that this way he will not be interested to take you from the loongest way posible! Good luck!
Posts: 16 | Registered: Dec 2004
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UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
alright am kidding! You right! @ least it's a new experience in your life! But you know GOD you're so brave to stay @ the car! If I were you..no one would see me ever!
) this is a very tough case and definitely not normal. I met many taxi drivers which were nice and down-to-earth and were costumer friendly - even in the hot weather.
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