posted
A while a go I thought I'll visit the Fish Park, which obviously isn't the most sensible choice of outing- but I still felt like it! The fresh weather around the Nile and passing through Zamalek streets was all I needed.
Then right before entering (it was a Friday by the way), I saw a lot of kids playing around-doormen's children, their families, etc, and about 3 'sweet potatoe carriages' that stood there while being overcrowded with kids.
The next thing everybody was kind of running around; the police truck was coming to arrest the 'sweet potato guys'. Why? Because they don't have a 'license' to sell there!!
To my sadness-and everybody else's- they took one-who I still hadn't paid yet for my potato!! Right infront of all the kids-they just took him and drove off. The children who had seen the whole thing, started gathering over the deserted carriage, climbing onto it, snatching the food, giving it to their friends, and almost destroying the poor guy's carriage(that might have took him months to save for it). Some luckier carriages fled quickly before the police could get them, taking a 'round' then returning once it was 'clear of police', afterall, this is friday, and it's the best time& place for them to make some money.
All the people that pay bribes and people who GET PAID BRIBES are left everywhere in the city. All those VIP's that live off lavish gifts and abnormal amounts of money in order to 'do their job' are completely ignored. And WHAT IS THE POLICE WASTING HIS TIME DOING? CATCHING THE SWEET POTATOE GUYS. Is this 'Om el denya'??? Will EGYPT and its people ever learn how to LIVE, AND LET LIVE??
Posts: 604 | From: Cairo,Egypt | Registered: Oct 2004
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quote:Originally posted by lemonspice: Will EGYPT and its people ever learn how to LIVE, AND LET LIVE??
When it reaches -273 K in hell and Satan & his minions make themselves some hot chocolate to warm up.
Posts: 2404 | Registered: May 2006
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posted
corruption will end when cops/police will stop taking bribes....corruption will end when ppl will stop asking for wasta!
Posts: 183 | From: Toronto, Canada / Cairo, Egypt | Registered: May 2006
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posted
I really hope Cairo's finest can crack down on this illegitmate sweet potato scam perpetrated by these conglomerate, sinister, underworld thugs that disguise themselves as "the sweet potato man", yet weave in & out of society freely, unbeknownst to most of us.
quote:Originally posted by Egyptian Mafia: corruption will end when cops/police will stop taking bribes....corruption will end when ppl will stop asking for wasta!
No, Corruption will end when people are able to earn a decent standard of living and that includes the police. Wherever there is poverty you will find corruption.
Posts: 3809 | From: Paradise | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
Not really! Egyptians were always poor! They need freedom and justice! How much can you resist when you efforts are not appreciated and someone else who does nothing takes everything because he knows the boss or has connections? when you can't apply to specific work unless you have connections? when someone can turn your life into hell and you can't do anything to him because his uncle is a police officer? Last 50 yrs of injustice and lack of freedom made Egyptians like a wild animal in a cage who will hurt anyone coming close.
Posts: 1539 | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
This kind of thing happens here in Alex all the time. Realistically, it IS a kind of taxation I guess, as the vendor has to go through the rigmarole of retrieving their equipment for a hefty fee. It is horrible to watch, I saw a poor blind man have all his bread tipped onto the street so the police could take his racks. Awful. Guess the thing to do is snatch up your mobile and photograph these instances, maybe it will embarrass them into doing things differently. Does happen all over the world though.We pay our taxes for the law, and they in turn protect the interests of big businesses by harrassing the poor/protesting copyright/chasing shoplifters for them etc etc. Funny old world.
Posts: 1399 | From: alexandria | Registered: Jan 2002
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