What seems to be the problem, officer?

I learned something important today: Egyptians can’t drive. Or maybe they’re very good at driving. Or they’re very lucky. I’m not sure which. Driving here is a combination of guts, skill, and a healthy amount of luck. I have never been as exhilarated or terrified as I am when riding in a vehicle here in Cairo.

One of the first things I noticed about the roads and cars here is that the cars have steering wheels on the same side as we do in the US, and that they drive on the right side of the road as well (when they’re not passing at breakneck speed on the other side, which is frequently). In the rich downtown communities BMWs, Toyotas, Mercedes, and Hondas are easily spotted, but in the poorer neighborhoods such as the one I am living in, old Datsuns, Peugots, Diahatsus, and Suzukis are the norm. I don’t believe that I have yet seen a car that does not have some form of body damage on it. This fact is attested to by the alarming frequency of body shops along each road. In the half mile stretch of road I traveled today I encountered no less than 7 automotive shops, each with at least one car partially disassembled on the street in front of it.

Cairenes honk their horns continually. I quickly learned that this was not out of anger or frustration, but simply a way of letting everyone else know that they were about to step into the fray and pass, so watch out. I honestly don’t know why the cars here have blinkers, because I have yet to see one person use them. There is never a dull moment in a vehicle. Today Ron, Methat and I went down the road about ½ mile to buy paint and other supplies. We hailed a minibus (a minibus is actually a Suzuki or Toyota van that has been retrofitted with more seats than it ought to have, and holds even more people than there are seats for) and held on. The only rule for driving is get there first. And somehow this works. In a city of 20 million people, I am amazed that accidents aren’t more frequent.

Basically, if you are stuck behind a bus, you pull out and accelerate until you have either successfully passed them or you are about to hit an oncoming vehicle in which case you slam on the brakes and honk your horn copiously. This is all happening while sharing the road with donkeys, motorcycles, and oblivious pedestrians who nonchalantly cross at their own whim, despite traffic conditions. All in all, driving here is a delightful experience that I hope all of you can one day enjoy.