Comments on: How To Survive A Cairo Taxi Ride http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-survive-a-cairo-taxi-ride/ travel culture worldwide Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:51:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Joseph Cheavens http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-survive-a-cairo-taxi-ride/#comment-89765 Joseph Cheavens Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:37:00 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=883#comment-89765 In Tehran in the 1970s, if a driver wanted to go the wrong way on a one way street, he would simply pull out in a gap in the traffic, turn to have his taxi going the right way, and then back down the street.  Apparently, if the front of the car was headed the right way, it was OK, even though you were moving the wrong direction In Tehran in the 1970s, if a driver wanted to go the wrong way on a one way street, he would simply pull out in a gap in the traffic, turn to have his taxi going the right way, and then back down the street.  Apparently, if the front of the car was headed the right way, it was OK, even though you were moving the wrong direction

]]> By: anonymous http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-survive-a-cairo-taxi-ride/#comment-40578 anonymous Mon, 15 Nov 2010 05:00:41 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=883#comment-40578 being an Egyptian i know that this is true & I'm really ashamed of it ......... being an Egyptian i know that this is true & I’m really ashamed of it ………

]]> By: Mark http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-survive-a-cairo-taxi-ride/#comment-40206 Mark Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:14:14 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=883#comment-40206 I was in Egypt back in 2006 and the local showing us around said "if your in a cab for more than 15 minutes your lost". Needless to say our first cab ride without him was 45 minutes of pure chaos. This article summed up the whole experience quite well. I was in Egypt back in 2006 and the local showing us around said “if your in a cab for more than 15 minutes your lost”. Needless to say our first cab ride without him was 45 minutes of pure chaos. This article summed up the whole experience quite well.

]]> By: Ryukyu Mike http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-survive-a-cairo-taxi-ride/#comment-37208 Ryukyu Mike Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:17:32 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=883#comment-37208 Ezcellent and entertaining; don't know how I missed this gem ! Ezcellent and entertaining; don’t know how I missed this gem !

]]> By: arno nyhm http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-survive-a-cairo-taxi-ride/#comment-35780 arno nyhm Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:49:24 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=883#comment-35780 1) negotiating the price before dont stop the driver to ask for more mony at the end :-( 2) the white cabs i used have always the counter on. but aware that they are reset at the begin and you dont pay the ride before - also look at the speed. i dont know how it works exactly but i have 3 differnet rides and 3 differnet prices 18 / 23 / 32. the 18 could be the normal price ... with the 23 i remember i forgot to check if he reset the counter. and the 32LE driver try to cheat me 2 times (at start he reset the counter ony because i requested it) and then he set up the night fare - and i give him only 25 3) street crossing is like frogger - but easy. every driver knows that people crossing the street and they are not schocked like in europe - so they just see how you walk and drive around you. the only mistake you can do is to change your direction and go back. just go forward and dont be scared :-) i always walk on the street near the cars like the egyts and not on the foot-walk and never feeled dangerous. 1) negotiating the price before dont stop the driver to ask for more mony at the end :-(

2) the white cabs i used have always the counter on. but aware that they are reset at the begin and you dont pay the ride before – also look at the speed. i dont know how it works exactly but i have 3 differnet rides and 3 differnet prices 18 / 23 / 32. the 18 could be the normal price … with the 23 i remember i forgot to check if he reset the counter. and the 32LE driver try to cheat me 2 times (at start he reset the counter ony because i requested it) and then he set up the night fare – and i give him only 25

3) street crossing is like frogger – but easy. every driver knows that people crossing the street and they are not schocked like in europe – so they just see how you walk and drive around you. the only mistake you can do is to change your direction and go back. just go forward and dont be scared :-) i always walk on the street near the cars like the egyts and not on the foot-walk and never feeled dangerous.

]]> By: Mo-ha-med http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-survive-a-cairo-taxi-ride/#comment-35505 Mo-ha-med Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:47:59 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=883#comment-35505 Hehehe.. as a Cairo-boy, I must confirm. :) Though whether you're in shorts or otherwise makes little difference. Tourists still look like tourists - their 'integration' level is assessed based on how good their arabic is. Re: your last comment - about asking the locals what the price for the ride is - you beat me to it. I'll be passing on this article to my expat friends!! Hehehe.. as a Cairo-boy, I must confirm. :)

Though whether you’re in shorts or otherwise makes little difference. Tourists still look like tourists – their ‘integration’ level is assessed based on how good their arabic is.

Re: your last comment – about asking the locals what the price for the ride is – you beat me to it.

I’ll be passing on this article to my expat friends!!

]]> By: Travels in the Riel World - …cultivating a global curiosity » Surviving a Cairo taxi ride http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-survive-a-cairo-taxi-ride/#comment-35369 Travels in the Riel World - …cultivating a global curiosity » Surviving a Cairo taxi ride Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:36:27 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=883#comment-35369 [...] by Bob Riel As someone who has survived taxi rides in Cairo, I found this recent Matador Travel article by Nick Rowlands to be hilariously accurate. Taking a taxi in Cairo is the Egyptian equivalent of [...] [...] by Bob Riel As someone who has survived taxi rides in Cairo, I found this recent Matador Travel article by Nick Rowlands to be hilariously accurate. Taking a taxi in Cairo is the Egyptian equivalent of [...]

]]> By: Nick Rowlands http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-survive-a-cairo-taxi-ride/#comment-35269 Nick Rowlands Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:32:50 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=883#comment-35269 That's interesting, and heartening, to hear that the other passengers in the service taxis wouldn't let the driver rip you off. The experience I've had is that while most Egyptians are super-honest, many of them don't want to get involved in what they see as foreigners' business. Luck of the draw I guess. Brings up another good point, though, which is that if you don't know the price for something (be it a bus ride or a cup of coffee), a good thing to do is to ask the locals that are hanging around what the going rate is (just make sure the vendor isn't around, because if he was planning on trying to rip you off, he's not going to take kindly to people helping you out with the correct price). That’s interesting, and heartening, to hear that the other passengers in the service taxis wouldn’t let the driver rip you off. The experience I’ve had is that while most Egyptians are super-honest, many of them don’t want to get involved in what they see as foreigners’ business. Luck of the draw I guess. Brings up another good point, though, which is that if you don’t know the price for something (be it a bus ride or a cup of coffee), a good thing to do is to ask the locals that are hanging around what the going rate is (just make sure the vendor isn’t around, because if he was planning on trying to rip you off, he’s not going to take kindly to people helping you out with the correct price).

]]> By: Dave and Deb http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-survive-a-cairo-taxi-ride/#comment-35268 Dave and Deb Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:18:35 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=883#comment-35268 Good advice about knowing how much it costs and giving the money after you get out of the cab. We were told that little tip before going, and it worked like a charm. Never had a problem. Another great way we got around was in the shared minivans. The driver tried to scam us on the price, but the other passengers in the van wouldn't let him get away with it. They told us the actual price and what to pay. Amazing! Good advice about knowing how much it costs and giving the money after you get out of the cab. We were told that little tip before going, and it worked like a charm. Never had a problem. Another great way we got around was in the shared minivans. The driver tried to scam us on the price, but the other passengers in the van wouldn’t let him get away with it. They told us the actual price and what to pay. Amazing!

]]> By: janice hebbard http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-survive-a-cairo-taxi-ride/#comment-35138 janice hebbard Sat, 06 Jun 2009 06:38:34 +0000 http://matadorabroad.com/?p=883#comment-35138 mm, convenient that............ perhaps a strategically applied screwdriver??? old fare charging habits die hard. mm, convenient that………… perhaps a strategically applied screwdriver??? old fare charging habits die hard.

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