A Taxi Makeover in Cairo Too

A few posts back I linked to a story on how Prague’s taxi fleet was due for an upgrade. Apparently the cabs in Cairo are heading the same route, which will certainly upgrade the tourist experience for most visitors there.

This odd C.S. Monitor article, Cairo’s classic cabs get snubbed , makes it sound as if there are people out there who thought Cairo’s taxi situation was “charming.” That’s not a word I’ve ever heard being used to describe the situation there. The usual descriptions aren’t fit to be printed here. The cars are falling apart, the scam artists driving them argue about every fare, and if you take one at night it will be a harrowing experience–usually with no headlights on. “But these cabs are so much a part of this crazy city that I hate to see them go,” the writer says, “especially since I long ago mastered the art of hailing these relics and haggling over the fare.”

Yeah, and having a hundred people at the pyramids bugging the crap out of you as you approach is also such a fabric of the city that gosh, we would hate to see them go.

Here’s the bright new world:

“Earlier this year, the Egyptian government launched a fleet of spanking-new yellow taxis complete with air conditioning, credit-card-friendly meters (that work), phones, seat belts, spotless vinyl seating, rear- and side-view mirrors, windows that close, doors that open, and drivers in suits and ties who don’t smoke, blast the radio, or yell.

The government hopes that these cars (and drivers) will be more welcoming for the country’s citizens and tourists alike.”