By Leia Walker, Egyptian Streets Microbuses: beasts of the street, rulers of the road; and much like the Cairo weasel, able to slip through the smallest of gaps. With fearless drivers at the reigns, they come barreling down the street, abruptly halting just shy of the bumper in front; and they are known for occasionally roughing up other vehicles that get in their way. Convenient, cheap and willing to drop their riders nearly anywhere along their route, microbuses are nearly always packed to the brim with Egyptians fighting the daily battle of the Cairo commute. One thing I’ve learned in my two and a half years in Cairo is that there are two modes of transportation you don’t play “frogger” with when you’re crossing the street: motorbikes, because they swerve unpredictably and erratically, and microbuses, because they always win. It is this dedication to ruling the road that earns them the crown in Cairo’s transportation “system.” When I first came to Egypt, a friend set me up with free housing in Heliopolis near ma7kama, as I was interning and living on a shoestring budget. The only downside to the set…
A Blonde American Woman’s Adventures Riding The Microbus in Egypt
January 29, 2015
