As I drove my new car home from the dealership, I contemplated my next drive, the trip I’m dreading most: visiting the nearest traffic unit to get it registered for a license plate number. An unavoidable trip dreaded by every Egyptian who has ever embarked on it. On the morning of 2 June, my fiancé and I headed to Al Waili Traffic Unit in Cairo, the closest to my residence area, El Daher neighborhood. There was no way I could take that trip alone, knowing that women were rarely taken seriously for car-related services, and in police traffic departments. We started early in the morning. Like all government services, the earlier you go, the more likely you’ll get things done on the same day, for simple tasks and errands tend to drag on for hours. Upon arrival, we realized it was exactly what we expected, and maybe a little worse: no instructions, no information banners, and no way to know what you’re supposed to do except by asking around, not to mention the narrow parking space and the overcrowding. Walking under the scorching sun, we began to ask around for…
