As far as I can tell, very few people use maps in Egypt. Point to the Ace Club in Ma’adi on a map, and you’ll get a blank stare from your cab driver. Asking for directions however, is a way of life. A driver going to an unfamiliar address will pull over as many as a dozen times to ask where such and such a street is. Unimaginable in the States, where self-sufficiency is a badge of honor. You get a sense in Cairo that there’s a communal interest in getting people where they want to go. Locals tell me all the asking is partly insurance. You’re bound to get at least a few wrong answers, so the more people you ask, the likelier you are to find the place.
-- Amy Scott
March 3, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)
Comments (1)
Yes!
Same thing in Lebanon where I live.
And sometimes, foreigners can't understand why everyone keeps "lying" when they give wrong directions rather than just saying "I'm not sure."
Everyone wants to be helpful, even if being helpful results in showing up at the wrong place 30 minutes late! :)
Posted by Bill | March 10, 2008 8:16 AM