Cairo Rain

The heaviest rain I've seen in Cairo fell today causing havoc on the streets. I fought it out with the locals to get a taxi across to Zamalek after a morning's work in the local café. This shot was taken at 65 kmph/40 mph and illustrates the skills and risk-taking of road crossers here.

Last night, in the final stretch home, our taxi driver was assaulted in his driving seat. He had beeped his horn at a car blocking the circulation of traffic around our local square. A young man who had been leaning into the car in question, immediately in front of us, rounded on our young driver yelling through the open window and grabbing him round the neck. He ripped his clothing and punched him hard in the face several times. Dd, from the back seat, asked me to raise the window on my side of the car but there was no winder. Fists which sounded like hammer blows rained down on the car roof as the guy's friends joined in the action and the driver's side wing mirror was ripped from its holdings. I saw there was a gap in the road ahead and grasped the young driver's wrist pushing his hand towards the gear lever to engage first gear and in my best Arabic said quietly but assertively, 'Al-a-tul' (straight ahead). Cool as a cucumber, he did just that engaging the gear and accelerating. We took off towards safety. We managed to get around the square out of sight of the crowd. I got him to stop short of our front door so no running follower could see where we stay. We asked if he was alright and I pressed enough notes into his hand to cover the wing mirror repairs. Goodness knows what was going through his head but his ability not to rise to the bait saved him and, maybe, us from an uglier scene.

Never underestimate the sudden and high-voltage temper that can burst forth from any Egpytian man at any time . . . a result of years of sexual and other frustrations including political oppression.