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Article: From behind the wheel, a frank view of Cairo.(WORLD)(Taxi, Tales of Rides)(Book review)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- December 13, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Jill Carroll
Taxi driver Ahmed sits behind a steering wheel covered in faux leopard skin. An upside-down tissue box stuck to the ceiling hangs next to his head. Like most Cairo cabbies, he's easy with a laugh or quip to passengers' banter, and he's always willing to discusses the perils of his job - which anyone who has spent time on this city's gridlocked, smoke-choked streets knows are numerous.
He says he's been ripped off, robbed, and bullied and bribed by police. "I feel my dignity is broken because of them," he says of the city's cops who "are very hard on me."
And like many Egyptians - who hold two and three jobs to make ends ...