Travel: Taxi fares rise in Cairo

Egypt Daily Star News

Thanks to Tony Marson for this item, which I had missed.

Cairo expatriates have reported an alarmingly high rate of TSIs — Taxi Shouting Incidents — this week, as they come face to face with the frustration felt by Black ‘n’ White cab drivers over rising gas costs.

TSIs are on the rise across Cairo, already known for its traffic volatility and passionate drivers.

In a recent SMS survey, more than 85 percent of respondents said that taxi drivers were charging higher fares and that many journeys were ending in TSIs.

In the wake of reforms by the central Government and rising production costs; bread, cigarettes and fuel have all seen price increases that have hit Cairenes in the back pocket.

The most immediate impact on foreigners has been the hike in taxi fares.

The usual cause of a Taxi Shouting Incident is when a foreigner objects to the fare charged for a journey that he or she knows rather well. Add to this clash of cultures an indignant driver, who is only asking for a fare increase equivalent to a British first class postage stamp or two, and the expletives start flying.

For the expatriate, it is a matter of principal. Many foreigners pride themselves on their worldliness and are damned if they pay tourist prices in a taxi.