Taxis
The city has three kinds of taxi: black-and-white cabs , service taxis and " specials ". Though each requires different handling, some general rules apply. Firstly, choose the right sort of taxi. Secondly, try to discover the fare in advance; never start by asking how much. Third, don't expect drivers to speak English or know the location of every street. Identify a major landmark or thoroughfare in the vicinity and state that instead. If your destination is obscure or hard to pronounce, get it written down in Arabic. The best kind to use are four-seater black-and-white taxis (Fiats or Ladas), which often carry passengers collectively. Pick a major thoroughfare with traffic heading in the right direction, stand on the kerb, and wave and holler out your destination (for example, "Mohandiseen") as one approaches; if the driver's interested he'll stop and wait for you to run over. State your destination again, in more detail. If the driver starts talking money, say " maalesh " (forget it) and look for another cab; otherwise jump in. Don't be alarmed by the circuitous routes taken to avoid bottlenecks, nor by other people getting in along the way. Near the end, direct him to stop where you want (bearing in mind one-way systems and other obstacles) with " hina / hinak kwayes " (here/there's okay). Ideally, you just hand over the money with " itfuddel, shukran " (here you are, thank you) and that's the end of it. If the driver protests, either he's trying it on and will back down if you invoke the police, or you've misjudged the fare and should pay more with good grace. Fares are determined by market rates rather than by meters (which are rarely switched on). Cairenes normally pay a GBPE1 minimum; GBPE3-5 for a downtown hop (for example, Midan Tahrir to Al-Azhar, Zamalek or Mohandiseen); and more if heading further out, especially to a prosperous area (for example GBPE8-10 to Heliopolis). For each extra person, you pay 25 percent again. After midnight, fares increase by 50-100 percent. Though foreigners can get away with local rates , drivers expect you to pay over the odds, especially if you are well dressed or staying in an expensive hotel: say GBPE5 minimum, GBPE5-8 across downtown or the Nile, and GBPE10-15 further out. The airport and the Pyramids are special cases. Fares given in the text are for a single person at tourist rates , unless indicated otherwise. Remember that taxi drivers don't generally deal with change so it's best to have the exact fare ready. Another form of collective transport is the service taxi , which can be flagged down anywhere along its set route. Service taxis are usually vans (known as arrabeya bil nafar) or microbuses; service (pronounced "ser-veece") is the generic term for all such transport. There are some 60,000 service taxis which transport over a million Cairenes to work every day, causing appalling pollution, traffic jams (because they'll stop anywhere) and accidents. Fares range from 25pt to GBPE1 per person, according to the distance travelled. The third type - not to be confused with either of the above - are "special" taxis , usually seven-seater Peugeot 504s. Found around all the major terminals and hotels, they specialize in fleecing unwary tourists and charge at least triple the rates of black-and-white cabs. Even for a short ride, they demand the " tourist minimum " (currently around GBPE10). Their ample seating and luggage racks are their only advantages. See "Driving" for details on renting taxis for the day.
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