Your Egypt

Hedgehog · Joined: 10 Mar 2005 Posts: 5171 Location: UK

I dont like being screwed....

I will explain....

I found an apartment to rent in Cairo...it was advertised on another forum, but it looked interesting. I gave the details to my friend in Cairo, and he phoned to view. They were asking $350 per month

When the owner discovered it was for a western white woman he raised the price by $200....

Now.... my friend said 'it is just business in Egypt'

I am sick of Egyptians trying to screw money out of me. Where ever I go they want MORE money than is asked or bartered for....

My son said it is the same in Indonesia...

I would like to advise you all out there in comparison the money we earn may look massive to Egyptian wages, but we have to pay a lot of tax, insurance, and our food and other every day items are VERY expensive

Stop killing the goose that is laying the golden egg. I will tip, I will pay a good price...but stop trying to screw more money out of me..I havent got it....... this goose will spend her hard earned money elsewhere....

Thats better, I have been stewing about that all day :D

moll · Joined: 03 Feb 2005 Posts: 7676

Hedge, I know EXACTLY what you mean, it's one of the reasons why I'm not in any great hurry to go back to Luxor :(

When you've been there as often as we have, and you start getting to know the REAL prices of things to Egyptians, it's absolutely gobsmacking to think of the prices that are being charged to non-Egyptians :evil:

I'm happy to pay more than Egyptians, I know compared to most ordinary Egyptians we're rich, we always leave a decent tip, I don't ever haggle them down to the last LE... usually I KNOW I'm being ripped off but I figure they've got a family to feed, and I'm willing to pay the extra :? But I really resent being taken for a fool, and there are shops my husband just refuses to go near bcs of the just RIDICULOUS prices we've been asked for, like we've got 'FOOLS' written across our foreheads :evil:

I don't really know what some Egyptians must think life is like in the UK, that I'd spend about 1000LE for a cheap tatty souvenir :roll:

raymon · Joined: 20 Nov 2003 Posts: 1452 Location: Here

Hedgehog wrote: I dont like being screwed....

I will explain....

I found an apartment to rent in Cairo...it was advertised on another forum, but it looked interesting. I gave the details to my friend in Cairo, and he phoned to view. They were asking $350 per month

When the owner discovered it was for a western white woman he raised the price by $200....

Now.... my friend said 'it is just business in Egypt'

I am sick of Egyptians trying to screw money out of me. Where ever I go they want MORE money than is asked or bartered for....

My son said it is the same in Indonesia...

I would like to advise you all out there in comparison the money we earn may look massive to Egyptian wages, but we have to pay a lot of tax, insurance, and our food and other every day items are VERY expensive

Stop killing the goose that is laying the golden egg. I will tip, I will pay a good price...but stop trying to screw more money out of me..I havent got it....... this goose will spend her hard earned money elsewhere....

Thats better, I have been stewing about that all day :D

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
First I took your post seriously but when I get to the part about the goose I cracked in loud laughter ... :lol:

Sometimes a shopkeeper looks to my face and "decide" that I am foreigner ... then I'd make a joke or something and phewww: the price is back into normal range.

Sorry about that Hedgy, but you know what there are always foreigners that can yield to such treatment and this feeds their hunger for money.

The same is applied to shopkeepers Moll mentioned about. If you don't buy it, perhaps a Japanese would buy it.

I still remember how my college organized some trip to Luxor and I heard many students were maltreated by Luxor bazaar keepers. I asked about the reason and was told Egyptians are not welcomed at all; they are not good customers because they are not laying golden eggs :)

ageperfect · Joined: 14 Jun 2005 Posts: 1527

That brings back memories indeed. I was told that I look like an Egyptian so I thought: "Hey, no problem. I'll blend in." I forgot about the way I dressed though. Blend in my eye! I had the word "foreign" written all over me. I had to use the toilet and I KNEW it was going to cost me 1 LE. The guy thought I was all by myself and asked me 10 LE!!!!! I was furious. Of course, he "couldn't" speak English... And there was a tourist police right there with him! Anyway there was no way I was going to let that guy get away with it. I was just about to cause a scene - well, OK, I was causing a scene - when the guide got there. That piece of... told him that he tried to give me the change. Ya right! I might have "foreign" written all over me but not "stupid". I understand exactly how you feel. I would have gladly give him 10 LE, 20 LE but not that way. Grrrr.

KayCee · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 5:23 am Post subject:

:shock: Pay to use the bathroom? geepers creepers! LoL Anyhow Hedgy I know how you feel. It sux but its just the mentality of some people! :?

Hedgehog · Joined: 10 Mar 2005 Posts: 5171 Location: UK

ageperfect..

when you went to the loo...did the tear off a sheet of toilet paper for you before you went in.....1 sheet......that what the do at the pyriamids :shock: :shock: :shock:

ageperfect · Joined: 14 Jun 2005 Posts: 1527

Ha! Ha! Yes, yes, they did. Not only to the pyramids; everywhere. But I would smile at them and try to speak to them (with my hands since my Arabic is null) and they would give me more tissue without me having to ask. And then they would repeat my name giggling. Good memories.

Hedgehog wrote: ageperfect..

when you went to the loo...did the tear off a sheet of toilet paper for you before you went in.....1 sheet......that what the do at the pyriamids :shock: :shock: :shock:

KayCee · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 11:05 pm Post subject:

/me makes a note to bring baby wipes with me to Egy! :lol:

ageperfect · Joined: 14 Jun 2005 Posts: 1527

And Purell. Lots of it. :-) Water is not always available in the toilets.

KayCee wrote: /me makes a note to bring baby wipes with me to Egy! :lol:

Winky · Joined: 20 Dec 2004 Posts: 4586

KayCee wrote: /me makes a note to bring baby wipes with me to Egy! :lol:

:) Thats right :) always have tissues in your bag but there are often small children selling packs of tissues , so its maybe best to buy it off them
There was one little boy about 8 or 9 years old sitting on the warm air exhaust hole outside my hotel ( :? For want of better description), he sat there day and night while I was staying in Cairo.
Now and then the police would shoo him away, but he would soon be back it was freezing cold ( Feb.):roll: needless to say I was a good customer

:wink:

leeds4ever · Joined: 29 Sep 2005 Posts: 31

I do not like the way that Europeans get treat either, i visit Luxor quite often but i am angry how much i get charged for the simplist of things-like an Egyptian friend of mine always went to buy cheese for breakfast, i decided to go oneday-but listen to this i went with a note with the amount and what type of cheese written for me in arabic (yea felt like a small child).
Bought the cheese went back and thought that all hell had broken loose!!!!!!!!!!!!i had been charged 4 times more

Needless to say the cheese was taken stright back and told where to put it
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