Taken for a ride
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- DJKeefy
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Taken for a ride
Road signs in Egypt are a big disappointment. They add to the perils rife on our roads. Few roads actually have any signs; as for those that actually do have any signs, they are normally too dim to be seen, especially at night. Others are, bafflingly, placed upside down!
Some others are simply misleading. For example, you follow an arrow on a signpost to go to Helwan in southern Cairo, only to end up in Shubra el-Kheima in the northern part of the metropolis!
You feel hot under the collar when you take a serpentine bridge and discover too late that you have been misled by a sign into taking the wrong route. Making matters worse, there is no exit in sight and you end up travelling miles out of your way.
It happened to me one evening last week. I was invited to a wedding party in a hall on the Salah Salem Road, one of Cairo’s busiest highways. Upon advice of well-meaning friends, my wife drove to Salah Salem, with myself acting as her guide.
Friends told me to use a short bridge on the road to reach our destination ‘in no time at all’.
Polishing my eyeglasses, I dimly saw on the road a sign with a maze of arrows on it. There was no-one around to ask about the way – a long-cherished tradition on Egyptian roads.
I had to make an instant decision. I told my wife to use the nearby bridge. Minutes later and much to our disappointment, we discovered it was the wrong bridge. Already stuck amid traffic congestion on the 6th October Bridge, I asked a motorist about the nearest exit.
“It’s Ramses,” he said. But the nearest exit, according to the road sign, was leading to Shubra. “Keep driving until the Ramses sign appears,” I told my wife confidently.
Again minutes later, we discovered (but of course when it was too late) that the Shubra sign also meant Ramses. We had to grope for an exit for more than one hour as it got colder. Road bumps are another story.
Already exhausted and frustrated, we had only one wish: to go back home safely. We eventually made it, having completely ignored the scarce, misleading road signs.
Source: http://213.158.162.45/~egyptian/index.p ... itle=Taken for a ride.html
Some others are simply misleading. For example, you follow an arrow on a signpost to go to Helwan in southern Cairo, only to end up in Shubra el-Kheima in the northern part of the metropolis!
You feel hot under the collar when you take a serpentine bridge and discover too late that you have been misled by a sign into taking the wrong route. Making matters worse, there is no exit in sight and you end up travelling miles out of your way.
It happened to me one evening last week. I was invited to a wedding party in a hall on the Salah Salem Road, one of Cairo’s busiest highways. Upon advice of well-meaning friends, my wife drove to Salah Salem, with myself acting as her guide.
Friends told me to use a short bridge on the road to reach our destination ‘in no time at all’.
Polishing my eyeglasses, I dimly saw on the road a sign with a maze of arrows on it. There was no-one around to ask about the way – a long-cherished tradition on Egyptian roads.
I had to make an instant decision. I told my wife to use the nearby bridge. Minutes later and much to our disappointment, we discovered it was the wrong bridge. Already stuck amid traffic congestion on the 6th October Bridge, I asked a motorist about the nearest exit.
“It’s Ramses,” he said. But the nearest exit, according to the road sign, was leading to Shubra. “Keep driving until the Ramses sign appears,” I told my wife confidently.
Again minutes later, we discovered (but of course when it was too late) that the Shubra sign also meant Ramses. We had to grope for an exit for more than one hour as it got colder. Road bumps are another story.
Already exhausted and frustrated, we had only one wish: to go back home safely. We eventually made it, having completely ignored the scarce, misleading road signs.
Source: http://213.158.162.45/~egyptian/index.p ... itle=Taken for a ride.html
- Horus
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Re: Taken for a ride
You mean a bit of a chicken and egg situation and neither would want to cross the road - it's no yolk I hear!Horus wrote:Seems as if the road signs match the standard of driving
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it is what you do with what happens to you.
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Re: Taken for a ride
Driving in Egypt refects what happens when you put men in charge!! Since men never get lost, don't know what a road map is and refuse to ask directions I'm more than positive that given the prevalence of male drivers and male influence and domination in Egypt this is what happens when men make the roads and all the decisions!! Betcha Egyptian male drivers are NEVER lost and that fact that a sign takes a man miles out of his way - ahh well - am sure he actually wanted to see that part of town anyway!!! Didn't he? We'll never know the answer coz men will never admit they're lost, don't know where they are or where they're going!
IF IF IF men would take a page out of an average woman's book they'd make much better human beings and if all men drove like women then am also equally sure all our auto insurance premiums would go WAY DOWN!
IF IF IF men would take a page out of an average woman's book they'd make much better human beings and if all men drove like women then am also equally sure all our auto insurance premiums would go WAY DOWN!
- Grandad
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Re: Taken for a ride
You DO like those smileys don't you LLL
I tend to agree with the first part of your post. Even I will concede that it is 'an admission of failure' to have to ask for directions. I would only add that the situation would be helped considerably if the partner in the passenger seat would learn to read a map......something well beyond the ability of a woman.
Thank god for SatNav.
But
I like the smileys too
I tend to agree with the first part of your post. Even I will concede that it is 'an admission of failure' to have to ask for directions. I would only add that the situation would be helped considerably if the partner in the passenger seat would learn to read a map......something well beyond the ability of a woman.
Thank god for SatNav.
But
Heaven forbid 'if all men drove like women' there would be chaos on the roads.LovelyLadyLux wrote: if all men drove like women
I like the smileys too
- Horus
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Re: Taken for a ride
Afraid I must agree with you there Grandad, giving a woman a road map is like giving them a new bracelet, they just keep turning it around and looking at it. Mrs H also has the strange ability to call out "Go left" whilst making a right hand pointing gesture! Most men do not actually get lost because we all have an inbuilt sense of direction, similar to homing pigeons, we just circle around until we locate true North again. I also like smilies
- DJKeefy
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Re: Taken for a ride
For some reason when Ive ever asked for directions in Luxor (speaking in Arabic) on most occasions they have sent me somewhere else, Most Egyptians try to be helpful even if they dont know, so they will pretend they know
- Horus
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Re: Taken for a ride
Mrs H and myself have a bit of an in joke, every time we are in Wales and I ask for directions, I seem to get the village idiot!
- Grandad
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Re: Taken for a ride
Only in Wales H Try London some time, you won't even find anyone who speaks English.Horus wrote:Mrs H and myself have a bit of an in joke, every time we are in Wales and I ask for directions, I seem to get the village idiot!
You are SO right about the 'turning the map bit' I have no problem as long as I know where the sun is...then my navigation is fine
- Phantom
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Re: Taken for a ride
Where are all of the women on here to support us I can read a map (even if I occasionally do turn it around just an ickle bit ).
Sat navs are no good to men - they seem to have a woman's voice, so Anubis just ingnores it cos men always know better than women don't they
Don't try driving in Cornwall then - the Cornish mile is very different from any other Nobody knows what to do at a round about, so everybody just sits there waiting for somebody to make the first move.
I like smilies too :nod:
Sat navs are no good to men - they seem to have a woman's voice, so Anubis just ingnores it cos men always know better than women don't they
Don't try driving in Cornwall then - the Cornish mile is very different from any other Nobody knows what to do at a round about, so everybody just sits there waiting for somebody to make the first move.
I like smilies too :nod:
Re: Taken for a ride
Hi Phantom, we are just letting the boys have a little romp,puffing up their little chests and claiming their superiority. We know the truth of the matter. They can't even navigate their way to the cupboard where the toilet rolls are kept. How many times have I settled down to watch a favourite tv programme when the plaintive cry goes up. Hellooo, there's no loo roll in here.
- Winged Isis
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Re: Taken for a ride
On childhood family holidays we had a knack of stopping to ask directions in a town of another tourist! Or we'd ask someone about getting to the next town to find they'd never left their own, so had no idea!
You can not rely on sat navs!!! The first time I used mine I tried it on a place I knew how to get to in order to get familiar with it's terminology. It told me turn left at lights then right at the roundabout taking 2nd exit.... which brought me back to the lights, where I was told to go left, that is, where I was going in the first place! It had told me to go in a complete circle. I ignored it.
You can not rely on sat navs!!! The first time I used mine I tried it on a place I knew how to get to in order to get familiar with it's terminology. It told me turn left at lights then right at the roundabout taking 2nd exit.... which brought me back to the lights, where I was told to go left, that is, where I was going in the first place! It had told me to go in a complete circle. I ignored it.
Carpe diem!
- Grandad
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Re: Taken for a ride
Now Now girls, we boys love our SatNavs And I like the sexy ladies voices......I try all the laguages....Japanese is good
Mind you, on one occasion while driving in France the SatNav took us strait across a field but, as it happened, it DID turn out to be a much shorter route )
Mind you, on one occasion while driving in France the SatNav took us strait across a field but, as it happened, it DID turn out to be a much shorter route )
- Horus
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Re: Taken for a ride
@ Phantom, I have cured the problem of the female Sat Nav voice, mine has the voice of Ozzy Ozborne, so if I miss a turn it will yell out, "Oh F****** hell, you missed the f****** turning" (in Ozzies voice) For some reason I find his instructions extremely helpfull.
@ Morgita, in our house the loo rolls appear on their own so I never have to change one, perhaps we have an automated roll changer? must check with Mrs H
@ WI, you are supposed to listen to them and not argue back.
@ Morgita, in our house the loo rolls appear on their own so I never have to change one, perhaps we have an automated roll changer? must check with Mrs H
@ WI, you are supposed to listen to them and not argue back.
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Re: Taken for a ride
I am a women. I am not embarrased to say that I can read a map - with or without turning it around.
I am a women. I am not embarrased to say that I don't need or like Sat Nav - my own in built sense of direction prefers not to hear their irritating and oft times late instructions.
I am a women. I am not embarrased to stop and ask directions should I feel the occasion warrants it.
I am a women. I am not embarrased to go around a roundabout more than once to be sure that I get the correct exit and also so that I don't cut people up as I change lanes at the last minute (male trait).
I am a women. I have a male friend in Luxor who drives a tourist car and he admitted to me only yesterday that he has got lost in Aswan.
I am a women. I am very embarrased to tell you the tale of my driving down a small road one foggy night in Bath and ending up on a duel carriageway going the wrong way only to have a bus coming towards me. Thankfully, said bus turned right, so I turned left to follow it and get off duel carriageway. Problem - I was still in the wrong lane so had to negotiate my car over a zebra crossing to get into bus lane. Arrived at the Station Hotel to pick up my friend somewhat jittery and nearly died when two police officers walked in and had a good look around. Big sigh of relief when they all they did was have a look around, announce that there was car in the car park with it's light still on (not mine) and then exited!
I am a women. I know how to change a toilet roll - and where the spare ones are kept. I can even locate these helpfully in other peoples bathrooms without embarrasing myself or my host.
I am a women. I am feeling contrary so I am not going to use smilies all over the page just because everyone else has!
I am a women. I am not embarrased to say that I don't need or like Sat Nav - my own in built sense of direction prefers not to hear their irritating and oft times late instructions.
I am a women. I am not embarrased to stop and ask directions should I feel the occasion warrants it.
I am a women. I am not embarrased to go around a roundabout more than once to be sure that I get the correct exit and also so that I don't cut people up as I change lanes at the last minute (male trait).
I am a women. I have a male friend in Luxor who drives a tourist car and he admitted to me only yesterday that he has got lost in Aswan.
I am a women. I am very embarrased to tell you the tale of my driving down a small road one foggy night in Bath and ending up on a duel carriageway going the wrong way only to have a bus coming towards me. Thankfully, said bus turned right, so I turned left to follow it and get off duel carriageway. Problem - I was still in the wrong lane so had to negotiate my car over a zebra crossing to get into bus lane. Arrived at the Station Hotel to pick up my friend somewhat jittery and nearly died when two police officers walked in and had a good look around. Big sigh of relief when they all they did was have a look around, announce that there was car in the car park with it's light still on (not mine) and then exited!
I am a women. I know how to change a toilet roll - and where the spare ones are kept. I can even locate these helpfully in other peoples bathrooms without embarrasing myself or my host.
I am a women. I am feeling contrary so I am not going to use smilies all over the page just because everyone else has!
Experience is not what happens to you;
it is what you do with what happens to you.
-Aldous Huxley
- Horus
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Re: Taken for a ride
Hepzi, I see you have made a mistake with the text size, do you want me to change it for you?
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Re: Taken for a ride
I am a women. I am not embarrased to receive the help of men - but only when it is called for!Horus wrote:Hepzi, I see you have made a mistake with the text size, do you want me to change it for you?
Experience is not what happens to you;
it is what you do with what happens to you.
-Aldous Huxley
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Re: Taken for a ride
I'm an expert map reader I'll have you gentlefolk know.
And too blimmin true about the bog rolls Morgita! How hard can it be?? And why on earth when men see the roll getting low do they modify their consumption rate and leave one piddling little square left on the roll just so they don't have to change it??
And too blimmin true about the bog rolls Morgita! How hard can it be?? And why on earth when men see the roll getting low do they modify their consumption rate and leave one piddling little square left on the roll just so they don't have to change it??
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Re: Taken for a ride
Sat Navs are for Christmas- Not for life!
In fairness to the boys...I did learn the hard way not to ask one of my yachting friends to navigate for me. It was when she turned down the car window, licked her finger and held it out to find the wind direction ( I was doing about 80 mph at the time), that I knew we were 'all at sea' and just carried on my own sweet way until I came to the next village.
Took her and another couple of my 'ladies of more mature years' to the Champagne region of France once. One insisted that once we got out of the Chunnel Train all we had to do was find the exit and turn left and then just keep going because thats what her husband always used to do when they got off the ferry! One insisited she could speak French fluently - what she omitted to say was that she couldn't understand a normal French speaker. Both of them being slightly deaf would shout directions to me but only when it was too late. "You should have gone down that road 'dear'!". The third one, bless her, did do her best to keep the other two in check until we stopped anywhere, at which point she would flirt with any and every man in sight! And people wonder why I quite enjoy driving for miles on my own!
In fairness to the boys...I did learn the hard way not to ask one of my yachting friends to navigate for me. It was when she turned down the car window, licked her finger and held it out to find the wind direction ( I was doing about 80 mph at the time), that I knew we were 'all at sea' and just carried on my own sweet way until I came to the next village.
Took her and another couple of my 'ladies of more mature years' to the Champagne region of France once. One insisted that once we got out of the Chunnel Train all we had to do was find the exit and turn left and then just keep going because thats what her husband always used to do when they got off the ferry! One insisited she could speak French fluently - what she omitted to say was that she couldn't understand a normal French speaker. Both of them being slightly deaf would shout directions to me but only when it was too late. "You should have gone down that road 'dear'!". The third one, bless her, did do her best to keep the other two in check until we stopped anywhere, at which point she would flirt with any and every man in sight! And people wonder why I quite enjoy driving for miles on my own!
Experience is not what happens to you;
it is what you do with what happens to you.
-Aldous Huxley
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