May 17, 2005
On the ride down the Corniche today, we saw a truly Egyptian happening.
A black and white taxi was pulled to the side with smoke beginning to pour
out from under the hood. The engine had caught fire and the driver was trying
to put it out with a fire extinguisher. Our driver pulled over, jumped out of our
car, grabbed a fire extinguisher from the trunk, and ran to help. As I watched this,
I realized that at least a dozen other drivers had stopped their cars and were running
over with fire extinguishers. Unfortunately, the blaze was too intense and could not
be stopped. We felt very bad for the driver who was losing his taxi and perhaps his
livelihood. However, what was truly Egyptian about this event was how so many strangers
immediately rushed to someone else's aid. I really think these are the most helpful
and generous people I have ever seen.
The burning taxi.
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