Little Things, Rules for Traffic

Egypt is cracking down on traffic violators. New regulations say  that motor riders need helmets. Since Egyptian motorists haven't used helmets since the Greeks left the country (and I'm talking ancient Greeks here) and they have no places to actually buy the helmets, the national sense of improvising has been used. Now you see all manner of safety headwear on top of the new and extremely cheap (price as well as quality cheap) Chinese motorcycles. Hardhats are favourite although  now and then you can see a cooking pot, filled with cloth and tied down with strings from the handles on someone's head doing 40 km/h or more in Cairo traffic.

The other thing is the seatbelt. All drivers are required to wear them now. Half a year ago they consisted mainly of swaths of black cloth screwed against the doorframe or used belts without clasp that were quickly draped over shoulders when policemen were visible. 

Now they seem to have the real thing, properly fixed and actually fixed on both ends of the safety device. Sitting in the taxi of Ramadan, my favourite taxidriver, just flown in from Aswan and wondering about the speed of change in Cairo, I find out that it all seems to be well. As soon as Ramadan hits the brakes tho I discover the ruse has merely become more elaborate. the illusion of safety is larger but still only an illusion. The belt is not fixed to the braking system  so if there is a pile-up I will still fly through the front window but only after having my collarbone being broken by the belt.