Egyptian Demands: A Baksheesh for Your Thoughts

For those of you who may not know, baksheesh is the Arabic word for tip or bribe, which I also wrote about in “Honk If You’re Egyptian.” I cannot emphasize the prevalence of this Egyptian practice: one cannot escape baksheesh! Even the smallest favor seems to warrant financial reciprocation, where a similar situation in most places in the world would require a simple thank you. At a tourist-oriented restaurant, I once saw an employee go into the ladies’ room ahead of me, flush the toilet unnecessarily, and then demand baksheesh from me before I entered the stall.

So, am I surprised to hear rumors that Egyptians are demanding baksheesh from travelers attempting to leave the country to ensure their safety in the midst of political uprising? Absolutely not. This led me to think, however, that if the Egyptians apply the persistence they exhibit when demanding baksheesh, they have a pretty good chance of receiving the democracy they demand. If I were to describe the Arabic culture, I would characterize it as passionate and determined. In some cases, these characteristics manifest themselves in the interminable sales pitches enticing you to buy a carpet or hookah. In other, more moving cases, passion and determination is manifested in the reliability of the muezzin’s beautiful call to prayer, in a candid and proud religious celebration in the street, or, in the case of Egypt, in the tenacity of a very poor, but culturally rich people.

As I watch and read the news, I am most struck by where the Egyptian people are demonstrating: I have been in some of those places. I travel because it opens my mind to experiences and cultures; it makes me a better person, and, at times like these, it personalizes the struggles I am witness to via various media outlets. When I see demonstrations outside the Library of Alexandria, I fear that the impressive structure I was awed by may be burned down yet again. But who am I to put a price on democracy? Maybe a library is a fair cost? I think the beautiful and friendly Alexandria deserves the government it wants. When I see pictures of Midan Tahrir (Tahrir Square), I remember a dangerous, chaotic, and indescribably intricate roundabout where there was a major Metro stop, access to a bridge to cross the Nile, dozens of tour operators, and, oddly enough, a KFC. Midan Tahrir was always a bustling square, but now it is the locus of a rebellion. I feel privileged to have been to some of the places that have become rallying points for a revolution, and I wish the Egyptians luck as they fight for something in which they believe. Whether it is for baksheesh or democracy, I think the Egyptians will put up a good fight until their demands are met.