Economy Part 2

There are lots of weird jobs in Egypt. People are continuously employed and paid for things that others should be able to do on their own.

Here is just a sampling:


Tea Boys - every office of more than a few people employees men whose responsibility it is to make and deliver tea and coffee on demand all day long. They are usually older men, not boys at all. They rememberhow everyone takes their drinks, and at what time, and shuffle around after to clean up the empty cups. In the sooqs (markets), there are men that walk around with antique looking silver tea canisters the size of large army-sized backpacks pouring tea - in these cases there are communal glass cups. YUCK!!! but environmentally - if not hygienically - sound.


Floor matrons - all of the schools I know employ women who supervise the hallways and the bathrooms, they can also help transfer groups of children between classes, or discipline students when a teacher takes a bathroom break. It's kind of like an American lunch lady monitor but they are there all day long. There are also unlimited cleaning women and tea matrons in the schools, but they are not suppose to discipline the kids.


Bathroom attendants - almost all public bathrooms - from fancy hotels to malls - have women who sit in the bathroom all day and hand out toilet paper for a tip. Yup! That's right, I said it, you have to pay for toilet paper. But usually 1 LE (about a quarter) will suffice. They are also suppose to clean the bathroom but that remains to be seen.


Tissue sellers - OK these children and women are actually beggers but because they offer a useful product they are considered to be working. They sell individual size packets of tissue at a huge mark up on the streets. And as noted above tissue is in high demand.


Random Vendors - these guys sell almost anything they can get their hands on in the streets at rush hour. I've seen coveted furry dashboard covers; balloons and blow up dolls; santa hats - at any time of the year; flags; lighters; stuffed animals; shrimp. Sorry, but I just can't buy shrimp from the same guy who sells furry dashboard covers in the street on the previous day.


Go-betweens - it seems like it takes 3 people to do any one job around here. If I need a taxi at the office I ask one person who then calls another person who then calls the taxi. ??? Even our tea boy has a back-up man in case he is busy or praying or otherwise unavailable and someone's thirst cannot wait. At the apartment I often see one person working and two people supervising things like washing the floor, general maintenance, etc. And someone always knows someone who can get anything done for you better and faster for the right amount of backsheesh (tip).

Parking Attendants - near any store or shopping area or even in parking lots there are men who wander around and point out the empty parking spots to drivers and then expect - and receive - a tip for their "service." For a little extra they may help you later to get out of said spot by helping to halt traffic as you escape. And if times are really slow or you have parked there for a long time they may wipe down your car with a dirty rag and put the windshield wipers up so you know they cleaned it for you - for an extra tip of course.

It's crazy! Or at least seems so to me. But somehow makes perfect logical sense to people in the know here. And given the economy and the outrageous amount of unemployment I'm thankful they have a job at all and/or are being creative about trying to make money.


Plus all the tea boys and matrons love me cause I share mom's cookies with them. So I am greeted by smiling faces - and tea - each morning at the office. It's nice.