EGYPT SAFE? YOU BETCHA!

You know, whenever I tell somebody that I live in Egypt while I'm visiting Britain, the almost universal reaction is an incredulous look and the comment - "is it safe?"- and even when I assure them that it is, you can see the disbelief on their faces.

I've just been reading a report in a British daily newspaper about how an 82-year old lady was stabbed in broad daylight in London yesterday as she got off the bus with her carrier bags of groceries, going home to her husband for whom she is the sole carer.

This lady is only 5' 2" tall and the crime is apparently motiveless as it seems she wasn't robbed.
She is now fighting for her life in hospital.

Hardly a day goes by without at least one similar crime making the headlines and not just in the cities but increasingly in smaller towns too.

Now I know that I'm sometimes guilty of having a giggle at Egypt's expense - at their way of doing things, at the lack of organisation.

But one thing that I don't worry about is my personal safety, especially in broad daylight.

I can walk in old Cairo on my own (and often have done so when buying jewellery supplies) and my only fears are being hassled by an over-enthusiastic Tshirt or postcard seller.
Or "accidentally-on-purpose" having my breast or rear touched by a passing Lothario with sex on his mind. And I also know that if I complained about that loudly, I would instantly be surrounded by a dozen people who would take it upon themselves to protect me, even chasing after the offender.

A year or so ago there was a report of a mystery man in the suburb of Maadi who carried out random stabbing attacks on women - though they were only really cuts as he seemed to just lunge at them in passing and run off. Nobody was seriously injured.

When the young guy was caught he was sentenced to 43 years in prison with hard labour.

Now I know that Egypt has a notoriously bad human rights record.......but.....compare the crime figures here to those of Britain and the US.

In the UK the streets are are being terrorised by gangs of underage kids - girls as well as boys - who know that their only punishment will be probation and community service. Even the police don't scare them.

A friend who was visiting from the US was really surprised that I could sit in my parked car in the street without having to close the windows and lock the doors - and I was just as amazed to think that anybody would have to do that.

I'm not saying that Egyptians are angels - there's lots of petty pilfering and pickpocketing that goes on in Cairo.

Just that I'd like to send out the message that at least here, when you leave your home - or hotel if you're a tourist - you don't have to be in fear of your life.