Altercations with the Authorities

I walked into Ramsis Metro Station like any respectable tourist would, camera clutched and held steady, wedged between thumb and index finger. Like an oversized metal eye patch, I held my camera over the right eye as I strolled through the metro station eager to get the best angle of light to hit against the train station platform before I began to shoot. With the first flash of my camera I was spotted by a passenger who thoroughly warned me in arabic to STOP and who then proceedd to inform the authorities of my actions. An undercover policemen swiftly made his way to me….. and the interrogation began…

Apparently foreigners have been ARRESTED for taking pictures on the Metro platform. Taking pictures in any Metro station in Cairo is said to be ILLEGAL and warrants arrest.

I stood dumbfounded and frightened as I was interrogated in Arabic ( I have VERY LITTLE training in arabic .. the most I could say at the time was Hello, How are you and I could barely count to 10). Luckily I had not embarked on this journey alone and was with three other pepole from my program (they know very little Egyptian arabic). The police officers asked us a series of questions in arabic that we struggled to give the correct responses to. We were then escorted out of the train station by an undercover police officer and then led by a young military officer onto the metro and off to our next destination.

In less then a week I had already had alteracations with the authorities….

whoever said ignorance is bliss… has NEVER made their way to Cairo.