He took me to the subways, I remember that day like it was yesterday, I was so happy! Now I don’t want to sound cocky aw enny 3aysha f lala land or something but for someone like me I’ve never been on a microbus , a bus, a super jet not even a train! So… I felt very down-to-earth, like I’m one of the people, like I could relate myself to the daily struggles of el sha3b el gameel dah. It was magical, from buying the ticket, to how you put it in that rolling machine, I remember my dad even showing it to me and I gasped! WOW bn7ot el ticket hena, u pass o bttla3 mn hena! Sob7an Allah”. You prolly think de wesh 3abeta, oh well.. I probably am. Anyway I learned that in order to get to el dokki I had change stations I ride at first fe ‘5at Al-Marg’, Barkab mn ma7tet ‘Saray el 2obba’ to ‘Sadat’ aw ‘Mubarak’ (that’s about 5-7 stops/stations) and then I change to 5at el Giza o anzl 3nd el dokki. That day I went home and called all my friends to tell them about that 'life experience".
I loved the subway. It was a great concept; it just had too much organization than I’ve seen in most national Egyptian projects. Moreover, it was as cheap as shit! I can't believe for 1 pound I could go from home to dokki; and it was very time saving it takes about a 20 minute ride.
Now let me note that I didn't learn how to ride the subway to take it keda fl ray7a o fl gayya, it was just for urgencies. So I didn't ride that much at all, I couldn't really consider myself a dedicated 'Metro'er". I wasn't yet familiar with the rules of it. Like anywhere in the world people who daily do something create their rules of it, even though those rules might have not come with the manual of that thing, but the regulars' rules are to abide by.
I'm sorry for the long intro, but I wanted to lay all facts down so that you may imagine the picture of it.
Now Here Goes my Story: The Following events took place on Wednesday, December 1st, 2010. Between 5:30 p.m. & 6:38 p.m.
I knew I had to take the subway that day. My mom drove me to the main station. I went through the regular procedure bought the ticket went to stand in front of the place where the women's cart is supposed to stop. (One extra detail: the subway had, I dunno but what seems to be recent, rules, where there are specific doors to get ON the metro, and others differently to get OFF. I've even recently heard on a radio show where the host was talking to who I think was wazeer el na2l. The man kan bynagy that people should follow the rules getting on and off from the specific doors). Anyway I stood in place of women's cart and right where the door of getting on will stop (there are signs to show so in case you wondered how I’d know). Usually first metro I take (5at Al Marg) is old and a bit rusty but it's no problem for me. I just stand at the corner, ( I don't like to sit down if there’s a place to; because I’d rather leave it to elderly people ; or it's just my subconscious trying to convince me that I do it for a noble purpose when in fact I probably don't sit because of my hygiene insecurities).
As the metro went one station after the other it started to get a bit crowded, I didn't want to panic (note that I’m an ex-claustrophobic and crowds make me a bit uncomfortable as well). I just moved aside o zana2t nafsy shwaya between 2 women. The more stations, the more people coming up, until at some point the cart couldn't possibly hold more women! And yet SOMEWHOW they kept coming up! I almost suffocated! o makontesh msd2a el laz2a bgd! I could feel someone's body right over every part of mine, and apparently I had some sorta panic look and my face because everyone was eyeing me in either surprise or some sort of "heya eh malha de , ya5tchy" look.
It was almost time for me to change stations. I wanted to get to the door mo5asas to get off. It was only 5 feet away; but it seemed infinite at that point. I tried to find some way to pass through the crowds,
Me:“b3d eznek 3yza a3ady”. X: “3ady ya5ty, 3ady”
o bassaly like there's the space of the world. Now I’m a thin person don't get me wrong I pass right through almost everything, In a regular car you could out in the back seat and I’d take the space of a teddy bear. I'm thin people! So I would've passed except there was no space! I had to touch and grab every possible body part 3shan a3ady and GOD it was humiliating.
Some women were like
X: “enty ra7a feen” Me: “ha2of 3nd el bab da 3shan nazla”
My answer as seemed to intrigue some sort of disgust for them.
Miraculously I got to the door, one station left o hanzl. The metro stopped. Ana aslan laz2a fl bab o fe nas 3yza ttla3
Me:“3ala fekra tayeb da bab el nozol enty tal3a feen” X:“7asby bas keda”
Keda feen m3rfsh bsra7a ! and the rest were like
X: “aywa 3arfa”
o bardo bytla3o.
It was just unbelievable. ! Finally I could see that heaven of a station approaching; it's time for me to get off that hell ride. But of course what experience would that be law makansh '5etamoho Mesk'!
The door opened, I saw the scene in front of me and One law physics popped in my mind (you know how two forces with the same magnitude, speed and opposite direction are to stop one another). This exactly was the scene, except here we defied the laws of physics. Let me put it this way: 3adad el nas elly nazleen equal exactly 3adad elly tal3een and I tell ya, they were no few. There were at least a dozen and there is no space. We're supposed to get out first but NO! ezay, homa ytla3o. It was like Tawaf Al 7agg: I just let myself loose o let the forces move me like I was a piece of paper in the wind. el wind ygeeb ymeen aroo7 ymeen, shemal baroo7 shemal. I finally got off, a gasp of air. but apparently wa7da lesa mtl3etsh, she gave me the hardest punch in my shoulder to push me away. For a moment the world was spinning, I had to stop take a breath and get a grip. I somehow got off safe, I looked back at the metro as it started to move and only saw a glimpse of that lady with the iron fist, kanet btz3'orly, I couldn't help but smile.
Al-7mdluAllah =)
