If a visitor to Egypt takes time to really look around Cairo, they can’t miss the disabled people in the
streets hawking cheap goods to survive. At first this seemed shocking to the Enlightened Tourist from
Canada. How degrading that the disabled have to lower themselves to that level! It appears, however,
that Egypt doesn’t have the same level of supports for the disabled that Canada does, so the crippled
and physically challenged take the bull by the horns. They hit the streets but instead of asking for
outright handouts from passersby, they make available for purchase something of value, for a few coins
or dollars donated in return.

A spring Saturday night and Enlightened Tourist (ET) is riding the Cairo Metro subway system.
His train car is steadily filling up with passengers, almost to capacity. With new riders entering the car
at each stop, the incumbents who are standing must shift positions to make room.
At one stop in the downtown vicinity, a slight delay occurs as the new passengers load. Some
incumbent riders strain their necks toward the door to see what the commotion is. Enlightened Tourist
is standing several arm lengths away and can only see a few heads and shoulders embroiled in the
chaotic controversy by the open door. A few seconds later he makes out that one passenger who is
boarding is assisting an elderly man who is struggling to get into the car. The elderly man is wearing a
noticeable red and white-chequed head-scarf.

This elder finally manages to get in far enough that the door can close. The strained necks of the
onlookers straighten out and resume normal positions; the subway train accelerates out of the station
and penetrates the next dark tunnel. Enlightened Tourist glances up at a route map above the door and
determines that he’s now approaching his stop. He shuffles adeptly through the moderately dense
throng to the threshold of his exit door, which is the one where the elderly head-scarfed man entered.
That man has now taken up a position just inside that door. His helper has disappeared and he’s
standing alone. Yet his presence there turns out to be merely temporary. He is equipped with a crutch
under each arm and is currently positioning them. He then bursts away from the door and flees the
immediate area. He heads directly into the wall of standing riders packed in the main body of the car.
They expediently make way and he proceeds forward, commencing to bark out an announcement. It is
a sales pitch. He now elevates something into the air above his head. Pocket-sized tissue packages, for
sale for a few coins.

It is now observable for anyone who cares to look that the man’s walking disability is quite severe.
Yet his determination is unmarred. Enlightened Tourist notices that the man appears to be fitted with an
inferior set of incorrectly-sized or low quality prosthetic legs. This is indicated by the fact that as the
man crutches his way forward, inch by inch through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd in the continually-
lurching subway car, his trailing leg is completely limp and inert. His shoe is angled almost completely
backward.

However he has obviously long ago overcome that horror and indifferently drags and swings his
legs forward with each advance of the crutches. Making the jaw-dropping scene even more remarkable
is that his condition in no way hinders or undermines his sales effort. With expert coordination, by
locking one crutch in one armpit, he’s able to free up his other arm to keep the handful of tissue packs
held high for his potential customers. He waves them frantically and shouts out his hard-sell
announcement. It is audible to all over and above the almost-deafening roar of the train.As the train pulls into the next station and alongside the the platform, its squeaking brakes finally
drown out the salesman’s pitch. He continues inching forward through the car and soon only his
upraised hand with the tissues is visible above the blur of heads. The incredible drama is over. The
subway car stops, the doors open and Enlightened Tourist disembarks, noting that this was ‘the one
amazing thing I saw today’. In Egypt for the keen outside observer, there is one such thing to
experience every day.

Across town. Another day. Another amazing thing. Enlightened Tourist is crossing one of Cairo’s
many bridges over the Nile from downtown to surrounding areas. It’s now feast weekend at the end of
Ramadan and the sidewalks are bustling and jammed with people and families of all walks of life.
Enlightened Tourist is immersed in the slowly moving crowd, and feels a parch in his throat from the
heat and exhaust-spewing traffic.

By happenstance, just ahead at the back edge of the sidewalk, there’s a street seller with a neatly
laid out yet sparse display of water bottles, on a ground cover. Pleased with this convenient
coincidence, Enlightened Tourist digs around his pocket for a few small bills and seizes the opportunity
to practice some very basic Arabic with the seller. His name is Mohammad. He lives in Cairo. He’s 26
years old. Enlightened Tourist squats down and fetches a water bottle and holds out his payment.
However, he is taken aback and astonished when he sees that both of the seller’s arms terminate in
curled stumps. He has no hands! Two arms, yes, right down the wrist; but both lacking a hand. ET is
simultaneously stupefied, baffled, and utterly amazed. Yet he strains to conceal these thoughts and
emotions, out of respect and admiration for Mohammad. Still somewhat dumbfounded, ET cries out,
“How do I pay?” Mohammad thrusts his hip forward, his way of pointing to his pants’ pocket, which is
his till. ET stuffs in a fistful of small bills and the transaction is completed. (Cairo, May 14, 2022.)