There’s no denying that ridesharing has been a game changer for how we get around, and it’s hard to imagine a world without it. At the same time, as much as services like Uber promise simplicity and transparency, the reality is often quite different. While I’ve covered some Uber scams in the past, here’s something I haven’t seen before.
Cairo Uber drivers accept ride, then haggle on price
AwardWallet Editor-in-Chief JT Genter took to Twitter/X to share an experience he recently had while trying to book an Uber to Cairo International Airport (CAI). Side note — if you haven’t been, it’s an absolutely fabulous airport that I can’t recommend enough. Anyway…
JT ordered an Uber to the airport, and it was accepted. However, the driver immediately messaged back, and demanded more money for the ride. This happened over and over:
- The first driver told him the total trip price will be $20
- When he didn’t accept that, the second driver told him the ride will cost $50, because “it’s rush hour and crowded, please agree”
- The third driver said “please I will need extra money because the price is low,” and he also demanded $20 for the ride
JT reportedly negotiated with the last driver, and ended up spending around $21 on the fare. Maybe it wasn’t actually that much of a deal, since the first driver was just asking for $20 in the first place. As JT explains, “in all, a fair enough price for the ride, but just absurd that this seemed to be the only way.”
Has anyone else experienced something like this?
I’ve certainly had Uber drivers specifically try to solicit tips, but I’ve never had an Uber driver outright try to negotiate the ride cost, claiming that the price is too low.
To state the obvious, the intent of these rideshare platforms is that the two parties agree on the price in advance. It’s not clear to me if pricing for Ubers in Egypt is really just so low that the pricing isn’t sustainable for drivers, or if it’s simply that the drivers see a foreigner requesting a ride, and then think that it’s an opportunity to cash in.
I’m not sure if locals also use Uber in Egypt (I suspect they use different, local platforms), but I wonder if this would’ve happened if an Egyptian requested the ride.
One thing is for sure — when you’re in Egypt, expect that virtually everyone will ask you for money. Most people are kind and don’t have bad intentions, but as a foreigner, there’s an expectation to constantly tip everyone (but not at Cairo Airport — that would never happen there!).
I’d travel to Cairo and check out this Uber situation myself, but… well… that’s probably not advisable.
Bottom line
A traveler reports an interesting experience with Uber in Cairo, Egypt, whereby drivers demanded more money immediately after accepting a ride. This doesn’t just seem to be an isolated incident, based on the fact that this happened with three drivers in a row.
I can’t say that I’ve ever experienced that before, but it sounds like it might be common. I wonder if it only happens with foreigners, or if drivers try the same with locals (I imagine not, but…).
What do you make of this Uber situation in Cairo, and have you experienced something like this in Egypt, or elsewhere?
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