Tipping point in Egypt

A man carrying bread in a neighbourhood in Cairo, in this file pic from Sept 20, 2023. For some, tipping is the only lubricant for the squeaky, worn-down wheel of Egyptian life. — Mauricio Lima/The New York Times

WHEN he returns to Cairo for a visit after 20 years in America, Masry, the main character of the classic Egyptian film Bittersweet, has to readjust to the daily indignities of life in Egypt all over again.

But one of his biggest shocks comes when he goes to a government office for a new passport.