one sad contrast

Cairo’s airport was nearly empty tonight. Istanbul’s was jam-packed, the most full I’ve ever seen it.

I suppose travelers are still afraid of Egypt a bit, and though I hate it when people blame “the media” for everything, in this case I do blame the media. Much of the coverage of Egypt right now worldwide is absurdly sensationalistic, with the New York Times leading the pack. From reading the Times, you’d think every taxi in the city is getting carjacked and Muslim Brotherhood paramilitaries are out on the street cutting off people’s arms.

Here are the facts:

1. Crime is up a bit in Cairo, it’s fairly clear. But Cairo is still safer than any large American city. And in large American cities, unlike today’s Cairo, you have a small but real statistical chance of being killed in random gun violence on any given day. That’s simply not going to happen to you in Cairo, even now.

2. Yes, the political future of the country is unclear. But that doesn’t make it dangerous to visit.