Don’t quit your night job

Don’t quit your night job

Egypt turmoil hits Cairo nightlife as entertainers look for day jobs with work growing scarce even as party-goers ignore curfew to stay out all night

April 7, 2011 1:34 by Reuters

Many police are back on the street but rumours of night-time thuggery or morality campaigns by Islamist vigilantes — as well as some real cases of rape and muggings — are making people think twice before heading out after dark.

“My demands are simple,” said DJ Sugar. “The curfew must go entirely and the Interior Ministry must bring back the police.”

Leisure boat operator Nile Holding cancelled its salsa evenings to play the hip-hop preferred by male party-goers because few women were turning up, said manager Hisham Ismail.

“Mostly guys only show up because girls are scared of the lack of security,” he said.

Many couples have delayed marriage as most Egyptians are unaccustomed to daylight weddings, hotel event managers say.

Egyptian weddings often begin as late as 11 p.m., with cars honking to serenade the newly-weds until the early hours and guests dancing until dawn.

Some clubs and bars have shifted to opening in the late afternoon.

But the policy has met with little success because many Egyptians are now working late to deal with backlogs that mounted during the protests or to scrabble for more business as the economy stutters.

“They also have to consider traffic and reaching home before curfew,” said Ismail.

Pages: 1 2 3 4

Tags: Cairo, cairo curfew, cairo jobs, Cairo nightlife, Egypt, Egypt curfew