CAIRO: Last week male passengers found themselves unwelcome as they shoved their way into the middle cars of the underground metro after the Cairo Metro Authority decided to allocate the middle cars strictly for women. Though convenient for female passengers, the decision comes much to the dismay of their male counterparts who complain that the new system is going to need some getting used to. "Believe me this is just one way to fine people and collect money, said one passenger who was shocked along with two other men to find themselves in the women's car. "It will take people some time to get used to the change and in the process they will manage to fill their coffers. However, none of those who went into the cars by mistake last week were fined, given the fact that there was no public announcement about the new arrangement which came less than two weeks following a major accident at Helwan metro station. For many years the first two cars of each metro were women only, but the change came after a Helwan-bound train crashed into the platform as it slowed down at the station during the Eid vacation. Investigations revealed that the driver was distracted by screams coming from the women-only car behind him, so he left the cabin to see what was going on. "I don't think it's a wise decision, said Fathi, another passenger. "If safety is the point, then what about the safety of men? They should have allocated the rear vehicles for this purpose and left the front and middle for all passengers, he added. Now access points to women's cars at any metro station are marked by two red lines. Red and green tapes are also pasted on the doors. While it is written on the red line that the car is to be used strictly by women, the green line above it indicates it is available for all passengers after 9 pm. But some men continue to be envious of the less congested women's cars. "I won't give up my seat for any woman. Now they have their own cars, said one passenger as he looked at the empty seats through the glass door in the women's car. "For me this is more comfortable, says Hidiya. "I used to run to get to catch the women's cars and so did many women carrying kids and luggage. It is usually more difficult for women to run amid such crowds, argued Hidiya. Several men are protesting the change arguing that the middle cars are the heart of the metro and should be accessible to all. "But this shift is likely to cause many problems and I don't think it's practical. We'll have to wait and see, said Sameh, a passenger who commutes every day between Helwan and Marg. "I don't really care if the cars are at the back or at the front. What is more important is that there should be a place strictly for women, said Laila who was waiting at the Maadi station. "But some women prefer to be in shared cars so that men would give their seats up for them. In women's cars that would only happen in rare cases, she added. Some men feel that they deserve to have cars allocated for them in return. "Tit for tat, said Abdel Salam, an indignant passenger. "At least there should be one car exclusively for men. Not all of us are strong, agile and luggage-free.
