Well, more like crooks trying to pull a fast one on 'unsuspecting' tourists - these are the ladies working at
Nile Exchange (branch on the picture) on Al Ghorfa al-Togana St (road parallel to the Corniche), near Midan Saad Zaghoul in downtown Alex.
One afternoon, I went there to buy Egyptian pounds worth USD 150 (equivalent to about 850 pounds). By force of habit, not only do I count the money, but also check if I was given the right exchange rate, which in this case was not posted on wall. It turned out that I was given an exchange rate that was way below the prevailing rate - so I asked the lady if it was correct. As if on cue, she handed me a 50 pound bill and apologized for the 'mistake.'
Definitely a mistake it was not because: (1) the deficit was an EXACT, rounded figure (50); had it been an honest mistake in computation, there is a 99% probability that the deficit would be a broken figure because the exchange rate itself is not a whole amount; (b) her response was automatic, like she already had the 50 pound bill on her hand; and (c) the ladies at the counter exchanged suspicious glances while I was counting my dollars (I carry lots of 20s and 10s when traveling).
Sorry ladies, you were dealing with a banker. Better luck next time (or maybe they already had one with the French tourist before me who took off without counting his money?)!
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on Aug 17, 2007
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