New York City vs. Cairo—How the Big Apple Could Learn From Cairo's Metro System

It's no secret that New York City's subway system has been plagued by safety issues. The increase in subway crimes have led to a decrease in public trust and safety. Recently, New York deployed the National Guard to alleviate the crisis. As someone who resides between New York and Cairo, I find the parallels fascinating between these two cities that never sleep, but the intricate framework behind New York's public transportation is lacking. What can New York City Mayor Eric Adams learn from Cairo's metro system?

For starters, bag-screenings are a routine aspect of Cairo's metro system. Recently, subways incorporated bag checks at stations deemed busy, a measure that fails to address the reality that crimes can occur (or begin) regardless of the terminal's traffic. I remember a subway trip during off-peak hours last summer where the passenger seated beside me had "forgotten" to take his knife out of his pocket, which caused the blade to dig into my leg. Today, that same subway station has no bag-checks in sight.