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The Rope Wrangler (Plumbing truths)



This is a video of a plumber fixing a leak in the sewage system for my neighboring apartment building. I bet you’re shocked that the pipes are run on the outside of the building, in plain sight... I was too 😅 it’s definitely not the most aesthetically pleasing plumbing job, but it’s what they do here in egypt. 

     I don’t know if you caught it, but what caught my attention was the bare feet and the not so harnessing harness. 😰 Nothing was holding this guy in! I mean, come on, he was climbing a knot rope. ....Not being hoisted by a lever, not being raised by a crane ... but, rather he was wrangling a knot rope with his foot and pulling himself up and down a 5 story building with his own brute strength. 

     Okay, so, maybe you should know that this man is your local sabbak. In Arabic that means “plumber”. Be sure to remember it too, because the need might surely arise. Plumbing in egypt is not for the faint of heart. It would not be unusual to wake up to the smell of sewage. A scent light enough to think you’re the one letting out those silent but deadly farts, but painfully consistent enough to know that after a few moments, it wasn’t you. You might, the first time, look around to your family or flatmates and begin to interrogate them to find out who’s punishing out the punishment. But after everyone’s sincere denial, you will go to the bathroom wondering if maybe someone has left something for you to remember them by in the porcelain throne. Having neared the toilet, it’ll be clear that the scent has been seepinng from the drainage system built into every bathroom and some kitchens, unfortunately.... You’ll be momentarily relieved to find that everyone is flushing behind themselves, but disappointed that there’s no immediate solution for the funk you’re being subjected to. I’m sorry to say, you’ll just have to wait it out. Yea, that’s about it. A few more flushes from you and your neighbors and the smell will soon pass. You could, like I did, try dumping a liter or two of bleach down the drain and close it tightly.

...That helps, sometimes.😅
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