Monday, October 24, 2011

First Jerusalem, Then New York

No, not a new Leonard Cohen song.

First, the Jerusalem gender-segregated buses were judged innappropriate and therefore, illegal. Naomi Ragen led the charge.

And now New York, maybe:

NY may close bus service that makes women sit in back

New York City authorities said they will shut down a city bus service run by Orthodox Jews if the group doesn't stop making women sit at the back of the bus.

The Private Transportation Corp, which operates the city's public B110 bus under a franchise arrangement, has come under criticism following publicity about its practice of making women give up their seats in the front to promote Hasidic customs of gender separation.

New York City's Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Gastel said the agency's executive director Anne Koenig has asked the company to respond to the allegations and was waiting to hear back.

"Please be advised that a practice of requiring women to ride in the back ... would constitute a direct violation of your franchise agreement and may lead to termination of that agreement," Koenig wrote.

If such a violation is found, the franchise could be revoked, the DOT said in a statement.

...The B110 bus runs through the sections of the borough of Brooklyn that are heavily populated by Orthodox Jews...

I recall the buses from the Diamond Center, with a mechitza down the middle. This must be a newer seating arrangement.

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