Egged Warns You: Sit Where You Want And Don't Harass

To understand this sticker I photographed this morning:

You need to read this news item:

The High Court of Justice on Thursday officially abolished the so-called “mehadrin” public buses operated by the Egged bus company, but it is far from clear that the ruling will put an end to the gender separation arrangement in which female passengers are frequently forced to sit at the back of the bus. According to Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, “There is a common understanding today that the operation of the buses as they were run until 2007 is forbidden. This is the current opinion of the Transportation Minister and, as the regulatory body, that is what he will instruct the public bus companies. For those who are not clear on this, we will say that a public transportation operator (like anyone else) may not tell, request or order women to sit in a specific place on the bus just because they are women, or to tell them how to dress, and they are entitled to sit anywhere they wish.”

The sticker translates:

Every passenger is entitled to sit anywhere he chooses (except for those places limited to persons with disabilities).  Harassing a passenger in this matter could be a criminal offense.

 
So sit down and be quiet.  Or just keep standing.
 
^

The Light Railway is Shaping Up (Or Stretching Out)

Will waiting at a bus stop be passe in Jerusalem soon?
This is Jaffa Street, looking south towards Zion Square:

Then again, maybe this will be the best way to get around town?

And With Thanks to the Pope

While tens of thousands of work-bound Jerusalem area residents moan the inconvenience caused by the vast road-closings in Jerusalem for the Pope's week-long visit, the residents of Western Binyamin plan to take advantage of the road-opening created to ease Arab inconvenience for the duration of the visit.

Indeed even as all Israeli newspapers printed the absurdly all-encompassing closure of virtually all Jerusalem streets for most of the week, unbeknownst to most of the country, roads long closed in response to Arab terror are being quietly opened for Arab travel so that Arabs won't be troubled by the Pope's visit.

Over a decade ago, a main artery of travel for Western Binyamin residents to their places of employment and education in Jerusalem and Eastern Binyamin, the road going through Ein Arik, was closed due to Arab madness. It led to the doubling of travel time for Jewish residents. Instead of controlling Arab terror, Israel preferred the option of punishing the victims of that terror with this infringement on their daily movement which caused damage to their income and their children's access to quality education.

Western Binyamin residents plan to take advantage of the temporary relief caused inadvertently by the government's show of good will to Arab resdents by travelling the open road through Ein Arik starting Monday morning in groups of dozens of vehicles at a time.

The hope is that the road will remain open - and protected by IDF - once the Pope has flown back to Rome.

Source

The Catastrophe That Is Downtown Jerusalem

You may have heard or read about some doings in downtown Jerusalem in preparation for the light rail.

Well, there's nothing like seeing for believing.

These were taken this morning near Kikar Tziyon and closer to Shlomtziyon Hamalka.























And these were taken yesterday to illustrate the backup at 8:30 AM at King George Street leading down (and up) from Jaffa Road.


























The principle is quite simple and that's why our city father's and engineers and experts couldn't figure it out:

the buses are too long and the side roads used are too short and so, a humongous backload is being caused which leads to very long delays in getting about the center of the city. The lights change not quickly enough, as well and you can sit in one spot for ages.

If you're a pedestrian, wear one of those surgeon's masks. The dust is overwhelming. I can't wait for the rains.

And this is expected to continue for two (!!!) years.