Israelis are known to have no patience. Unfortunately their lack of patience extends to the roadways. Some of the major issues I see are drivers cutting each other off, drivers who don't use their blinkers and drivers who honk their horns like crazy if you idle for a half a second at a green light. One day, as I was crossing the street, a cab driver honked at me because I wasn't walking fast enough! I turned to him and said "what the fuck is wrong with you?! have some goddamn patience!" I got a few stares from the people at the bus stop I was walking to, but I didn't care.
As our bus back to Jerusalem emptied a bit, I was finally able to sit next to my husband. Shortly after I sat down, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the bus in the lane next to us was coming way to close. Just then, our bus driver slammed on his brakes and everyone went flying forward. "Jesus Christ!" I exclaimed, as I grabbed on to my husband's arm. As a religious woman wearing a head covering, on a bus carrying many ultra orthodox Jews, I really should watch my mouth but that's who I am=) Our bus driver opened his door and yelled and cursed at the bus driver who almost hit us when he tried cutting us off. Our bus driver even spat at the other driver before shutting the door and driving off. Someone on our bus applauded our driver.
As we got into town, our bus driver almost ran over 2 police officers because the officers weren't looking as they crossed the road! If the police don't even look as they cross the road, what does that say about the people in our country? Again our driver opened the door and told the cops off. As the bus driver was closing the door and began to drive off, I saw a man run toward the door of the bus. It looked like our bus had hit him, especially since the bus lurched to a sudden stop. Thankfully, the man wasn't hit. He stupidly jumped on the moving bus as the doors were closing at an area that wasn't even a bus stop! to make matters worse, the man jumped on the bus in front of the police officers our bus driver had just reprimanded! The driver yelled at him and told him to get off the bus. The police officers yelled at the man. Everyone was yelling at everyone that night!
We finally made it home safely, but the Israelis lack of patience really gets to me. There is no reason for it. The world isn't going to come to an end if someone doesn't get to their destination on time.
I never get off the bus from the back door anymore. I'm always afraid the driver will close the door before I have gotten off the bus. One time the driver closed the door on my leg as I was stepping off from the back door of the bus. Thankfully the other passengers on the bus yelled and he stopped driving. After that incident I will only get off the bus from the front door so I know the driver sees me. I don't care how many people get upset with me that I get off the bus via the front door as they are trying to get on the bus.
The other thing that shocks me is that some bus drivers will be talking on their phones while driving or taking bus fare from people. One day I was behind a few people as I was getting on the bus. In that situation, I always try and make eye contact with the bus driver so that he doesn't close the door and start driving as I'm trying to get on the bus. This time, as I was stepping on the bus, the driver began to drive! I yelled and he stopped. When I got on the bus, I noticed he was on his phone. Fuming mad, I muttered something in English and sat down behind the driver. The conversation he continued to have on the phone was a casual shooting the breeze conversation! I was shocked and disgusted that he chose that time to have a phone conversation.
The Israelis lack of patience has also proven fatal many, many times. Every Sunday, the amount of people killed on the roads that weekend is announced. It is a very sad announcement, because they don't just announce a number. Accompanied by somber music, the name, age and city where the person was from is mentioned. Last Sunday, I lost count of the number of fatalities the announcer mentioned but I do remember that many of those killed were in their 20s and 30s. After the names are mentioned, the commercial goes on to say "we have to stop this." Reckless driving is a serious problem in this country. That's probably why nearly every commercial on the radio is about road safety, but I feel that those commercials fall on deaf ears many times.
One day last week on the bus to town, we had another close call with a driver who entered our lane without using his blinker. As everyone settled down, an old woman sat down next to me. She told me her granddaughter had called her that morning hysterically crying because she saw a woman get killed by a car. The woman had crossed the street at a red light. A taxi hit her so hard that she went flying into the air before hitting the ground. That story stayed with me for a few days afterward. If only that woman had had a bit of patience, she would be alive today.
In 2006, when I was interning at an online news station , I stayed away from buses because I was afraid of suicide bombings. One night as I was walking out with a co-worker who was taking the bus home, I mentioned that I didn't want to take the bus because I was afraid of an attack. My co-worker laughed and said that I was more likely to get hurt or killed in a car accident then I was in a bus bombing. After having lived here 3.5 years, I see that unfortunately he is so right.
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