I'm not walking to the back of the bus!

In recent years, some Israeli bus lines have adopted the custom of separating men and women to the extreme. Woman are supposed to schlepp to the back of the bus, which has fewer seats than the front, even making them stand, while the men sit comfortably, sometimes even one to a double-seat, and conveniently in the front. This has become a de facto standard in the more religious Israeli circles and bus routes.

Now on regular bus lines, in my old age I've been offered seats in the front of the bus by a variety of bus travellers. There are pluses to starting to "look my age." I'm honestly very grateful for the help and thank people. I don't consider it an insult to be considered old.

Just over a week ago, twice in one day, I entered buses in which I was expected to schlepp myself to the back, even though there were plenty of empty seats in the front. Neither were officially of the chareidi sex-separated lines.

The first was a bus out of Tel Zion, which I picked up at the Maavar Michmas bus stop. It's a very short ride from there to Jerusalem. Almost all of the seats I could see had one person sitting, so there were plenty of empty seats. It's just that almost all those closest to the door had a man sitting, and I wasn't going to scandalize them by sitting next to them. All that was needed was a little efficient practical thinking. One man, just one man, needed to get up to sit next to a male friend and give me his vacated seat. I looked at them, and they looked at me, and I held onto the pole for dear life as the bus rounded the very dangerous curve onto the main road.

As a mother and teacher, I find myself "educating others" at the oddest of occasions, so as I started requesting what seemed so obvious out loud, a young mother with tiny infant in her arms moved over to make room for me. I sat with them, but I wonder how these men treat their wives and mothers.

Then, on my way home, that very same day, I waited at the French Hill bus and hitchhiking stop. Finally a local "school bus" pulled up. Our regional council provides a free bus during commuter rush hour to help people get home. I was one of the first on the bus. Again I was greeted by a bus filled with one man to a double seat. They looked at me, and I looked at them. I was tired and hadn't spent my day at a desk like many of the high tech workers who were so comfortably sitting. There was no young mother or female of any sort in the front of the bus.

I had no choice; I asked out loud that "someone" get up to sit next to a friend, or I'll just plop myself wherever I want. It was a good move, and I got a seat. The other was quickly filled by a young teenage girl.

More people got on the bus, many were teenage girls. The driver wouldn't leave while the girls were standing. He got up and checked the situation:

"There are plenty of seats still available."

But of course the young women wouldn't sit by the men and the men, territorial about their precious possessions, wouldn't move to sit with their fellow males. Finally, you guessed it, big mouth me called out:

"Girls sit down next to them. If they don't like it, they'll move."

And the guys got up, and there was room for all.

Now why can't they think of it themselves?

Even better, why can't they think of other people, instead of just being selfish?

PS If men want to sit separately from women, they should sit in the back of the bus. Honestly, how many men are pregnant, schlepp babies and all the paraphernalia etc?