Gd is Great! Such a Siyate d'Shamya Shopping Trip

Gd gifts us with miracles when we least expect them, and we really ought to open our eyes to Gd's gifts even among a mundane day.

We've had all sorts of intermittent internet and wifi disruptions for quite awhile. We figured that it's "normal" out in the sticks. But the other night the service just didn't return. Before Shabbat my husband had complained that his computer, a laptop in the boys' old bedroom, now his den, wasn't working. And after Shabbat, I noticed that my phone didn't show the wifi icon. So I pressed, pulled in and out the usual buttons and wires on the router, and things just got worse. No internet ether. So we called Bezeq.

After a couple of hours, remote control adjustments and multiple phone technicians, a lovely female tech told me that the chronic problems were caused by having the wrong type of cord from phone to wall, which needs a "box" instead of directly plugging it in. I needed a "rosh gadol" (large head) rather than the "Americai'i rosh katan" (small head, American.) With the right cord, I wouldn't need the box. She assured me that I could buy it in all sorts of stores besides the Bezeq store in Jerusalem.

At least she got the internet and wifi working again. Since I understood exactly what was needed, I decided to buy the cord and figured I'd find it in the humongous they have everything hardware, building supply shop in the local industrial zone. So yesterday late morning I braved the strong summer sun and heat to go down to shop for it. Nu, they didn't have it.

A bit later in the afternoon, I was getting antsy after being home so much and knowing that I still needed the cord and a new watch, too. There was no way I could reasonably get through Rosh Hashanah without a functioning watch, since we also don't have a wall clock. It's one of those things we still have to buy post-new kitchen. I decided to take a "quick trip" to Jerusalem to shop. Both the Bezeq store and Center 1 where I was hoping to find a watch are easy to get to on the bus near a bus stop. Of course, we never know if the bus will actually arrive, but that's another issue entirely.

Amazingly the bus showed and pretty much on time, but as we approached Sha'ar Binyamin I received notification that there had been an accident near Adam, and we could see traffic backed up. As the bus went into Shaar Binyamin I debated until the very last second about whether or not to get off and try shopping there, but I knew that they didn't have the stores I needed, so I prayed that I'd get to Jerusalem without too much delay. It was clocked at a forty minute delay, but at least Yirmiyahu Street was empty.

I ran to the Bezeq store, and the guard had mercy on me, even though as he said:
"It closes in one second."

I took a number and waited. Yes, I was the very last customer. Even though the clerk wasn't sure she had the cord I needed she checked and found one. It was only NS15, just a bit more than my roundtrip bus fare. I paid and then went to search for a watch in nearby Center 1.

In previous visits to Center 1 I had noticed a new watch stand, which had very thrifty prices, but suddenly it was gone. The closest stand I found with watches, better than the jewelry store or low quality discount store, had watches starting at NS100. I took a quick look and entered the main part of Center 1. There was an even smaller selection there, and the NS100 watches looked like rejects and had no guarantee.

I returned to the first watch stand and asked about guarantees:

"One year," the salesgirl replied.

First I took a look at the NS100 watches. There were two of the design I liked but not the colors. I tried a few on and ended up spending a bit more than I had planned, but the price was OK.

Now to get home, which is always a challenge, since so many buses are inexplicably cancelled sans notification.

After checking the efobus app and discovering that there wouldn't be a bus very soon, I got to the closest bus stop and grabbed the first bus to Hizme, the cityline. On the way, I checked efobus again, and it said that the Shiloh bus was actually on its way and would come in 15 minutes. Just as I stepped off the bus in Hizme, a car pulled up, my daughter. That was a super treat; she lives on the way to Shiloh. So I decided to catch my bus at her stop. A minute after I got off at that bus stop a car passed signalling to the right, in the direction of Shiloh. I quickly recognized my neighbor, signalled back and began chasing his car. B"H, thank Gd he noticed me stopped, and I had a ride straight to my door.

I thank Gd for His Mercy and Blessings

Yesterday's shopping trip was a gift from Gd Almighty for sure.

Millions of Israelis Forced to Hitchhike or Stay Home-- Bus Drivers Striking!

The Egged bus company, Israel's largest, has been playing a trick to save itself lots of money. It started a "new company" called Egged Taavura with buses painted a bit differently and drivers paid a lot less. In my neck of the woods, Shiloh, north of Jerusalem in Samaria, they also made major changes in our bus routes by taking all of the Egged Taavura buses out of the Jerusalem Central Bus Station and even having our "Jerusalem stop" in the most northernmost neighborhood of Pisgat Zeev. It also means that we must wait on a street for the bus, rather than in a protected building, even during rain, storms and terrible heat.

We, the passengers, now have to take multiple buses to get to most anyplace, and the drivers have lost their hub, where they could easily get some food between runs and do something as mundane as use a toilet.

“Due to the poor conditions the company finds it difficult to recruit drivers and the existing staff is cracking under the strain,” he added. 

The company’s management has not yet issued a response.

The full list of lines scheduled to be on strike is as follows: 

• Intracity lines within: the Netanya area, the Ashdod area, the Ashkelon area, the Elad area, the Shfirim area, and the northern Negev;
• Service from Ashkelon to Be’er Sheva, Ashkelon to Kiryat Gat, and Ashkelon to Ofakim;
• Service between Jerusalem and Mevaseret, Jerusalem and Givat Ze’ev, Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim, Jerusalem and the Binyamin region of Samaria, Jerusalem and the remainder of Samaria, Modi’in and the Binyamin region, and the “fast lines” from Modi’in to Jerusalem – lines 100, 101, 102; and
• Internal lines within Samaria. 

The only ones happy are Egged! They claim they've done if for our benefit, since at least on paper, we have more frequent buses.

Although there have been threats of passenger strikes, we bus travelers are too dependent on public transportation to actually do it, but the drivers are angry enough to stay home, and today is supposed to be the beginning of a two day strike!

Some people who generally take buses do have cars they can use, but there are those like myself and my husband who don't. And even if we did have a car, we have very different schedules. 

I must go to Jerusalem this morning. So I'm finishing this post right now and pray that I will make my appointment on time and get there and back home safely.

Protesting Bus Travellers from Shiloh and Binyamin-Shomron Being Thrown out of Central Bus Station

It's rather ironic that the residents of Beit El have gotten the most sophisticated protests about our being banished from the safety and comfort of Jerusalem's Central Bus Station. Their buses are near the bus station, but we, Shiloh, Maale Levona, Ofra (almost all of the lines,) Eli and Samaria communities like Elon Moreh have been sent many miles away to Pisgat Zeev, the Jerusalem neighborhood furthest from the CBS and center of town.

Inside the Central Bus Station, where our buses used to be. 

We are also no longer officially part of Egged.

Our buses are now from Egged Tavura, a subsidiary. Not only have our travel conditions worsened, but the drivers no longer have a place to rest, eat nor use a bathroom in-between runs.

We, yes, including those traveling to Beit El--see their video, now must wait outdoors, rain, shine, day or night.

Pisgat Zeev bus stop

waiting inside the Pisgat Zeev Mall

• Security is non-existent at the bus/train stop.
• There is no real shelter from the rain, wind and sun.
• There is no one who can say if the bus will come or not.
• Very few buses to a very limited amount of neighborhoods stop here, meaning that we need at least two, sometimes even more buses or a bus and train ride to get to our destination.

The result has been that even people who never took tremps, rides from possible strangers, are finding themselves waiting one more stop up by the Pisgat Zeev traffic lights and tremping aka hitchhiking. 

The bus stop pictured here isn't on the Shiloh routes, 461 and 463. This stop is on Rechov Yirmiyahu, Jeremiya Street, just up from Center 1. The Beit El, Psagot and Tel Zion buses start nearby in the Binyanei Ha'uma Egged parking lot. Their second stop is by the String Bridge across from Kiryat Moshe. This stop is the closest to the bus station.