Driver's Education

Contrary to what my Israeli coworkers told me on my first day of work, Israel does not have the worst drivers in the world.  Either India or China has probably secured that distinction.  Israeli drivers are not “bad”—they are just overly creative and aggressive.

For two and a half weeks we lived in the city center at the top of the hill.  Our commute to work consisted of a steep downgrade, several one-way streets, five roundabouts and three pedestrian crossings.  Cars or people could come from anywhere at any time.  Cars could be backing out of street parking, trying to pass on the left down a narrow lane, going around a bus, waiting for a parking space, or waiting for a pedestrian.  People could dart out into traffic, crossing streets unexpectedly in unexpected places. 

Horns are used liberally.  A short blast on the horn can mean anything from a warning “hey I’m coming through” to an aggravated “get out of my way, dummy,” or the parting jab, “you almost hit me!”  Several blasts of the horn pose the interrogative “what the heck is going on here?” and are usually common in traffic jams.  On occasion whole groups of cars will take up the question and the street rings with music.

Israeli drivers are very aggressive.  Cars are small, speeds are relatively slow, and nothing is very far so there’s no real concept of a road trip or enjoying the journey.  Cars are means to the end of getting from point A to point B as soon as possible.  Once point B has been reached, it is common for cars to be ditched in amazingly creative ways.  Kenny and I have seen more than a few cars up on curbs, sidewalks, and medians.  Ticketing is uncommon except for cars that park in metered parking without paying.  Parking on sidewalks is just part of life.

Our car is a Mazda 2 which we have named “Camel” because she is dirty and she smells.  She also hauls us around without complaint and so far she’s managed anything we’ve thrown at her.  I have not been brave enough to try driving here for reasons mentioned above, so Kenny does all of the work.  I am navigator which is also a big job as the streets are not well marked, have different English names depending on which map you use (see SGN LNGG for why), change names repeatedly, and are rarely in a grid pattern.  We have a GPS with maps of Israel which helps, but it is not a guarantee that you will find parking, a through street, or even the destination.  When we were going to the Grand Canyon Mall, for example, we found the mall with the GPS but missed the turnoffs to the underground garage three times!  When we visit Jerusalem again with Z and V we will have directions to a first choice parking garage and a second choice one (just to be sure).

On the plus side, the highways between the cities seem to be in excellent shape.  Highway 6 to Jerusalem was a breeze (miles of open asphalt).  Drive for two hours in any direction and you nearly cover the entire country (with the exception of four hours to Eilat).  Distances here are so small that the drive is never the centerpiece, just an interlude.  Before you know it, you’ve arrived, and it’s time to ditch the car.  Pray for parking!

Our Trusty Camel