Security
With my Americanized eyes, I pick up on the oddities of daily Israeli life that have become the norm for most residents.
The drivers here make the French look like the Germans in terms of patience and respect for other vehicles. Being a passenger with an Israeli behind the wheel is a test of one's nerves and blood pressure. It's like a themepark ride, except without the safety measures. In large part, I think the driving method (or lack thereof) is an outgrowth of the country's ad-hoc mentality. So much of what was built up in the past was slapped together as quickly as possible. The streets here curve and meet in bizarre intersections because the paths and asphalt were laid down in sections, before any urban planning was possible. You try to figure out how to get around with roads like these.
I've seen two cars simultaneously pass both sides of a slower driver... on a highway on-ramp. And all three try to share one lane when they get on. Cars cross medians to make turns. Cars drive on either side of the road depending, I suppose, on the motorist's preference. Cars make U-turns in the middle of the street. Cars push their way in front of you without signalling if you leave them a meter of room. Any road courtesy you learned in drivers ed goes right out the window.
But for all that, there are few horns to be heard, as it appears Israelis actually expect this sort of behavior. The only time you're sure to be honked at is if you're taking too much time.
Everyone seems in a hurry to get somewhere, and because the road system is so inefficient and unregulated drivers think they'll never get there unless they push the other guy out of the way.
Depending on whom you talk to, the risk of traffic fatalities here is either twice or four times higher than the risk of being blown up by a terrorist.
And the parking is as bad as the driving -- cars are left at odd angles and places as if their owners are merely running in to drop off a Blockbuster video.
But the real stand out is the heightened security measures everywhere. Want to go to the mall? Your car is searched before entering the lot. At the door to any establishment is a guy with a hand-held metal detector. Women's purses are checked at every entrance. Men get a quick once-over with the wand. The movie theater has its own NASA Command Center to monitor surveillance video. The supermarket has mini-cams above every register. A security officer approached me when I took a picture of the lot at the local grocery. He wanted to know if I had permission to photograph the cars. He asked for my place of residence and birth. He seemed unsure as to why someone would want to take snapshots of automobiles parked in a bizarre fashion. It would have been comical, if he didn't look like he might take my camera just to be difficult.
Next time: the smokers!
