This morning, when driving home from the pool, the road without a name had some new subtle additions: a bright traffic yellow line painted at both the entrance and the exit to the street. No hi-tech invisible field stopping cars from actually driving on the road, just two bright yellow lines at its beginning and end. And in case the driver could not figure out the meaning, there were two smallish signs posted at either side of the the entrance, saying "No passage."
What surprises me most is the seeming ignorance of the Jerusalem Municipality, as regards the standard operating behaviour of most Israelis; mainly, they must build a tall physical barrier at both ends, and they must post a police officer there to give out tickets to every single driver who violates the law of the yellow line.
Despite the sign, despite the theoretical knowledge that the road should be closed off, we Israeli drivers - and I include myself in this category - will continue to use this road. This route has been a part of our daily commute for so long, that we follow the path without thinking. No one wants to add an extra ten minutes to their daily routine, I personally want to get home the most efficient way possible, and unless someone stops us, the status quo remains.
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Let me introduce you to the most important acronym in Israel - KaSTaCh - Kisui Tachat (CYA in English).
The Jerusalem Municipality has now done its official job in marking the street as "No Passage", and is no longer responsible for traffic there. Putting up temporary barriers would mean that the city would need to actually send out a truck with the barriers and put them into place. The Municipality has much more important business at this time of year, such as closing down for the Chagim.
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