Yesterday (9 June) I attended the Israel Acoustical Association meeting in Tel Aviv. Went by bus (a bit of help within Jerusalem by light rail), since the high-speed Jer. - T. A. line is still under construction, and the Egged-Jerusalem local bus 77 to the present rail station takes about the same time as the Egged`express bus 480 to Tel Aviv - plus the present rail line is very scenic but slow and round-aboiut. But at the meeting, overhearing others' conversation, I learned that the conference I was attending was within walking distance of the Tel Aviv University - North T. A. railway station, a four minute train ride form the Arlozooroff station that I usually use for Tel Aviv and used that morning. I am also familiar with the NTA-TAU station from visiting TAU. The Dan bus information at the Arlozoroff Station had directed me to their 40 bus, which took about 45 minutes.
Leaving the conference after the last paper, on ultra-sound health therapy, just after the presentation and not staying for the question period, two workmen whom I though were conference center employees were exiting the building with me. I asked if they knew the right direction for walking to the NTA-TAU station. They said that I didn't need to take the train, they were electrical company employees and were on their way back to Tel Aviv, and the Arlozoroff stration I wanted for the Egged bus to Jerusalem was on thier way.
Now the police lecture our Yeshiva once a year not to hitch-hike, not to accept rides from strangers - among other safety and security measures. But these were employees of the electrical company.
Now the train would tale only five minutes, and the fare for a senior citizen is less tha a dollar. The ride with the ECEs vould take at least 20 minutes and possibliy more. And I had reasons to be in a hurry to get back to the Yeshiva.
I accepted the offer anyway. And because of the Tel Aviv light rail construction, the ride took almost as long as the bus had in the morning. Nevertheless, I was certain I had made the right decision and would have done the same in the USA.
Why? Because they were blacks, and if I had turned them down, they just might of thought I had turned them down because they are blacks.
Answering a question that is inevitable, they did not wear yarmules, I have no way of knowing what their religion is, they could have been Muslims, Christians, or Jews, and they spoke Hebrew without any definable accent to my ears. All I knew is that they were electrical company empoyees. We do have a large Etheopian population and their decesndents, some Christians, more Jews. And some of our Arab populaton are also blacks.
I've always considered hitchhiking or picking up hitchhikers to be a potentially risky proposition and have always avoided it across the board. I'd rather walk than stick out my thumb and would prefer to drive alone rather than accept a rider I don't know.
When I was attending Purdue (64-66) and not permitted to have a car on campus, I would hitchhike between W.Lafayette and Washington, IN on a regular basis. Parents would insist I take the bus back to school - it would take 6 to 8 hours an put me in contact with some seedy characters.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I know that the following Israeli concerns do considerable checking on potential employees, who can then be trusted: The Electric Company, the Water Company, the main wire communications company (Bezek), the Railways, Israel Aircraft Industries, the Airport Administration, the major security services, the major health cooperatives. These companies are also definitely equal-opportunity employers. I think this is also true now of Light Rail in Jerusalem, and the Egged and Dan bus cooperatives, but was less so in the past.
That does not mean things are perfect. On one occasion I asked a bus driver when the last bus of the evening of his route ran, and he said he did not know. But last Froday I did get a straight and correct answer on the same line. Once I boarded a 19 bus at the University that makes a great connection with the light rail, faster than any other bus connection, but requires a quarter-block walk and crossing a street. After I boarded, the next person asked the driver if the bus connected with the light rail, and he answer in Hebrew No. True, two other lines both make "across the platform" connections, but take about five to ten miniuts longer doing so! I told the driver what I thought as I left the bus. Not directly related to security, however.
In general, Israeli public transit is not used as places to sleep or hang out by seedy characters, and there is no Amtrak-like ban on children paying their own fares and traveling without adult supervision. This was true of New York public transit when was in grade school.
And the electric company employees that picked me up instead of telling me where to walk for the railway station knew was ooming from the acoustics conference.
Regarding hitch hiking: In 1971 I had the great good fortune to live and work in the San Francisco area. I worked in the Mission district and lived with a few people across the bay in Mill Valley, close to Sausalito.
Often at the end of the day I would go home this way: Trackless trolley or streetcar to Powell Street, thence up and over Nob Hill via the cable cars (all this for only 25 cents!). At Bay or North Point I would alight and then put out my thumb, because these streets served as a kind of in-town on ramp to traffic heading outbound over the Golden Gate Bridge. Almost always a ride would pull over and offer me a lift in less than 3 or 4 minutes; sometimes, and I'm not making this up, two cars would pull over simultaneously and offer me a lift, thus giving me a choice of vehicles or drivers!
Most people offering rides to Marin were men, but the number of single women was impressive; we were living then in the Age of Aquarius and people were much more "mellow" as we used to say it and trusting in the goodness and goodwill of others. Needless to say, I got to ride in some really nice expensive cars as well as the ubiquitous white Corollas, and I met some interesting people. The few times I had to wait more than 10 minutes for a lift I felt annoyed or indignant. Imagine!
I have noticed during the passing years that no one any longer seems to wait at Hyde & Beach to hitch hike; I guess the phenomenon is over and probably for good reason. But it was sure nice then to be young, riding in a nice car with an interesting person, and crossing the Golden Gate at sunset on my way home up on the slope of Mt. Tamilpais.
Back in the fifties, I hitch hiked routinely to the University of Cincinnati. It was faster that the bus and cheaper but going home was not as easy to get out of Cincinnati as it was getting in, so I usually took the bus. Had to take two, a Cincinnati Transit and an Ohio Bus Lines. OBL was a remanent of the old interurban company and ran to Hamilton, and Dayton. This was before hitch hikers started getting involved in bad experiences. After I got to have the use of my Dads car, I would hang out at Winton Place Station and watch the passenger trains. On more than one occasion, I was able to offer rides to student nurses returning to their school. Cincy had over six nursing schools which was nice for the Enineering school which was predominatly male. I think there was safety in numbers for them because they were always in twos and threes. Got some dates, and married a nurse but not one that came in on the train. Fifty Seven years and we are still enjoying life together.
Back in the fifties, I hitch hiked routinely to the University of Cincinnati. It was faster than the bus and cheaper but going home, it was not as easy to get out of Cincinnati as it was getting in, so I usually took the bus. Had to take two, a Cincinnati Transit and an Ohio Bus Lines. OBL was a remanent of the old interurban company and ran to Hamilton, and Dayton. This was before hitch hikers started getting involved in bad experiences. After I got to have the use of my Dads car, I would hang out at Winton Place Station and watch the passenger trains. On more than one occasion, I was able to offer rides to student nurses returning to their school. Cincy had over six nursing schools which was nice for U C's Engineering school which was predominatly male. I think there was safety in numbers for them because they were always in twos and threes. Got some dates, and married a nurse but not one that came in on the train. Fifty Seven years and we are still enjoying life together.
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