What the Hell is Up With Tel Aviv Streets Today?

I was originally going to call this post, "My Day on the Bus," but eventually decided that this was more fitting. When I left work today and took my usual 3:00pm bus, I expected the normal bus ride, and to arrive at home around 3:30, as usual. That was not my day. Instead the following events kept me from getting home until 4.

Let me start by apologizing for an insane amount of street names. I have provided a map below...

Having just returned from a weekend trip to Ein Gedi the night before (I will eventually get back to my weekend in Ein Gedi), I was exhausted, and naturally dozing off on the bus. Then I start to hear a weird rhythmic noise. I start to listen for it, and it occurs with regularity. I start thinking, this sounds like drums. Then I hear what sounds like horns. This is where I start thinking something might be up.

Sure enough, in front of Lev Haeyr L'Mishpacha (Heart of the City for Families, which, by the way, I have no idea what is at this building but have often wondered about it as I pass on a daily basis) there was a marching band. The street was blocked off and tons of people were in the street. They held up a sign, but I couldn't tell if it was a parade or protest, or some unknown type of gathering. Because of this, we had to make an unexpected detour. Generally we continue down the same street, Arlozoroff, until Dizengoff. Instead we turned left on Bloch and then right on Ibn Gvirol. I assumed we would then be turning left on Arlozoroff to get on the same route. And, surprisingly in this city, it was even possible to make a left onto Arlozoroff, but the bus driver didn't realize this.

We continue going north on Ibn Gvirol (which is the complete opposite direction of where we need to go), and the driver doesn't seem to have plans to turn in the opposite directions. People on the bus start to become hysterical (and because they're Israelis, they are that much more annoying and vocal about it). Finally, a little woman gets up and asks the bus driver if he needs help. She then proceeds to give him step-by-step directions, standing next to him every step of the way.

One of the scariest things I've done on a bus is had to make a U-turn. Although, I did realize at some point that if there was to be an accident, those of us on the bus would probably be ok. Anyways, we finally U-turn, head back in the correct direction, and turn on Arlozoroff (Just FYI, the location where we U-turned is off the map).

We continue along the normal route at this point. The next step is mine, but wait! My stop is near Pinsker, just after Bogroshov, but there's a police car blocking the street. The bus driver doesn't know what to do. The same woman tells him to turn right on Bogorshov. And I worry that I will never get off the bus. She asks to be let off as the bus waits to make the right onto Bogroshov. As he opens the door for her, I take the opportunity to run off.

So, why was Pinsker closed? No idea. I walked down Pinsker, and turned left on Trumpledor (my bus stop is usually right on Trumpledor). There's another police car blocking off where my bus would have turned right on Trumpledor. As I approach the intersection, a cab does too, and he honks at the police car blocking the road. Her response: "Oh, I'm parked here so that you can attempt to squeeze around me. What do you think?! The road is closed!!" Priceless...











the blueish line is the normal route, pink was today's route, and red is road closures.