Getting around

If you want to get from here to there in Israel and Palestine there are a limited number of choices. There is the public bus system and private tourist buses; there are taxis; there is (or will be, it's several years delayed) a new tram in Jerusalem; for long distance there are short flights; and then there is the car, by far the most popular way to get about. In Palestine, there are fewer options, and the car, whether private or a taxi, rules. Taxis and mini-buses don't really improve the traffic situation by consolidating passengers; they simply ensure greater casualties in the case of accident.

With the huge mix of different cars, trucks, buses, carts and everything else on wheels, plus death-defying pedestrians, traffic is almost the most chaotic system in the West Bank and Jerusalem. I say "almost" because there are so many competitors for the title of being the most confounding, inconvenient, offensive, unjust or just plain miserable service provided to a long-suffering populace. It's where every government best innovates: How can we make life more difficult for our citizens today? But I digress.

As public buses are outside my experience and are likely to remain so, this is about the use of cars, trucks and other self-powered vehicles.

Cars are expensive to buy, own and operate in Palestine, so it's a bit of a surprise to visitors to see late model Mercedes, Hummers, Audis, Range Rovers and BMWs on the roads. Don't kid yourself: this place is not all about cheerful workers singing and walking back from their agricultural Kibbutz; there's real money in this country, and it likes fancy cars. For the rest of us there are Mazdas, VWs, Hyundais, Skodas, and a smattering of just about everything else.

A new car is taxed at about 100% by Israel and this cascades down to used cars as well, so even ten-year-old economy cars can represent a substantial investment for young families. I bought a two-year-old Seat (a Spanish VW) for $15,000 decades ago. No A/C but with a willing, one-liter engine. The valve cover had an inexplicable "Porsche Design" stamped on it, which made the car all the more attractive, of course. I drove it everywhere. Were it around today, it would still command a decent price. For all I know, it's still whining around West Bank. I wish it well.

Insurance is also expensive, especially comprehensive or collision coverage, and ten minutes in traffic will amply demonstrate why. Most car owners thus carry the legal minimum liability insurance, or (it is said) none at all. Needless to say, uninsured motorists careening about make for a scary background to using an auto. For that matter, it is also rumored that there are a lot of cars that have a questionable provenance (read: stolen) and are running around without license plates. Needless to say, these vehicles are unlikely to be encumbered by insurance or other essentials like maintenance or responsible drivers.

The essential element to car use is petrol, of course, or diesel (there are a lot of diesel-powered vehicles in Israel and Palestine, many in very poor maintenance). It's expensive, about on a par with Europe: about $1.70 a liter or, for you metric illiterates, roughly $6.50 per gallon. On the plus side, there are attendants that will fill your car for you if you don't care for self-service. As in the old days, you don't have to leave your seat.

But by far, it's the local driving technique that's the most remarkable aspect of traffic in Israel and Palestine. It consists in the main of driving like a bat out of hell from point A to point B, with the devil taking the hindmost. I was not the most considerate or careful driver in my youth (now, I'm perfect) but driver attitudes here redefine the term "aggressive".

It is impossible not to have compassion for pedestrians, although they also have a seemingly fatalistic view. They are shepherded into the street (cars are using the sidewalks, if any are provided) and forced to share the roads with vehicles, to which they act oblivious. While some scatter at the approach of cars, others accept the challenge and try to stare down the approaching driver like a matador approached by a mad bull. Some just step out and dare the drivers to hit them. I don't think this is a good idea.

The number of vehicles on the street has more than doubled in the past two decades—and I'm being conservative. And while roads are far better than they were twenty years ago, improved highways and byways have not helped to make driving a safer experience. If anything, it has simply provided opportunities for the same idiotic behavior but at a higher speed. For the less-aware or self-destructive, driving in Jerusalem can be fun. Fortunately, most tourists use tourist buses to get about and simply marvel at the motor-madness around them. At least they're not behind a wheel—or under it.