A chareidi couple that was traveling to the hospital after the wife did not feel well was instructed by an Egged bus driver to pay again since he did not believe they paid. The couple insisted they did pay for the ride. The driver held them against their will until police arrived.
This story occurred last Wednesday, 24 Menachem Av 5773. A Jerusalem woman did not feel well and she and her husband decided they should head to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. The two boarded a number 27 bus that traveled on Herzl Boulevard towards the hospital.
The two explain when they boarded they showed the driver a valid transfer pass and they were seated. After a few minutes they head the driver’s voice over the bus’ public address system, calling the couple forward to pay for the ride. “We already paid” explained the husband got up and approached the driver. The driver was insistent, telling him “my computer shows that you did not pay for the trip.” It should be pointed out at this point that the transfer would not register in the driver’s computer.
The driver continued on his route. When they neared the hospital, two stops before their destination the bus was empty – just the driver and the couple. The driver stopped and shut off the bus. He told the couple he was not going to permit them to leave the bus until they pay for the ride. When the husband realized there was no dealing with the driver he phoned police. A patrol from Mevassert Tzion arrived an hour later. Police listened to the driver and then approached the couple. The husband showed the officer the transfer slips. The policeman turned to the driver and instructed him to permit the couple to leave the bus. Police did not instruct the driver to complete his route and drive them to the hospital. They had to get there on their own. The report adds that as a result of the prolonged delay, the woman was required to remain in the hospital for observation.
Hospital official explain that it was most unfortunate the woman arrived so late and as a result, she was admitted for observation. She was released on erev Shabbos and instructed to return the following week. The couple filed a police complaint following the ordeal. There is a suspicion that Egged’s recent campaign alleging that many chareidim do not pay for bus service led to the driver’s actions.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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14 Responses
Typical zionists.
Whether they “paid” or not, and from the story it seems they did one way or another, this is an act of rishis of the driver by not taking them all the way to the hospital.
Such a “man” should NOT be in that position.
why couldnt they show the bus driver the transfer like they did the cops?
#1, typical Joe comment. Generally speaking, the Chareidim brought it upon themselves with the way they act in E. Yisroel.
TO coffee addict
Why can’t YOU read the story as it is?
“they showed the driver a valid transfer pass and they were seated”
#3 Read paragraph 3
Egged claim that 70% charedim don’t pay. What lies! The only ones who don’t pay are those going home from the Kotel on Motzei Shabbat. Since Lapid came to power the attacks and racism against charedim have multiplied hundredfold.
Charedim must fight Egged’s monopoly and get their own buses once and for all. Enough is enough with Egged.
“There is a suspicion that Egged’s recent campaign alleging that many chareidim do not pay for bus service led to the driver’s actions”.
Without inflaming both sides of Klal Yisroel it seems as if the driver’s computer was in err. Who has to have suspicions?
It seems to me that it goes both ways. So the driver is a rasha. Why couldnt the couple pay again? is 12 sheq so much when you’re on your way to a hospital??? I believe that there is more to the story. It could very well be that the driver didnt accept any money after he accused them. That is why the couple called the police. This has got to stop! While mdd says that the chariedim brought this on themselves, this act (ignoring the pain and discomfort of another human being in major distress) is a sign that the driver may not even be jewish.
#4 Charedim act appropriately filled with Torah and yire shamayim which is a thorn to Lapid, chilonim and many posters on here.
#8 If the couple couldn’t afford a taxi to the hospital, 12 shekel is obviously a lot for them. Besides, as a matter of principle, why should they pay again?
The couple called police because Egged lately (since the reshaim came to power) has become very nasty and cruel to charedim.
ujm: The Israel Suprmee Court ruled it unlawful to segregate genders., hence the abolition of the Chareidi buses. Had some chareidim not verbally abused and harassed women on the bus maybe this never would have come to pass.
The court also ruled that neither the bus driver nor passengers have the right to force people where to sit. This was not due to any monopoly. The Mehadrin buses posed no serious financial threat to Egged.
What the chareidi ought to do is have two separate buses; one for women, one for men.
Our Rav Kav didn’t show up with a transfer recently and Egged refused to let us use the ticket. It’s “Egged’s policy” they said in an email response, that even with a receipt, if it doesn’t show up on the computer, it’s not valid. Ridiculous, because if you don’t have the Rav Kav, they HAVE to accept the paper ticket. Funny, no?
Chareidim never harassed anyone. Its a figment of the medias imagination. Dont believe the media whatever they spew forth.
Galicianer… Please her zich tzee… Dee vilst nisht zehn de andere chevra…. Why aren’t you bothered by the daily hate , venom and name calling from the usual anti-Zionists? Other than that, I agree with you. It SHOULD be a debate not a harangue. My posts and others who feel like me are usually answered with vile name calling. Anyway, how’s the galarita? Or gahla?
#12 You don’t know what you’re talking about with your statement: The Israel Suprmee Court ruled it unlawful to segregate genders., hence the abolition of the Chareidi buses. Had some chareidim not verbally abused and harassed women on the bus maybe this never would have come to pass……
Gender segregation being unlawful and other rulings of the court happened MANY, MANY YEARS after what #11 said:
They did get their own buses and Egged sued to stop them due to a guaranteed monopoly. In return they agreed to have seperate seating buses.
Ziongate: Better to keep quiet than show your ignorance on a public forum.