Lost in Tel Aviv
This is for those who want to know what it's like living/driving in Israel. One of my deepest fears is to be lost in the wilds of Tel Aviv, and this happened to me today. I went for a meeting at Likud Party headquarters, where I have been before, so I thought I knew the way. My appointment was changed from 10.30 to 11.30 am, so I had lots of time. I left home at around 10.20 am, leaving myself well over an hour for a 35 min drive. I arrived in Tel Aviv and took the turn off the main route (Namir Road) at the appropriate place (Shaul Hamelech) . But, when I got to the bottom of this to a major intersection things didn't look all that familiar. I turned left onto Ibn Gavirol, but soon realized that this was a major mistake.
Since I did not recognize the building I was looking for, I asked a policeman and he said it was back the way I had come. Since I could not turn right I turned left and after going thru a few side streets I ended up on Rehov Lincoln. This I recognized, and a quick look at my map told me this was generally the right direction, so I took Lincoln into the center of town and turned onto Rehov Allenby. However, this is a major busy road and the turn took me 10 mins! Someone told me that Likud HQ was on King George Street. I saw from the map that King George was at the end of Allenby. So I drove as fast as I dared onto the main road at the end of Allenby, only to find it was Ben Yehuda, and I had passed King George. Both the map and bystanders told me to turn right and I went thru a maze of narrow lanes (stuck behind a truck!) and finally reached King George Street. Then I turned left (illegally) and saw the building right ahead of me. It was 11.25 am. I drove into the sidestreet next to the building, parked illegally on a red-and-white kerb (after all I am now an Israeli) and took the elevator to the 12th floor, arriving at exactly 11.30 am. The meeting started 10 minutes later.
When I left it was easy, and I found that going there I had turned off two blocks before I was supposed to, I should have simply continued until King George and not turned left on Ibn Gavirol. So let this be a lesson to you, never drive in Tel Aviv unless you really know the way!
PS. I am now Chairman of Likud Anglos in Netanya (whoopee!)
PPS. I did not get a ticket!
Since I did not recognize the building I was looking for, I asked a policeman and he said it was back the way I had come. Since I could not turn right I turned left and after going thru a few side streets I ended up on Rehov Lincoln. This I recognized, and a quick look at my map told me this was generally the right direction, so I took Lincoln into the center of town and turned onto Rehov Allenby. However, this is a major busy road and the turn took me 10 mins! Someone told me that Likud HQ was on King George Street. I saw from the map that King George was at the end of Allenby. So I drove as fast as I dared onto the main road at the end of Allenby, only to find it was Ben Yehuda, and I had passed King George. Both the map and bystanders told me to turn right and I went thru a maze of narrow lanes (stuck behind a truck!) and finally reached King George Street. Then I turned left (illegally) and saw the building right ahead of me. It was 11.25 am. I drove into the sidestreet next to the building, parked illegally on a red-and-white kerb (after all I am now an Israeli) and took the elevator to the 12th floor, arriving at exactly 11.30 am. The meeting started 10 minutes later.
When I left it was easy, and I found that going there I had turned off two blocks before I was supposed to, I should have simply continued until King George and not turned left on Ibn Gavirol. So let this be a lesson to you, never drive in Tel Aviv unless you really know the way!
PS. I am now Chairman of Likud Anglos in Netanya (whoopee!)
PPS. I did not get a ticket!
posted by Jack Cohen at 7:25 PM
1 Comments:
AMEN! i moved hear recently and i cab it
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