A Fair Fare

"In spite of many of the advances made in travel in the last 30 years, many American tourists are surprised to learn that many foreigners still speak foreign languages." ~Dave Barry

So it seemed to be a typical day. We had made our way to Tel Aviv via taxi (van), where we had gone to help pack food parcels. After doing some sightseeing in Old Jaffa, better known in biblical times as Joppa, we headed back to the central bus station to find a returning taxi (otherwise known as a sherute). As I said, the day had been a fairly normal. Well, there was blowout I had on one of my sandals resulting in the loss of part of my soul. Uh, sole. Actually, that would be the sandal's, not mine. Thankfully the Lord has rescued my soul from loss. But I digress.

We boarded one of the sherutes and settled in for the approximately 1.5 hr. ride (wherein Daniel could forthwith catch up on his sleep), when we suddenly realized . . . that we were on the wrong taxi! Since we didn't desire a sherute to shuttle us to an unknown part of Tel Aviv, we removed our fleshly parts complete with their belongings from there and sought a sherute that was indeed going to Jerusalem (in Hebrew it sounds a little like "ye-ru-she-lem").

This time we found one, and it had seats for ten. There were five seated as we boarded. Daniel paid the obligatory fare for both of us. When it was finally filled, we were ready to take off. So we thought. But sometimes our thought processes don't line up with the reality of the situation as we shall see.

Apparently, the driver had collected nine fares and there were TEN PEOPLE ABOARD! Somebody did not pay, and he was not amused in the least. Some of us stared blankly at him as he went off at us in Hebrew. Well, mostly I stared blankly. That happens a lot when you don't know the language. (Also, blankness can sometimes be construed as innocence.)

Well, he thought he knew who didn't pay, the lady in black. But she insisted that she had paid by passing the fare to the women in front her, who in turn were supposed to pass it to the driver. This they vehemently denied. They said they'd never received it. So we were at an impasse. This taxi was not going to take ten people for the price of nine. And none of the accused would pay. So we sat there.

One guy suggested everybody kick in a few extra shekels to cover for the missing fare, after all, he pointed out this was the only sherute going to Jerusalem. (They wouldn't send another one until this one was filled apparently.) And if we didn't pay extra, we'd be stuck in Tel Aviv. Nevertheless there were some that held a dim view of aiding and abetting a supposed thief by paying extra themselves. So we sat some more . . . and some people's blood pressures continued rising. (Anyone know some good jokes in Hebrew?)

Finally the driver refunded everybody's fare, except the lady in black. Then we sat there.

A passenger got off.

Other drivers entered our taxi with the intention of talking us into paying but to no avail.

We sat there some more.

Another passenger got on.

After sitting there yet more, Mr. Kick-in-a-few-extra-shekels-everybody finally got enough passengers to listen to his voice of reason, and we had enough to to cover ten fares. After this we proceeded to make it to Jerusalem without casualties. I think it cost, like, 2.5 shekels extra per person. This is the equivalent to something like the outragous sum of $.65 USD!!

I know that might not seem like much, but think of all that it could buy! ____! This represents the blank my mind is drawing in answer to that statement. Not much. So even though it may not seem like much . . . in reality it's really not that much when you think about it. Okay, now I'm repeating myself repeating myself.

"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ~Jesus of Nazareth