We were always taught to never check in our tefillin in our luggage when flying, but to take them in our carry-on luggage.
Now, it seems, this lesson must be taught regarding traveling by bus as well. Not just by airplane.
According to Ladaat.net, some guy from Ashdod put his tefillin with his bags in the undercarriage of the bus. He got off the bus and realized his bag was missing. He convinced the driver to go to the various stops to look for it. They could not find it.
The guy wrote a letter to Egged. They said bags in the under-carriage are the passengers responsibility, and something so valuable like tefillin should always be kept by the passenger and never placed below.
After getting a lawyer, and sending letters to Egged showing that legally Egged is responsible for all bags in the under-carriage just like they are responsible for the passengers themselves, Egged decided to compensate the fellow for his loss with 6400NIS.
6400 shekel? That's a pretty expensive set of tefillin.
ReplyDeleteHow can Egged be responsible? What on earth is a driver supposed to do when people take out bags? Ask each person for ID and match it to the tag?
ReplyDeletegood questions, but if legally they are responsible, they better come up with some sort of system.
ReplyDeleteMost peoples small luggage, especially in the haredi community but also outside of, look pretty much the same. probably someone took his bag by mistake thinking it was theirs. they are probably searching for the owner.
I wonder -when they find him,will he return the money to egged?
Saab - tallis and tefillin, and yes they are expensive. must have been super-mehudar
i think the conclusion from your story is that you dont need to carry your tefillin. Egged will take responsibility!
ReplyDeleteand if not, they'll pay up to 6400 for your tefillin! I see a whole new market opening up! buy cheap tefillin, lose them on the bus and charge egged 6400 for them!
ReplyDeletemaybe 6400 included payment for distress and legal consultation....
He could have made up the story to extort from egged. There is no way for him to prove that he had a bag or what was in it.
ReplyDeleteCould've been for two pairs - Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally or alternatively, you don't know what else the compensation included (e.g. lawyer's fees, expenses, etc.)