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Mar 3, 2010
protesting mehadrin bus lines
There have been a number or protests recently against the mehadrin bus arrangements. The court has recently given the State 60 days to respond regarding why they have not recommended how to stop the violence on the bus system and what their plans are for the future if it would be allowed, as per the recommendation of the Ministry of Transportation.
In a protest against the mehadrin buses, in which they hung signs on mehadrin buses in various areas around the country, one of the organizers of the protest said something very interesting. he said, "The separate lines exist in many cities around the country and between many cities, and not just within haredi population centers. We are protesting the statement of the Minister of Transportation Katz and Egged ignoring the degrading treatment of women that are sent to the back of the bus - sometimes with the use of violence, both verbal and physical. The mehadrin bus lines are serving the general mixed public and not just the Haredi public, and that separation is being forced upon the general public." (source: Ynet)
If he is to believed, it sounds like even those opposed to it are really ok as long as it is limited to internally within a specific haredi community. The problem is when it spreads out to areas that are more mixed and then the general public is affected.
In a protest against the mehadrin buses, in which they hung signs on mehadrin buses in various areas around the country, one of the organizers of the protest said something very interesting. he said, "The separate lines exist in many cities around the country and between many cities, and not just within haredi population centers. We are protesting the statement of the Minister of Transportation Katz and Egged ignoring the degrading treatment of women that are sent to the back of the bus - sometimes with the use of violence, both verbal and physical. The mehadrin bus lines are serving the general mixed public and not just the Haredi public, and that separation is being forced upon the general public." (source: Ynet)
If he is to believed, it sounds like even those opposed to it are really ok as long as it is limited to internally within a specific haredi community. The problem is when it spreads out to areas that are more mixed and then the general public is affected.
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but there is no such thing as only serving chareidi neighborhoods (as if all chareidim do want separate busses...).
ReplyDeleteeven the "chareidi" ramat bet shemesh, no matter how you look at it, is a mixed city. do you know any bus line at all - whether between cities or within a city that ONLY serves a totally chareidi clientell??
I agree with Y. The only way a bus can be all chareidi is by legally segregating out non-chareidim. There seems to be a new mentality of botus beshishim; if non-cahreidim are few they stop counting or existing.
ReplyDeleteI think it all depends on whether an existing line was converted to separate, or whether the separate line is an additional service.
ReplyDeleteEg. (I'm just making up route numbers, any similarity to a real bus line is purely coincidental.)
Suppose a certain route is served by #789. Are they taking the 789 and turning it separate? In that case, I think those who are opposed have a point about the religious coercion, degradation, etc. After all, their bus line was usurped.
But what if #789 was left just as it always was, and a new separate line, - we'll call it #123 - was added to the same route?
In my view, that's a different story, because that's exactly why the 123 was created, to be separate. Anyone may ride, but they should follow the rules. Otherwise, just wait for the 789 as usual.
I am not condoning the verbal or physical abuse, but I can understand infuriating it must be. It's unfair for Roiza Parkstein to knowingly board a separate bus and then flaunt the rules by sitting in front. It's why the 123 line was created. If she's not prepared to do that, she should not ride the 123.
In almost every situation that I am aware of, a mixed bus was converted to separate and no mixed alternative was added. While occasionally a new separate bus line might be added, more often than not the existing line is converted.
ReplyDeleteIf he is to believed, it sounds like even those opposed to it are really ok as long as it is limited to internally within a specific haredi community.
ReplyDeleteBecause the official statement from the Charedi communities is that they want the segregated lines and are ok with the inconveniences.