If you’ve ever had the opportunity to ride the Israeli bus system, you’ve probably discovered the unique “Sabra” flavor that sets it apart from the transport systems in practically any other country.
At peak times, there can be many times more passengers than bus seats waiting at the bus stop. Everyone’s hoping to get on and everyone’s hoping for a seat. When the bus does arrive, you need to scramble and assert yourself if you’d like the privilege of riding this bus, let alone find a place to sit. There’s usually plenty good-natured noise until everyone is settled and the bus can drive. (If the driver even waits for everyone to be seated or braced for it to move, that is!)
“Nahag, nahag!” riders call, frantically prompting the driver to open the back door or make a stop. With passengers who essentially behave like backseat drivers, throwing orders and requests, it’s no wonder said “nahagim” often lose their cool.
I’ve ridden many a bus – both local and intercity – which makes me think I’ve witnessed pretty much any scenario that could crop up. Until last week. The experience I was part of left me blown away.
I was on a bus headed for Yerushalayim. It had been a bit delayed and we would be arriving later than expected. Sitting on the seat directly behind the driver, I couldn’t help but overhear an exchange that left me amazed.
A man in his mid-sixties with a distinguished appearance approached the driver.
“Nahag,” he politely began, “Would it be possible for you to stop at the first bus stop at the entrance to Yerushalayim?”
“No!” the driver sharply rejoined. “It’s not on my route.”
“I understand it isn’t on the route,” the man said. “I’m asking if you could do me the favor. You see, I am a maggid shiur and I need to be in the classroom at 3 p.m. My yeshivah is close to that stop. If I wait for the first usual stop, I’ll need to take another bus or a taxi to go back in the direction that we came from – and that will cause me to be late for class.”
“I’m not interested in long explanations!” the driver replied forcefully. “It’s not on my route and I will not stop!”
The maggid shiur politely thanked the driver and returned to his seat. He stroked his beard, lost in thought. Moments later, I noticed he had opened a sefer and was immersed.
The exchange got me thinking. On the one hand, I understood the driver. A route is a route. And a rule is a rule. Bus drivers are not personal chauffeurs. They are not meant to make extra stops at every passenger’s whim. At the same time, the rider clearly asked for the sake of Torah – and he was so polite about it. What would have been so terrible had the driver agreed to an extra two-second stop, at an official bus stop, no less?! I pictured what the driver’s reaction would have been had the questioner been a government official looking to get to work on time. Surely his response would have been different…
The bus continued on the highway. There was traffic as we reached the city. Uh oh! I thought to myself. Never mind my getting home on time, I glanced in the direction of the maggid shiur with pity. He’s surely going to miss his class! The man looked surprisingly calm, continuing to learn without looking up.
But there we were, sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, waiting for the roads to unclog.
Just as we entered Yerushalayim, there was a loud bang. There was shouting and confusion. No one knew what had happened. The driver opened the doors and all the passengers scrambled off. I noticed the maggid shiur striding purposefully away from the bus.
I myself was more curious. I had to know what had happened. I watched the driver approach the rear of the bus to inspect the damage of the impact. The collision had been caused by the bus behind us. With the stop-and-go of the bumper-to-bumper line up, that driver had accidentally bumped into us from behind. The bus seemed more or less okay with little damage. But most passengers were already gone.
That was when I noticed. We were standing exactly at that very bus stop where the maggid shiur had requested to be let off! He had long since gone and I pictured him standing at the front of his classroom, on time after all!