Getting stuck traffic is an all-too-common part of Israeli living. You don’t need to be an oleh to know how that is.  However, every oleh eventually discovers that sometimes the best way to avoid p’kakim (bottlenecks), real and metaphorical, is to drive on the shoulder!

Obviously, when you’re stuck in traffic and it’s moving too slowly – or not at all – you find yourself imagining how much easier it would be to just get out of your lane and play leapfrog with the other cars ahead by driving on the shoulder rather than wait for the jam to clear up. (Although I’m not sure I would advise that.)

But when you’re trying to get an appointment with the bank manager, or you’re waiting to get the pakid (functionary) at the Ministry of Redundant Paperwork to correct a form that someone (never them!) messed up, or you’re stuck at the kupat holim behind a family who chose to shlep their consumptive kids along rather than send them to school that day, do what Israelis do. Switch lanes and drive on the shoulder

In many countries—especially the U.S.—doing things “the right way” usually means not deviating from the rules. Rules exist in Israel, too, but they’re........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)