The requests are understandable and even reasonable.
Passengers on Egged bus route 2 that travels through the crowded Charedi neighborhood of Meah Shearim are ‘squished like sardines’. Not very Tznius if the buses are mixed seating. So residents of that neighborhood have requested from Egged that men and women be allowed to separate on that bus route. As of yet it remains mixed. Egged has thus far refused to oblige.
As a solution to their problem this community has set up their own Mehadrin bus line. They are financing it and have put it into service. The problem is that it is unlicensed and Egged has protested that.
Egged is technically within their legal rights to try and stop this private bus line from operating and taking away their business which is probably considerable - considering the numbers and the fact that bus travel is the main form of transportation for this poor neighborhood.
But they are wrong for fighting it. They either ought to be more accommodating on their own buses or allow that community to bus themselves. The Mehadrin busses are self funded - so far via newlywed contributions of $100 per couple. (If that’s how they want to spend their money it’s their business. After all there’s plenty more where that came from. Just kidding. It’s mind boggling - if you think about the dire financial straits they are in currently)
But - it’s their community and their way of life. They should have the right to lead it in any way they see fit – as long as no one else’s rights are trampled. And I don’t think they would be – especially if Egged would provide enough alternative mixed busses for those who want them. This way the entire community would be served including the many tourists who frequent Meah Shearim and prefer sitting with their families when they travel.
As much as this lifestyle is not my cup of tea, I support their right to live their lives as they see fit. But I do not support their means of achieving those goals. And that changes everything! Some of them have once again resorted to violent protest. They therefore do not deserve what they are asking for.
There was a violent attack against an Egged bus in Meah Shearim. These people have decided to do what they do best in situations like these described in Ynet:
Dozens of people demonstrated Wednesday afternoon in the Ge'ula and Mea Shaarim neighborhoods, blocking through traffic to Egged buses.
That deteriorated into even more violence.
According to police reports, haredim threw stones at an Egged bus traveling through the neighborhood. No injuries were reported, but damage was caused to the bus' windshield.
As always seems to be the case with these savages, if they don’t like something they see they get violent. Reckless disregard for human safety is not a problem for them. It is justified! That no one was injured is just plain dumb luck. Next time who knows what will happen?
Will a mother carrying a young child walk into the ‘line of fire’ and the child be hit with a rock causing brain damage? Is that what it takes to knock some sense into the brains of these savages? I doubt it. Nothing is going to stop them from doing their sacred duty here. God forbid a man sits next to a woman on a bus. Better to throw rocks at buses than let that happen.
All the rock throwers should be locked up for a very long time. No exceptions. The private Mehadrin bus lines should be canceled! Violence by protesters in situations like these must never be rewarded no matter how valid their claims might be.
