Relax!

So much about life can be learnt while driving on Israeli roads. The Israeli life is what I meant.

They say the Israelis drive agressively; well; it's there lifestyle, and hence driving style. They don't try to be polite or give way or even an inch of space. Again, it's their lifestyle.

On busy mornings on the street, it's not surprising to see a lone car holding up traffic of more that twenty cars behind it. Many a times, it resembles what we call in computer science - a deadlock.

That particular day, I was stuck  behind a couple of cars at the traffic signal. On my left, a lady wanted to take a left turn and park her SUV. Well, on crowded roads of Haifa there is hardly any space, and we are talking about peak morning traffic here. No wonder, she had none of it to take her left turn. Out of my politeness or willingness to help her, I tried to inch my car closer to the car in front of me, hoping to give her that critical meter or so make her left move. To my surprise (and a little dismay) the space I created was quickly taken up by the car right behind me. The lady in the SUV, let out a puff of smoke and glanced at me. I glanced back "What I can do now!" She looked back at me, "no worries - it happens all the time!"

By this time the twenty cars behind her had grown to twenty five and loud honks could be heard from far. She was the roadblock. And the roadblock couldn't take a left turn. The traffic signal ahead of me wouldn't budge either - a perfect deadlock. Thankfully, one which could solve itself if waited sufficiently.

Now, then, the angry traffic behind her started raising their voices through their honks and I grew a little worried about the lady. But this must have been a routine for her. She just extinguished her cigarette, pulled up her car windows, raised the volume of the stereo and relaxed. She was looking forward to waiting, it seemed.

By the time the traffic light in front of me turned green and I moved on, I had learnt yet another chapter of the book of life in Israel.