Olmert Hates Deaf People

My first week at Tel Aviv I stood out like something that really stands out. Not only couldn't I find myself around and kept asking people stupid questions like "eh, eifo rchov derech Hashalom?" Not a particularly dumb question out of context, but when asked while standing under a sign labeled, in three different languages mind you, DERECH HASHALOM, I might as well had been an asian with a giant camera around my neck and wearing a t-shirt that says "Ani ohev Eretz Yisroel".

But really the thing that had me most confused (which made me look like a tourist the most) was trying to figure out how people knew when to cross the street. On most Tel Aviv streets they have a walking signal of a guy that turns red or green. (The colors mean the same in Israel as they do in the US.) The problem is, there is no yellow, and no blinking lights to hint when the color is going to change. It just changes from green to red. So all week, I would enter the street when it was green, and then it would turn red, and I would run across the street - while others somehow managed to avoid this situation.

It took me some time to realize, that there is also a sound system attached the lighting. When the light turns green, it goes dadadadadadadadadadada, and when its going to turn red it speeds up, and then when it is red it ticks slow. Essentially, Tel Aviv has decided that it would rather invest in an entirely new system that would help blind people, rather than do a small change in the lights to make them blink. I believe Olmert hates deaf people. (Like George Bush hates black people.)

I have several theories about why this is:
1) There is an amazingly awesome museum (I am told) called the Blind Museum (maybe not but thats what it is collequally called) in Tel Aviv area (I think) where people get to experience what it's is like to be blind for an hour and a half (once again- hearsay). This may have swayed the general public to support blind people over deaf people.
2) There may be more blind people in Israel than deaf people.
3) There may be no deaf people in Israel.

And now for an analysis about whether blind people or deaf people are really better... or maybe i'll leave that for another time. I really just wanted to share this observation.

In the end of the day, the whole light system doesn't really matter to me as I walk when there are no cars, and run when there are. I believe the lighting system only recommends times to cross. One of my goals of coming to Israel is to bring some of the excellent American values we have. One of those being the jaywalking system. I believe if I am succesful in just this one area I will have led a fulfilling life.

Just today two girls followed me after I ran across a street and one girl yelled to the other "Yesh knas laasot et zeh" ("there's a fine for doing that"), to which the girl just laughed. I am truly changing the country one person at a time.