Traffic is traffic is traffic, no?

Sitting in traffic is no fun, anywhere.  So why is sitting in Israeli traffic different? 

For one, there is always the smart alec that thinks that moving swiftly from one lane to the next, will get him there faster than just staying put in the lane that you’re already in (mind you, nobody is actually moving…).

Secondly, the cellphones actually work EVERYWHERE…

And of course, we have GalGalatz !

GalGalatz is an IDF (Israel Defense Force) radio station, founded in ‘93, in partnership with the Ministry of Transportation.  But for most of us, it means great music combined with traffic reports.

There’s a whole following out there, as traffic reports are contributed by us poor souls stuck in it.  When one is lucky enough to clear a particularly nasty spot, you can call in to the station, reporting how long it took.  This is broadcasted back to all the listeners to help (or depress) them.

Last night, as Jonathan (my striking 14 year old – literally striking…) and I were stuck at 11PM (!) on a 3KM part of Highway 2, we heard Galgalatz report that there is a traffic jam on that particular sector.  Once we cleared (35 minutes later), I called in… within 10 minutes it was reported to the world of listeners that “Tali and Jonathan reported 35 minutes from Kfar Smarihau to Rishpon”.  For some very odd reason, it caused us to smile, even though it was just about midnight by then.

Tags: traffic, israeli+traffic, galgalatz, jonathan+alush+aben

Comments

[Jon Burg]

Thanks for sharing, I LIVED on Gal-Gal-Gal-Galatz while in Israel. The utterly eclectic mix of American oldies, classic rock, new age, punk rock, alternative and pop - AND - Israeli hits made for a very interesting listening experience.

Crowd sourced traffic reporting is fantastic. Here in NY the radio stations have been playing with this for some time. There was a time when calling a report into a major AM station like 1010Wins earned you a name mention on the air. This however, was a few years back. As someone who has called in in the past, I can relate to your experience. However, I have found myself calling in far less often now that they have stopped mentioning the caller by name. This isn't to say that people don't call in, but there was something about hearing your name on the radio that drove listeners to call in. It's all about participation and recognition.