No one is forced to ride these busses. There are regular public busses that serve the identical routes.
I`m not ultra-orthodox, but I`ve often taken one of the mehadrin busses between Ashdod and Jerusalem and peronally I don`t mind at all sitting with other women. I`m not prejudiced against men. This isn`t sexism. I just prefer sitting next to another woman on a bus. There were times in the past when I had a few unpleasant experiences sitting next to a man on a bus at night- Once a man fell asleep and next thing I knew he was lying on my shoulder! The men sit in front so they can`t see the women and this is a boon for someone who wants to nurse an infant on the bus, etc.
Many married couples do sit together, however and no one says anything to them.
This is much ado about nothing.
Shulamit Batel |
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