The religious coercion train

Are we talking about Israel or Iran? More division and segregation among Jews? Sometimes I wonder if we're progressing forward or going back in time. It goes beyond belief that in the 21st century, and while trying to show the world the difference between an open democracy and the regimes of the middle-east, this mentality is tolerated. No wonder Jerusalem has become a crime ridden slum. My US friends couldn't believe what's happened to our beautiful city. They were more afraid of local crime than terrorism.

In a city like Jerusalem it is not a stupid idea businesswise

Having watched the video of the Jerusalem Light Rail system, I am absolutely horrified that the trams make a noise - that is all that we need, more noise. Also, there aren't so many seats in each carriage - and also facing the wrong way. I was recently involved in a bus accident in London where the seats face each other (like on a train) and fell forward and whacked my head on the seat in front, suffering a brain injury. This is not good. There are also not enough seats, and many pregnant women and people will not enjoy just hanging onto the rails in the middle of the tram. What will happen is that the pregnant women and elderly will have the seats and everybody else will have to stand. I was always really happy with the Jerusalem buses, as the seats were really close together. The only downside was one got on and off a bus with the drivers driving off at high speed. Please bring back the buses!!!

Aren't we missing the main problem here, that a major transport project company deems that the best possible CEO is a general of the central area command. This just reinforces the lack of straight dealing and achievement by merit in Israel

WHO IS THE DECISION TO HAVE SOME SINGLE SEX CARS HURTING? The bulk of the cars will be mixed meaning plenty of space. Non haredi men can travel in a single sex car and non orthodox women can travel in a single sex car so we are not saying these are cars reserved for orthodox jews. It doesn't even involve extra cars its just about how they are organized. If the operator thinks we need 6 cars on this route ( that included orthodox travelers ) then they will lay on 6 cars difference is 2 of those cars will be single sex. Anybody can travel in those cars no problem there you just need to be of a certain sex and both men & women will have the option of riding in a single sex car or a mixed one no matter who you are. The real problem with this issue is so many seculars think religious law is an outdated concept and so everything that gets done in the country should be based on modern secular lifetstyle and make no effort to cater for people who believe in that outdated idea of religion.

Unless there is serious harassment of women like in Mexico City I don't see this as being an acceptable thing. But if they continue with the pressure why not say OK, you want separate trains for women, then we should allow all women., whether Muslim, skimpily clad party goers, or any others. Let's see how long this lasts.

The next generation the majority will be Haredim and Arabs , both in favor of sex-segregation. So "The Public" will be served. Who will care about the secular minority, they can arrange their own non-segregation transport systems.LOL

Jerusalem is not cosmopolotan secular Tel Aviv it has a very large orthodox population and many of them feel more comfortable segregated. To somebody who is not orthodox it might seem like some of discrimination but its not. Having men only or women only cars hurts nobody at all its just a matter of sticking an extra car on the train the majority can travel in mixed compartments those who want to can travel in the single sex ones nice and simple. There are no comparisons with Iran or Saudi Arabia its just people who take religion seriously don't always do things the way seculars do and the people who take religion seriously should be admired not ridiculed and condemned. There are also plenty of secular women who will like the idea of these single sex compartments because very often women feel uncomfortable on mixed trains and these single sex cars are not limited to orthodox jews they are for anybody as long as they are of the right sex. These train is here to serve all the cities residents so the wishes of all its residents should be considered. Stop bashing the idea just because orthodox lifestyle is not the same as secular lifestyle what there people want is reasonable, it hurts nobody and just like every other passenger. I am sick of the haredi being condemned every time they want to do something different to seculars when there is good reason to criticize then do so but just because their way is not your way don't condemn them for it.

just as he pandered to the settlers in Hebron, when he was in charge there...

Hello............will someone please remind the Ultra-Orthodox Jews that it's 2010 these people are still living in the stone age......The goverment must say NO, NO,NO to a religious coercion train . Already they are causing the disintegration and the deterioration of the Israeli society.

The purpose of the light rail is to flood the city with secular people who work in Tel Aviv, to counteract the influence of the religious sector that dominates huge swathes of the city. The rail will however only succeed if it carries sufficient passengers. The religious have a vested interest in it never succeeding, so the best thing for the religious community would be not to have separate seating, that way, no one will use it. Bingo! A huge customer base disappears immediately, and the railway cannot sustain its running costs. Not that such a triviality will close it down, but it will be permitted to run itself into the ground and then all those hopefuls that migrated to the cooler climate will be stuck in their expensive apartments without transport to work. Result: a mass exodus and more housing for rich religious families.

I think religious men and women should have their own cars to travel in - God forbid if they should travel together. I also think leftist and rightists should also have their own cars to travel in - God forbid that they should travel together. And there should also be separate cars for foreign tourists too - why should democrates and republicans have to travel in the same car? After all, this is Israel, not New York. In fact, everyone with a different opinion should have their own special car. True, it will cost us billions of dollars...but I'm sure you'll agree that it's worth it.

Wake up people!

the principle of equality and non-segregation in the public sphere must be maintained. israel, including yerushalayim, must not yeald to the ultra-orthodox any more. the state was buillt essentially by secular zionists. the state must remain a secular zionist state which accepts torah law where it is necessary and where it serves the larger community. segregated public transportation is not necessary nor does it serve the larger community.

Here in India, like in about 6 other countries, they have just instituted women-only carriages on some lines, not for religious reasons, but to prevent harrassment. Bumping happens all the time on the NY subway but probably less on Egged buses.

Lots of subways already have women-only cars for non-religious reasons. No problem with sticking one of those onto each train. If the men are so scared of being around women we can make an all-men car too. Just two cars at the back of the train, no big deal. Haredi influence over politics is scary and a threat; Haredim wanting a couple private train cars is not.

Mexico City had women only train cars -when I was there in 1982 -Religious coercion ? Maybe the crowding is a deciding factor

most of Jerusalem's population is religious, a large percent is charadi, why shouldn't accommodations be made for them? It seems like not doing this is reverse discrimination.

Walk. It's faster.

actually japan has women only trains, there is no religious "coercion" . '

Since Arabs are about a third of the Jerusalem population, and many of them are conservative and don't like mixed seating, I suggest that a train, say of 7 cars as befits Jerusalem, will have 3 cars for general mixed seating, a Mehadrin (segregated) car for men, a Mehadrin for women, and two more segregated cars for Arab men and women. I would put a mixed car at the front, then another in the middle after the two Mehadrin cars, and another at the end of the train. This will provide an even better separation between the Haredis and Arabs. If you wonder why Haredi cars should be towards the front and the Arab cars towards the back, well, Jews are in the majority. But I wouldn't insist on the privilege. Let the train go back and forth on the trucks (and not in a circular trajectory) so that the Arabs and Jews switch their relative positions.