On cellphones

It just dawned on me today what's different about cellphones here in Israel: people talk on them. In the Philippines, most people use the mobile phones for texting (i.e., sending SMS messages). It's very popular there (in fact some call the Philippines the texting capital of the world) and I'm amazed at how fast some people's thumbs can work, not to mention their highly specialized vocabulary of abbreviations.

But here in Israel, it seems like every second person walking along has one arm attached to their head and they're busy in a conversation. I think I mentioned in an earlier entry, that our taxi van driver was talking on a radio and gesturing with his hand, also our bus driver did the same at one point talking on his mobile phone. I've seen a motorcycle rider talking on a cellphone while driving with one hand, and today I saw a supermarket operator talking on the phone while using the other hand to scan the groceries for a customer.

But apparently it's an instant 1,000 shekel fine (NZ$300) if you get caught without both hands on the wheel (or more if you happen to get the policeman angry).


It's also unusual seeing the orthodox Jews, in their costumes which seem to come from a bygone era, talking on cellphones -- a strange mix of old and new worlds.