Sometimes People are So Nice

 

No doubt I'm sometimes guilty of complaining too much, but when there's something really nice to talk/write about it's so important to let the world know.

Last Thursday on my way home from Jerusalem after seeing cousins, I had some wonderful experiences. While walking out of the Old City, I had checked the bus schedule and saw that if I hurried I could catch a bus to the Shiloh Junction. 

With still another couple of minutes' walk to the lightrail I saw a train coming. I had to hurry, since the next train might have gotten me there too late. As I huffed and puffed onto the train a young man slid out of his seat, so I could take it. I paid and then sat down. I guess he heard and saw my arrival.

I got to the bus stop with time to spare, and the bus actually came on time, which is quite rare. 

On the bus I looked up and saw those little "outlets" to plug in the phone for charging, which was needed, since my phone battery was getting dangerously low. The only problem was that no matter how much I tried, they didn't work, so I asked the driver about it. He couldn't fix it from his end, but a young soldier on the other side of the aisle offered me his portable charger. But he got off a few stops later, and I saw that my phone battery was still low. I thanked him and told him it was fine.

To my surprise the driver reached into his pocket and gave me his portable charger. Wow!

 Yes, Sometimes People are So Nice.

Jerusalem Egged Buses Modernizing, Part 2

Jerusalem Egged Buses Modernizing, Part 1, is about the new way of paying for bus rides in order not to waste the driver's time. It's more complicated than the "exact change only" which is required in some places abroad. The complication is that not all bus stops are equipped with paying machines, and you can't pay the driver. Part 2 is about the modernizing of Egged Jerusalem buses:

Charge Your Phone/Tablet/Laptop As You Ride

Yes, in the newest buses, if you're lucky, you'll find yourself next to these chargers. You have to provide your own cord of course, but it's still a very nice little modern convenience.

People who travel in cars generally have chargers easily available, but we bus travelers dependent on public transportation  sometimes find ourselves wandering like gypsies.

I try to remember to have a portable charger with me and a charger you plug into an electric socket. They both have the type of wires you need to use the chargers on the bus.

Enjoy!

PS if have any suggestions for other topics of "improvement" or modernization on the buses, please let me know, thanks.

New Cellphone!!!

I didn't plan on buying a new cell phone today, but when I called my dd#1 to confirm our brunch together, all I heard was:

I can't hear you! Hello, hello, I can't hear you!!!

Then I called dd#2, and all I heard was:

I can't hear you! Hello, hello, I can't hear you!!!

Then I called dh, and all I heard was:

I can't hear you! Hello, hello, I can't hear you!!!

Dd#1 finally managed to get through and said:

Imma, you must get a new phone!

And when dh could finally communicate with me, he agreed, so dd#1 and I got me a phone for dessert after our lovely brunch together. Yes! It's that modern looking skinny thing, but mine is in hot metallic red!!! I did not want black!

Everything's great, except that I don't know how to use it. Not exactly true. I wouldn't leave the place until they showed me where to plug in the charger, how to turn it on and off and how to lock and unlock the keyboard. You know, I'm not that dumb. I'm not going to take a phone home which I can't turn on. I also made the salesman make it work in English. He set the time, but the date's wrong, and I can't figure out how to fix it. I keep following instructions, but nada. I learned how on my old one. I called service and asked for an English Language Instruction Book.

Now, why did I choose that one? Once I realized that all the phones have cameras, I began paying attention. This one has a 2.0 megapixel, which makes it potentially, a real camera. I won't have to schlepp 2 ton tessie-- my Cannon A620 every place. It felt comfortable in my hand. It's the size of a diet cracker, but thinner.

Yes, here's the baby; it's a Samsung X820: