Public Transportation Woes

On one hand the bus service here in Israel is improving. There are cell phone applications that will tell you what bus is coming when. And there are computerized signs by some of the bus stops that also indicate which bus, destination and in how much time. In Jerusalem they are trilingual (when working) with Hebrew, Arabic and English. This sign in Ariel was very useful when I went to visit my cousin.

Signs have been put up in Shiloh, too. Yesterday, when I was on my way to work I saw one.

It had just some of the information. It showed only one bus line in one direction. It said that the 461 to Jerusalem would be in 15 minutes. Then the countdown started, and the time got shorter and shorter, but before the bus arrived, suddenly it said:

אין נסיעות בקרוב

Ain nisi'ot bikarov

No trips in the near future.

That was very peculiar and a pretty obvious technical foul-up. Soon after, I got a ride to Ofra, and the sign had the same news. Another waiting passenger used his phone's application to check, and there were buses on the way. I had to delete mine from my phone, since the phone has insufficient memory.

I don't know how accurate the application was, because I got a ride to work before the bus came. I take tremps not to boycott the bus service Gd forbid, but because I don't have time to waste.