When It Comes to Bowling Etiquette, Israelis Strike Out

November 21, 2006 - 5:00 PM by Allison

As Herb Keinon explains in the Jerusalem Post, it all comes down to a society where there is minimal respect for personal space and other people’s need to concentrate.

Translated into the bowling alley, that means:

There is not a whole lot of consideration for what the guy is doing over in the other lane.

It’s not as if the Israeli bowler is intentionally trying to disturb his neighbor’s game; it’s just that he gets so wrapped up in his own activities – laughing with the hevra, grandstanding for his girlfriend – that it doesn’t even dawn on him that he may actually be disturbing his neighbor by straying into his lane. It’s less malicious, more thoughtless.

And if a neighbor complains, the less than considerate bowler – not without merit – will ask what the big deal is; argue that this is only a game and not exactly brain surgery; and that there is a need to put things in proper perspective. Call it the “we survived Pharaoh, we shall survive this as well” syndrome.

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