Driving in the fast lane

February 27, 2012 - 10:33 PM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, General, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Life, Technology, Travel 

The seven shekel sign

I’ve been avoiding the fast lane to Tel Aviv. Sure, it gets you there faster, but I didn’t know enough about it to consider actually using it. And, while it might have hastened my arrival to the big city all the various times that I’m running late, I never felt I had enough time to actually veer off the highway to the fast lane center in the last year and find out what it’s all about. So when my friend and work partner suggested we take the fast lane while on our way to Tel Aviv last week, I agreed, because this was clearly my opportunity.

Why not indeed? We exited off Highway 1, right near the airport, veering around the curved road into the parking lot of the fast lane center, so to speak. This is where you can 1) Register for the fast lane (also doable online, but this is actually more convenient) 2) Park your car for free and take a free shuttle into Tel Aviv 3) Pay at the turnstile to enter the fast lane.

Luckily, as we were short on time, as usual, my friend had already registered for the fast lane on a previous trip. That left us the task of entering the two-lane turnstile in order to pay our seven shekels and enter the fast lane. The turnstile, however, did not make sense. If this fast lane is considered the most advanced in the world, why is it that it is impossible to get the car close enough to the self-serve turnstile without having to actually get out of the car in order to pay? And once you do start getting out of the car, a cranky man comes over to take you to task for not getting close enough. He appears to be a tollbooth operator, but not the kind that I’ve ever experienced in my toll booth situations.

Nevertheless, we paid the seven shekels — the price seems to be calculated based on number of passengers in the car and traffic on the road — and headed toward the fast lane entrance. As usual, signage was a little confusing but we figured it out and got on our way. Luckily, we didn’t need to get off at Kibbutz Galuyot, the first exit on Tel Aviv’s Ayalon Highway, as the fast lane doesn’t allow you to exit there.

We arrived at our final destination, just off the LaGuardia exit, with minutes to spare. Were we saved by the fast lane? Probably. But I was not impressed by the system or service. Just to juxtapose it with our next transporation-related segment: We entered a parking lot only to find that all the spots were reserved for the various insurance companies in the building (why did they let us in if there’s nowhere to park?) We finally made our way to the exit, and the parking operator told us he had a parking spot just for us. Where? In the non-authorized spot behind his booth, between the entrance and exit lanes to the parking lot. Quixotic? Yes. But the car was waiting for us four hours and forty shekels later. At that point, we just drove home slowly.

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An Israeli diamond in Manhattan

October 12, 2009 - 12:06 PM by · 1 Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, Business, design, General 

Israel_Diamond_ExchangeLiving in Israel, we’re always used to some people – both native Israelis, immigrants and visitors – saying, ‘why can’t they do this like in America?’ about some particular thing that bothers them.

So, it’s especially gratifying to learn that an Israeli model for something is being adopted in the US. In this case, it’s the shining star of Ramat Gan, the towering Diamond Exchange, which is going to be copied to build a Manhattan Diamond Exchange.

According to a report in Ynet, the Internationl Gem Tower which is due to be completed in mid-2011, will house the largest diamond and jewelry center in the US, and will revolutionize the Manhattan’s diamond district.

Builders of the new project, US-based Extell Development, claim that hundreds of people in the diamond business around the world are renting old, dilapidated buildings in the New York diamond district, and are forced to deal with below par work conditions on a daily basis.

Extell additionally claimed that the existing level of security is insufficient for dealing in diamonds and jewelry. This also happens to be the reason the American company takes pride on the fact that it has planned the new complex based on the Israeli model, in which four buildings are interconnected through a system of bridges, which provide diamond dealers from around the world comprehensive and total answers for all their needs. The model has been combined into one 34-storey, 70 sq. meter (about 750 sq. feet) building

The new center is in actuality an exact copy of the model used in the Israeli Diamond Exchange, which is located in Ramat Gan, and will provide all the necessary services for the industry under one roof and will up the level of personal security provided to those working in the field. The project will cost an estimated $750 million.

“Israeli diamond dealers have grown accustomed to doing business under the mantle of increased security provided by the diamond exchange in Ramat Gan that provides quite a wide range of services,” said Extell’s Senior Vice President of Project Management, Raizy Haas. “The tower that will be built will provide the perfect response for all the needs of the diamond and jewelry dealers, including the most advanced security methods in the world.”

The head of the Israel Diamond Exchange President Avi Paz told Ynet he wasn’t surprised that the Manhattan tower is going to be based on the Israeli model: “From India, from Turkey, and from other countries, people have come to learn from us how to organize secure compounds for diamond dealers. We teach them how to provide a commercial infrastructure for the diamond dealer from a security perspective and supporting services for the diamond dealers.”

Looming like a beacon of light off the Ayalon Freeway, the Israel Diamond Exchange has always been a source of Israeli pride. Now that light has just gotten a little brighter.

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