:: Train of Thought ::

For some reason I found myself riding the railway a few days ago. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. While many businesses in Israel still insist on either not accepting credit cards at all or limiting the use to spenders of some typological minimum amount, I was glad to find that I could pay the measly 11 NIS electronically using my VISA.

So, I figured that the small yet slow Israeli railway system seeks its place among our country's technology pioneers. Therefore, I used the scenic ride to fantasize about the next decade's solution for this kind of transportation.

First, I would expect to get the latest train schedules delivered to my cell-phone (in order to not miss the train as I actually did). After buying a ride (WAP) I would want the system to alert me just enough time before the train leaves - taking into account not only the actual schedule and delays, but also my geographical position in the city and the traffic at that time of day. On board, I would hope to find the latest gaming console to kill the time.

My futuristic daydream was cut off abruptly when I tried to exit the train.

Attempting to emerge through the crowd that seemed to try simultaneously to get in - I realized that even in 21st century Israel, some things would never change.

Wadi Writer #2 (Blue)

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