Video: Family with Tickets Fined NIS 933 on Jerusalem Light Rail
Posted by Avital Pinnick on March 28, 2012
This video is in Hebrew.
This family came to Jerusalem and bought tickets for the Jerusalem Light Rail for the first time. They did not insert their tickets into the ticket reading machine on the train to validate them (the machine stamps a date and time on the back of the ticket). The paper tickets are stamped with the date of purchase, so it is obvious that the tickets were purchased and are valid. They were told by inspectors that they had violated the law and were asked to present their Israeli ID cards (teudot zehut).
Initially, they refused to show their ID cards to the inspectors. The inspectors called the police, who threatened to arrest them. They presented their ID cards and received five fines, one for each family member, for a total of NIS 933 ($250).
Note: Tourists are asked for their passports. I’m not sure what happens if someone claims to have no documents. Although Israelis are required by law to carry their ID cards, I do not know of a similar law for foreigners.
This and That 
jtorgler said
I think your Prime Minister needs to know about the terrible things that are happening in Jerusalem with the Light Rail. You could start a petition to have the tickets’ instructions printed in large, bold type… particularly where it states that they are good for only one day!
Jolene
yana said
hello, there are many groups in jerusalem trying to make the train more just and user freindly.
One of them is: http://www.facebook.com/groups/181540331959706/
we try hard to educate people about the train’s rules and to educate Citypass about customer servise. I would love it if you could help us make our group accessible for english speakers or create a new similar group for english speakers.
thank you.
Avital Pinnick said
Thanks, Yana. I already belong to that group. Unfortunately, my Hebrew reading isn’t good enough to keep up with the postings and it was hard for me to find the group. I think I probably will have to create a group for English speakers. Thanks!