Driver’s View

W

ith their unmatched knowledge of city streets and traffic patterns, familiarity with local haunts and tourist attractions, and hard-won knowledge of human nature, taxi drivers are integral to the characters of every major city. But the taxi drivers of Jerusalem occupy a class of their own. Virtually every resident and visitor has a taxi experience tucked away for posterity.

But what’s the view like from the driver’s seat? What’s life like for these drivers who spend the better of the day or night negotiating between narrow streets, busy boulevards, mothers laden with strollers and clinging children, and emotions running the gamut of the human experience?

We took a visit to a popular taxi station and spoke to the drivers between shifts. With humor, honesty, and an unabashed love for their city, these drivers shared their take on what it’s like to man the wheel in a Jerusalem taxi.

Not too many people know every street in Jerusalem like the back of their hand. From the narrow, made-for-donkeys streets of the Old City to the modern Begin Highway to the hilly ascents of Har Nof and breathtaking views of Ramot — which is your favorite driving destination?

Shimshon: Who can pick a single favorite spot? I love the entire city, all of it. As a taxi driver, I have the opportunity to visit so many famous streets and historical sites just in a day’s work. Imagine, all these places I only used to visit once in a while, and now I drive through them on a daily basis!