More on Movies

Israelis are notorious for pushing and shoving and disregarding lines. It does make many outings stressful and puts us Americans in a bind. Do we let everyone push ahead of us and maintain our good manners but as a result, become "frayers" (i.e., suckers - the biggest insult for an Israeli) or do we become part of the masses and one day resent who we have become?

In some areas of the country this issue has abated due to the presence of many Anglos. Here, in Raanana, for example, lines at the local coffee shops such as Aroma are fairly orderly and respected.

There is one area of life here where a system has been implemented to compensate for Israeli behavior. Unlike America, a movie ticket in Israel corresponds to a specific seat. Of course, there are times when someone sits in an another's assigned seat and a heated argument results. And there can be absurd situations where four people sit right next to each other in an empty theater. But generally the system works.

As an aside, I always buy my movie tickets online here. One of the many coping mechanisms I have to avoid potentially unpleasant line interactions. An extra cost that is worth my sanity.

Ordering Tickets Online: www.ticketnet.co.il