Necessity proved once more to be the mother of invention as harried Jerusalemites displayed enormous ingenuity trying to circumvent the traffic jams caused by President Carter’s stay in the capital with his huge entourage, swollen by armies of journalists and other media people.
With the city’s main arteries closed by police security barriers to allow free access for official motorcades, citizens who normally ride were forced to walk to and from work or other destinations. But many were unhappy with what one disgruntled resident called a “transportation catastrophe” and numerous schemes were devised to get by the police roadblocks.
In one instance yesterday, police were suddenly confronted by no fewer than 60 cars, each transporting a very pregnant-looking woman, so huge or to be almost in the throes of labor. The lone cop at that particular barrier was in a quandary until closer examination revealed the women to be swollen not with child but with feather pillows.
Another barrier was approached by a “funeral college” so lengthy as to appear that some prominent dignitary was being conveyed to his final resting place. But when questioned, the “mourners” were at a loss to provide the name of the deceased.
Most disconcerting to the general public was the army of some 4000 school children mustered to wave flags and shout greetings to the American President each time his motorcade sped through the streets. These youngsters were transported from street to street, only to find that the Presidential route had been changed.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
