Qalandiya
5:15 we arrived at the checkpoint and crossed on foot, we were amazed (Why? It's not the first time) to see the soldier that is supposed to check the old X-ray machine (attached photo). Fortunately, we saw his partner at the window passing people quickly.
We entered the shed, all windows are open, but the soldier in the aquarium is asleep so the turnstiles are not opened. We asked the people who were stuck between the railings to whistle in order to wake him up (when we shouted he did not hear us). He indeed woke up and opened. We asked the soldier to come out to talk to us, we explained to him that he should not take a nap in the middle of a shift; it does not look good... He agreed and did not fall asleep till he was replaced.
5:30 a policeman arrives, speeds up the opening of the turnstiles, and indeed there are lines, but they advance relatively fast. The problem, it seems, lies in the five windows – they just take their sweet time.
6:00 now in the aquarium there are already four policemen, three security guards, a soldier + a DCL non-commissioned officer. So there are. The lines are long and snake all the way to the parking lot, everything is moving very sluggishly.
The Humanitarian Gate opens at 6:00, a number of women who have a permit from 8: 00 try to pass but are returned to the shed.
06:40 we have to leave but since the lines in the shed are very long we thought we could cross at the nearby bus passage. So we thought. It is closed. Why? Who knows, perhaps because of Ramadan? (Because if they close the parking lot why shouldn’t they close, as well, the passage to public transportation?)
6:50 we went back to the shed. We stood at the end of the queue.
7:25 we passed.
Goodbye. Ramadan Kareem!