Abu Dis, Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal), Thu 24.1.08, Morning
There are about twenty people waiting outside the external carousel. Within a few minutes the line disappears. According to one of the people going through, the three sleeves are open (today we can no more see through, into the checkpoint and watch what happens there). Average passage time - 10-15 minutes.
06:30 Boaba (the pishpash)
The checkpoint was empty. As we arrived we parked our car as usual before the sign that ways that the entrance to the checkpoint and the passage is for security forces vehicles only. The soldier shouted at us rudely no to park there. We explained to him that there is no sign forbidding the parking there, and that we get off the car and return immediately. We heard him tell another soldier to call a policeman. We ignored that, stayed a short while in the place, and returned to the car without another interaction.
We noticed that the car is smoking. We stopped aside, and ordered a Shagrir (service company) to toll the car, and they came within half an hour (we were lucky to get stuck in a place with street signs). The tolling driver told us that by principle they do not give service beyond the green line, but there are exceptions and fluid policy (and so the driver told us that he went to get out a stuck car in the settlement of Alon More, but the settler did not agree to drive with him because he is an Arab, and asked to talk with the boss. The boss told him that if he does not come with the driver he is not worth being a client, and the driver returned immediately to Jerusalem without the car).