Car blocks on Shabbos? Bounce police officers from the other side of the city
How does the police take care of a religious car blocking another car? • Answers: a. Sends two police cars b. Sends a police car to the brother in another neighborhood, c. Contacts the brother
- Yaki Adamker, B'Chadrei Charedim
- י"ג כסלו התשע"ג
פלאש 90
The conduct of the Gush Dan region police towards orthodox citizens recorded a new low last Shabbos: Moshe Ortzel, a resident of Jerusalem, arrived on Erev Shabbos at the home of his son, Naftali in Bnei Brak on 30 Bengo Street.
Shortly before Shabbos, the son Naftali noticed that there are not enough sleeping mats for the family. Therefore he went out with his father's car to collect mattresses from a relative who lives in the city. When he returned, the clock testified that Shabbos had come, and he had to park his car, whilst blocking another car parked in a private driveway belonging to Ortzel.
Since most of the residents living on the street are ultra-Orthodox and religious, Naftali did not think that the parking would be a problem. In addition, Naftali was outraged that someone parked in his own driveway without permission. But because of the late hour, he chose to ignore and parked his car whilst blocking the vehicle which was parked.
But at 20:30, during the Shabbos meal, two police cars arrived with another car from the municipal supervision.
"They began to circulate the vehicle, attempting to see who it belongs to," recalls Ortzel during a conversation with B'Chadrei Charedim. "My son came down in the middle of the Shabbos meal, and tried to find out with the cops - what's the problem? But the police ordered him to return home, even though he explained that it is his father's car."
It turned out that the vehicle is owned by a tenant in a nearby building, who does not keep Shabbos, who wanted to move his car at some point. "We offered one of the officers who is not Jewish the keys, to avoid Chilul Hashem, but he insisted: We cannot move the car."
That was only the beginning of the case.
"Why bounce police officers to the other side of the city"?
At around 23:00, police arrived at the apartment of another son of the Ortzel family, who lives in Kiryat Herzog in the city. "They knocked loudly on the door, waking the entire family, and asked if they know who my car belongs to. Needless to say, they just panicked and thought there had been an accident and need to identify the dead."
When Ortzel's second son realized what the commotion was about, he was surprised "Why the police came to his home, at the height of Shabbos, to check out something so marginal," says Moshe Ortzel. "At the end, when the police realized that he didn’t have the keys to the car, they left."
According to Moshe Ortzel, the police called at the same time the cell phone and landline of the third Ortzel son, who lives in Jerusalem. "They already knew that this is a haredi family, they knew where the owner was. I do not understand what was the point of all this", says the father.
Only at 1:00 AM did the saga come to an end when authorities arrived to tow the car from the street. "Since this is a narrow street," says Ortzel, "he could not drag the car and had to ask for the keys."
The Ortzel family offered the tow truck to move the vehicle so that the other vehicle can get out and save the tow, having already received a parking ticket for the total sum of 250 shekels.
"The sad part of it all" says Ortzel. "The driver of the vehicle went out with his wife's car and did not use the blocked car. I do not understand why bounce the police officers to the other side of the city, while the story could have ended already at 21:00? I wish they would work so efficiently when they receive a report about a theft or burglary or other type of event".
Police: We received 44 complaints from citizens about the vehicle
Deputy Orit Friedman Spokesman of Tel Aviv Police District said in response to B'Chadrei Charedim: "An examination of the incident shows: the police station received 44 complaints from citizens who complained about how the car was parked, causing a street blockage and disrupting traffic.
"All attempts to telephone the complainant failed; ultimately the detection is done by a relative. In fact due to the refusal of the applicant to move the vehicle because of the desecration of Shabbos, the police had to call the tow truck and - by doing so open the blockage.
"Needless to say, the behavior of the applicant is peculiar and the fact is that he knew his parking was problematic because he knew that would be forced to move the vehicle during Shabbos, even though he keeps Shabbos!"
Shortly before Shabbos, the son Naftali noticed that there are not enough sleeping mats for the family. Therefore he went out with his father's car to collect mattresses from a relative who lives in the city. When he returned, the clock testified that Shabbos had come, and he had to park his car, whilst blocking another car parked in a private driveway belonging to Ortzel.
Since most of the residents living on the street are ultra-Orthodox and religious, Naftali did not think that the parking would be a problem. In addition, Naftali was outraged that someone parked in his own driveway without permission. But because of the late hour, he chose to ignore and parked his car whilst blocking the vehicle which was parked.
But at 20:30, during the Shabbos meal, two police cars arrived with another car from the municipal supervision.
"They began to circulate the vehicle, attempting to see who it belongs to," recalls Ortzel during a conversation with B'Chadrei Charedim. "My son came down in the middle of the Shabbos meal, and tried to find out with the cops - what's the problem? But the police ordered him to return home, even though he explained that it is his father's car."
It turned out that the vehicle is owned by a tenant in a nearby building, who does not keep Shabbos, who wanted to move his car at some point. "We offered one of the officers who is not Jewish the keys, to avoid Chilul Hashem, but he insisted: We cannot move the car."
That was only the beginning of the case.
"Why bounce police officers to the other side of the city"?
At around 23:00, police arrived at the apartment of another son of the Ortzel family, who lives in Kiryat Herzog in the city. "They knocked loudly on the door, waking the entire family, and asked if they know who my car belongs to. Needless to say, they just panicked and thought there had been an accident and need to identify the dead."
When Ortzel's second son realized what the commotion was about, he was surprised "Why the police came to his home, at the height of Shabbos, to check out something so marginal," says Moshe Ortzel. "At the end, when the police realized that he didn’t have the keys to the car, they left."
According to Moshe Ortzel, the police called at the same time the cell phone and landline of the third Ortzel son, who lives in Jerusalem. "They already knew that this is a haredi family, they knew where the owner was. I do not understand what was the point of all this", says the father.
Only at 1:00 AM did the saga come to an end when authorities arrived to tow the car from the street. "Since this is a narrow street," says Ortzel, "he could not drag the car and had to ask for the keys."
The Ortzel family offered the tow truck to move the vehicle so that the other vehicle can get out and save the tow, having already received a parking ticket for the total sum of 250 shekels.
"The sad part of it all" says Ortzel. "The driver of the vehicle went out with his wife's car and did not use the blocked car. I do not understand why bounce the police officers to the other side of the city, while the story could have ended already at 21:00? I wish they would work so efficiently when they receive a report about a theft or burglary or other type of event".
Police: We received 44 complaints from citizens about the vehicle
Deputy Orit Friedman Spokesman of Tel Aviv Police District said in response to B'Chadrei Charedim: "An examination of the incident shows: the police station received 44 complaints from citizens who complained about how the car was parked, causing a street blockage and disrupting traffic.
"All attempts to telephone the complainant failed; ultimately the detection is done by a relative. In fact due to the refusal of the applicant to move the vehicle because of the desecration of Shabbos, the police had to call the tow truck and - by doing so open the blockage.
"Needless to say, the behavior of the applicant is peculiar and the fact is that he knew his parking was problematic because he knew that would be forced to move the vehicle during Shabbos, even though he keeps Shabbos!"
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