Sept. 30, 2001- Funniest Journey of My Life! Shared Jeep to Dharamsala
September 30th
I went down to Dharamsala to get the medicine for my back and was told the easiest way was in a shared jeep.
OK! Come to the jeep stand, saw one getting ready to leave but it seemed full already. But the driver told me to sit in the front seat...this seat, aside from the driver, is meant for 2 other people. There was already a big, broad guy sitting there taking up 1 1/2 seats so I sat down next to him assuming the jeep would take off since the last two rows were already filled up. The second one with 3 people and the back with 4 people.
Then another lady came and she told me move over(!)since 3 people are supposed to sit next to the driver. The other guy and me looked at each other in disbelief (he was also Israeli) but all the locals said “Yes, yes, 3 in front seat always". She was about twice my girth and started to squeeze her way in. The guy moved closer to the driver but the stick shift stopped his further moving. So the driver explained that he has to sit with the stick shift BETWEEN his legs and when he asked the driver how he would shift, he showed him by shoving his hand right between the poor guy's legs!!
So I moved over as far as humanly possible but this lady couldn't squeeze her behind in so she told me to stand up for a second (we were laughing by this time...it reminded me of the circus car where 20 clowns get out)...and so I lifted myself up towards the windshield and she settled her posterior into the seat leaving me enough room for about one "bum". I wriggled and jiggled until I forced myself back on the seat but it was really ridiculous. No way could we travel like that. All of a sudden a passenger from the back seat...a skinny man like me, after watching this whole act, comes forward and tells the lady to go in the back and he will sit there. So she got out, he sat 1/2 way on the seat leaning forward and it was now like taking all the animals out of the house...it seemed like there was tons of room to sit!
I was sure we would then head off as there was not a drop of room for anything else but the driver says we have to wait for one more person. I couldn't imagine where he would be "put" since this fat lady was already suffocating 2 other ladies on the seat behind. When all of a sudden a young Chabadnik (Hasid in black clothes and hat) comes running along, Tzitzit (prayer fringes attached to shirt like garment worn under regular shirt) flying, holding onto his hat and goes directly to the back door and plunks himself down 1/2 on the fat ladies lap. Slides the door closed and that's the way we left. He was half sitting on the lady and all hunched together in order to close thedoor...it was really really funny.!
Coming home I took a bus !!
I went down to Dharamsala to get the medicine for my back and was told the easiest way was in a shared jeep.
OK! Come to the jeep stand, saw one getting ready to leave but it seemed full already. But the driver told me to sit in the front seat...this seat, aside from the driver, is meant for 2 other people. There was already a big, broad guy sitting there taking up 1 1/2 seats so I sat down next to him assuming the jeep would take off since the last two rows were already filled up. The second one with 3 people and the back with 4 people.
Then another lady came and she told me move over(!)since 3 people are supposed to sit next to the driver. The other guy and me looked at each other in disbelief (he was also Israeli) but all the locals said “Yes, yes, 3 in front seat always". She was about twice my girth and started to squeeze her way in. The guy moved closer to the driver but the stick shift stopped his further moving. So the driver explained that he has to sit with the stick shift BETWEEN his legs and when he asked the driver how he would shift, he showed him by shoving his hand right between the poor guy's legs!!
So I moved over as far as humanly possible but this lady couldn't squeeze her behind in so she told me to stand up for a second (we were laughing by this time...it reminded me of the circus car where 20 clowns get out)...and so I lifted myself up towards the windshield and she settled her posterior into the seat leaving me enough room for about one "bum". I wriggled and jiggled until I forced myself back on the seat but it was really ridiculous. No way could we travel like that. All of a sudden a passenger from the back seat...a skinny man like me, after watching this whole act, comes forward and tells the lady to go in the back and he will sit there. So she got out, he sat 1/2 way on the seat leaning forward and it was now like taking all the animals out of the house...it seemed like there was tons of room to sit!
I was sure we would then head off as there was not a drop of room for anything else but the driver says we have to wait for one more person. I couldn't imagine where he would be "put" since this fat lady was already suffocating 2 other ladies on the seat behind. When all of a sudden a young Chabadnik (Hasid in black clothes and hat) comes running along, Tzitzit (prayer fringes attached to shirt like garment worn under regular shirt) flying, holding onto his hat and goes directly to the back door and plunks himself down 1/2 on the fat ladies lap. Slides the door closed and that's the way we left. He was half sitting on the lady and all hunched together in order to close thedoor...it was really really funny.!
Coming home I took a bus !!
posted by Jane @ 1:31 PM
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