Walking in Tel Aviv can be a perilous activity.
Tel Aviv is great for walking, especially in the non-summer months when it is so temperate. It is flat, and it is not that big…so you can get to most places on foot. Lots of streets go on an angle and can take you diagonally across town on a direct line. But… and this is a big BUT… there are a few things you need to keep in mind when you are out and about.
First, Tel Avivis love their dogs and they walk them frequently. And you know what dogs do when they are out and about. The concept of picking up after your dog has not taken hold in this town, and therefore in the interests of keeping your footwear clean, you must keep your eyes on the sidewalk, ready to take evasive action when necessary.
BUT, it is also necessary to keep your eyes up: looking forward, and sideways (and it would also be helpful if you could also see behind you). This is because Tel Aviv has become a cycling city. The same reason it is such a good walking city (flat and contained) also make it a good biking city. There is an extensive trail of bike lanes throughout the city, and for the most part they are located…yes…believe it or not…ON THE SIDEWALKS! Any sidewalk wider than 4 feet, has a line painted down the middle and bikes get one side and walkers allegedly get the other. Of course the cyclists here are just as anarchic as anywhere else, so there is no saying where they may decide to ride; keeping to the painted path would be boring! And it is not just bikes. Any motorized vehicle short of a full-on motorcycle can and does use these paths. And it’s amazing what is motorized… bikes, stand-up scooters, three-wheelers, skateboards, segways, and today I saw a motorized unicycle!! Seeing them come at you is unnerving to say the least. But worse is when they come up behind you. You cannot hear them, so you can inadvertently step in their way…and since riders are often on the phone, and otherwise not paying attention, walking has become an extreme sport.
Having established that bikes belong on sidewalks, you therefore also find bikes (and related vehicles) coming towards you on any sidewalk, even those without lines… The only place you are not at risk of this kind of close encounter is in the shuk (market) because the crowds are so dense there, a bike has no hope.
So eyes up, down, sideways…and keep your wits about you.
And where do they park all these vehicles? On the sidewalk of course.
