Waiting for a clerk

The money machine told me that my card was soon to be retired, and I had to get a new one by going online or into the bank. I went online but it told me I can't login because I haven't logged in in six months. So I went to the bank. I was hopeful as I walked in because there were few customers. I figured I'd be seen in minutes. There were ten customer service clerks and six customers. But you can't walk up to an open window. You have to wait for the light board to call your number. But it never did. The clerks didn't tell it they were available. Some sat and chatted with each other with the six people waiting for them. Others seem to be doing some kind of work, very slowly. 45 minutes passed before a clerk was ready for me, and that clerk promptly scolded me for not speaking good Hebrew.

What amazed me most was not the laziness or inefficiency but the lack of concern for others. We all sat there waiting and none of the bank people really seemed to care. That's Israel.