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Reason #4874 Not to Mess With Israeli Drivers

A viral Facebook video saves an Israeli driver’s day

by
Adam Chandler
February 07, 2013
(Screenshot)
(Screenshot)

An Israeli student named Hila Ben Baruch parked her car on the street near her apartment earlier this week, only to find the car missing when she returned. In its place was a handicapped spot that she swore wasn’t there before.

When Ben Baruch called the city to argue her case–that the space had been legal and something else had happened–in addition to calling her a liar, the City of Tel Aviv billed her over $300 in fines. Normally, this is where some might cut their losses and just move on. But not an Israeli driver.

Stuck without any evidence, Ben Baruch actually commandeered the security camera feed of a store across the street and discovered footage of city workers literally painting a handicapped spot around her car. After she posted the footage to Facebook, the video went viral. Ben Baruch got her fines her reimbursed and an apology from the city.

Here’s the video of the incident.

Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.