u/nextdoorbagholder

El Al departing on 00:30.

Full disclaimer: I moved here six months ago, I live and work in Tel Aviv. Still learning the ways of living here so forgive me if I offend you.

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Israel's GDP per capita is close to double that of my home country, yet just on the vibes or your day to day interactions, there's no way to know that I am now living in a country that's supposedly twice as rich as my own.

For example...

• Everything is perpetually under repair but never actually finished with uncovered sand, mismatched sidewalk tiles, rusted rebar that just sits everywhere. Escalators that were broken when I first came are still broken. etc
• Seeing people balancing their whole sofa, two or three people riding dangerously together, or an entire folding table getting carried around on a Lime scooter which adds to this sense of lawlessness (a classic hallmark of third-world coding)
• South Tel Aviv just looks like what my parents' city looked like when our GDP per capita was $3000/yr
• The lack of service and the ~customer is always wrong~ energy really gives me the vibe of negotiating at an overpriced tourist trap in India. Why is dealing with Bank Leumi or Discount or Hapolim such an exhausting experience and people are just ok with it?
• Windows are broken in many buildings / abundance of abandoned buildings that no one bothers to fix or cover up.
• The crumbling outside facade and exposed rebars combined with beautiful looking interiors
• Buses show up when they decide to show up, and while you ride the bus, you almost get hit by a motor bike blasting through the station / bike lane merged into one.
• Taxi involves negotiating your fare (especially during Shabbat) like you are negotiating for autorickshaw in India
• Parking anarchy combined with cars that are covered with unfixed dents, busted bumpers scattered around by drivers who decide to park whenever they feel fit.
• Maccabi and Clalit doctors offices in a "top tier" city like Tel Aviv looks like rusted doctors office from the 80s. And what do you mean that the earliest I can see my dentist is in September?
• Anytime you want something with Misrad HaPnim, there's 3 month wait. Want driver license conversion, at first you will have to go take pic at a random glass store in Dizengoff Center, then you have to play appointment roulette again. My home country also has Resident ID number, which is very similar in concept with TZ number, and with that, you just pop into an office to get driver license printed on the same day, lose your resident ID card, again just pop into the office, give them your number and they take care of it. Need passport renewed? Again, just pop in because they have all your information already. Why does simple government service require appointment as if it's a controlled access point to keep peasants away?
• ...and when things don't work, you are supposed to rely on knowing someone or finding a backdoor to get basic service done...?

The life here has certain irony to it. You are using a GPS tracked, app integrated, electric powered futuristic device (Lime or Bird lol) to do the same thing people do with a donkey - moving furnitures on a crowded sidewalk.

Don't get me wrong. I found a great job here, met some great people, and had some great food and experience (despite the war), but this question always lingered in my mind. People are ok with paying first world price and getting third world experience?