Reihan, Shaked, Sun 8.2.09, Afternoon
15:30 -Shaked checkpoint
The checkpoint is quiet. Two cars cross over to both directions, inspection is short.
15:50 -Rihan checkpoint
The momentous building at the checkpoint is in its pick. They build a new enclosed area, and inside the old fenced area where the pickup trucks are inspected the "walls" fell. Five last pickup trucks loaded with goods come out of the defined area, on their way to the market place of Barta'a.
At the vehicles' shed there are two cars under inspection, on their way to the Seam line zone. A few people return from the West Bank, while workers from Israel rush into the sleeve
. Between 10 to 40 people gather at the entrance to the terminal, they are allowed in in groups of five to ten people when all of a sudden the carousel locks on the last person in the group.
Only one service window is open yet passage is swift.
Those waiting in line urge us to visit in the mornings the Taibe checkpoint, they claim that the over crowding there is difficult to endure and every day there are accidents and people get injured at the entrance, they even report of deaths over there.
16:30 When we went down to the lower car park area, we've noticed that one of the security guards had abandon his post, stopped a youngster who went down the sleeve and over the fence requested to see his papers. (Are there changes in passage regulations?)
The lower car park area is crowded with cabs awaiting passengers.
16:40 - We went back to the entrance of the terminal, at this time many workers arrive at the gate but they don't crowed at the entrance and passage is swift.