Killing Buying, Killing Selling

I had to run to Jerusalem on an emergency this morning. (There's always an emergency around deadline time. See my previous post.) While I was there, I decided to give myself a break and buy take-out side dishes for Shabbat. My favorite take-out store is Hadar Geula in Jerusalem. (No, I don't get a commission, I just wanted to share the tip with you. :) .) Then I was going to visit Brooklyn Bakery (yum) and and another store speedy quick. So, since I was nearby, I drove to Geula to pop in to the shops and buy some yummy potato kugel, stuffed peppers, a black and white cake, and whatever else fun stuff was there.
I looked for a space. None. I drove around block after block. Not a space to be had. Jerusalem is in the midst of roadwork everywhere. Trucks blocked the streets. And in Geula, the side streets that used to be my best parking are now blocked with these giant metal thumbs that keep you from parking on any side street. I circled four times, sighed "Oh well," and left. Now I'm going to have to really cook on Friday. Gasp!
I decided to stop at Malha and park in the parking lot in order to pick up a different item that I was going to get on the main drag in Geula. The lines into the parking lot were longer than I'd ever seen them. (I guess it has something to do with the fact that it's raining, B"H. Folks do more indoor shopping in the rain.)
When I finally got into the lot, I drove up and down, and even tried different floors, to find a spot. And after about 20 minutes of circling, I gave up. I really do have a deadline and I had to rush home.
So, the shops in Geula lost about 1000 NIS that was I going to leave there.
The stores in Malha lost my 500 NIS.
And I couldn't get anything I needed.
No buying or selling today where I was concerned.
If Jerusalem doesn't find a way for folks to park and shop, a lot of stores are going to suffer more than the economy has already caused them to suffer. If you've got any ideas to help, contact the Municipality.