Yes folks. Here it is. Ben Gurion Airport has started to charge for baggage trolleys (what Americans call 'carts').

The good news is that they have new carts, of a slightly different design to the old ones.



[NOTE: It would seem from new information I have received that not all the trolleys are of the new design, which means they are now charging money (10 shekels a time) for a heap of junk!]



The bad news is that they still have no brake, and they are still the crazy design only ever seen in Israel, with only one small wheel at the front. This is a completely ridiculous design, clearly built by someone with no idea of elementary mechanics. As there is only one wheel in the middle of the front of the trolley, all the weight of the suitcases falls on that single point, which is why these wheels wear out so quickly and these trolleys are always so difficult to steer.

I have yet to find any airport anywhere else with such a non-design of trolleys, both the lack of a brake of any sorts and with this 3 (rather than 4) wheel concept. Let alone charging for it!

I suppose it's meant to scream "W E L C O M E T O I S R A E L" at us on arrival.