Late Friday night, traffic police volunteers in Jerusalem heard the screech of tires and roaring engines from the parking lot of The First Station in the city’s south. A covert check revealed a startling scene: two vehicles performing risky “drifts,” circling wildly and endangering themselves and passersby who happened to be in the lot. The drivers, young residents of East Jerusalem in their 20s, had transformed the empty parking area into an improvised race track.
Traffic officers quickly moved in, supported by additional forces, and stopped the reckless driving. Both suspects were detained, facing traffic law proceedings for negligent and dangerous driving. Police emphasized that strict enforcement is crucial to prevent life-threatening traffic offenses, particularly as the city struggles with a surge in accidents
The Station Compound in Jerusalem, Friday Evening pic.twitter.com/dS3zLGsXuf
— jerusalem online (@Jlmonline) August 19, 2025
The First Station – From Promised Nightlife to Empty Parking on Friday Nights
Behind this incident lies a broader urban reality. The First Station, inaugurated as a flagship leisure hub, was meant to attract secular crowds and energize Jerusalem’s weekend nightlife. Instead, it remains largely deserted on Friday nights, a stark symbol of the secular exodus from the city
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In this vacuum, the space has taken on a different role. Rather than concerts, bars, and bustling restaurants, the lot fills with the sound of screeching tires as East Jerusalem youth race dangerously in circles. The transformation illustrates not only a failed vision of entertainment but also the growing cultural and social divide that defines Jerusalem’s nights
