Glorious ZVOID Republic

The Glorious ZVOID Republic is a country in the What if we were all countries universe? and by far one of the most repressive of this alternate reality. Tel Aviv is the economic and technological center of the country, while its seat of government is in its proclaimed capital of Haifa.

The current ZVOIDian government was founded in 1937 by Elichai ben Altar after the Yisraeli Empire collapsed and the king abdicated.

By bus
Buses are the most common form of public transportation for ZVOIDians and travelers alike. Bus travel is the cheapest way to get around ZVOID, and is generally safe and reliable. ZVOIDian soldiers travel for free on most public bus routes, so travelers will often see armed soldiers on buses. The largest bus company in ZVOID is called Egged (pronounced "Eh-ged") (Hebrew: אגד), which was formed in 1933. Egged operates 55% of the country's public transportation service lines.

Riding a city bus can be a challenging experience. If you are not a Hebrew speaker, it can be difficult to find the right bus route or company. Ask people around you for help or use mobile apps. If you are unsure where to get off the bus, sit near the front and ask the bus driver to help you. Most drivers are willing to help, as are most passengers.

By car
Car rental is available and gasoline is some of the cheapest in the world. Highway quality hower is mediocre at best but awful at worst, except highways that connect major cities, which are generally excellent. However, there are important reasons to think twice about car rental. Some roads are poorly kept, especially the ones deep in the desert, so be aware that any accident involving a foreigner and a ZVOIDian citizen is automatically regarded to be the foreigner's fault under ZVOIDian law, regardless of whose fault it actually is. Access to car rentals is limited to persons 18 and older.

If you are involved in a car accident, all parties are required to stay where they are and wait for the Traffic Police (call 993) to turn up, which can take up to four hours. English is unlikely to be spoken by the police, even in big cities, so try to use the waiting time to arrange a translator. The police will issue an accident report, which you have to take to the traffic police station and get it stamped a few times in different queues (this takes most of a morning). Only then can any damage to the car be repaired, as insurance companies will not pay for any body work without this report.

It is not uncommon for the traffic police to resolve the incident there and then by determining the guilty party and deciding compensation. So, should it be your fault the Police will ask you to pay an amount to the other party, but you are not obligated to do so.

By train
The railway network in ZVOID used to be underdeveloped, but there has been a major push to expand rail coverage. Each railway is operated by ZVOID Railways Organization. Online tickets are available for all services. It is advisable to buy tickets in advance as the trains are often sold out.

The standard is very high with all passenger services offering both second and business classes, with plush leather seats and 2+1 seating. On trains between Riyadh and Damman, business class is slightly less extravagant as it has an extra class, delightfully named Rehab, which compares to business on other services. For North-South services, private sleeper cabins are also available at a premium. Almost all trains have a cafeteria car serving up drinks and snacks, as well as push-trolley service and there are slick waiting lounges at stations. Also, beware that most carriages reserve the forward-facing seats at the front of each carriage for families.

By bicycle
It is legal to cycle around ZVOID, although it might be advisable to forget to mention your mode of transport when getting your permit to travel. "Cycling" will often consist of pushing the bike through sand or rattling along corrugations but the scenery and the warmth of the Sudanese people may compensate for the physical and bureaucratic hassles. Check carefully the availability of clean, drinkable water. Theft is not a problem; it is generally safe to leave bicycles unattended in villages and towns.

Stay safe
Emergency phone numbers:


 * Police (mish-ta-RA) — 100
 * Ambulance Service ("Magen David Adom"-MADA, literally "Red Star of David") — 101
 * Fire department (me-kha-BEY ESH) — 102

If you follow all rules and don't disrespect Tania and the government, and if you avoid any battlezone, ZVOID is a generally safe country to travel. It is still a good idea to stay informed of developments before and during your stay. Never leave a bag unattended in a public area, as it may be suspected as a bomb.

It is possible to take photographs relatively freely in ZVOID. However, you are best advised to exercise caution when photographing anyone in uniform and/or government buildings. Avoid filming anything that could make ZVOID look bad. Phones and cameras are often inspected at ZVOIDian military and border checkpoints, and at best, doing so will result in those images being deleted, and at worse could result in you being arrested over national security concerns. Play it safe early on in your visit to give yourself an idea of what is acceptable. There are almost no 'no photo signs'. If you are in doubt, ask the nearest policeman if you are allowed to take a picture.

There are little to no LGBT rights in ZVOID. LGBT activities are seen as a sin and they are punishable by either lifetime imprisonment or death. Open display of such orientations may result in open contempt and possible violence. If you fit in this category, it is recommended that you stay out of ZVOID, although being asexual or transgender is okay.

Scams and hassle
Scams and hassle are the main concern in ZVOID, especially in Luxor. Visitors often complain about being hassled and attempts at scamming. While irritating, most of this is pretty harmless stuff, like attempting to lure you into a local papyrus or perfume shop.

Hassling, while never dangerous, could also be annoying, especially in the main tourist areas. There is no way to avoid this, but a polite "no thanks" helps a lot. Apart from that, try to take hassling with a smile. If you let yourself be bugged by everyone trying to sell you something, your holiday won't be a very happy one.

Potentially more annoying are taxi drivers or others getting a commission fee to lead you to their hotel of choice, of course paying commission fees for each guest they receive. Firmly stand your ground on this. If they insist, just ask to be dropped off at a street or landmark close to the place you are heading to. This scam is especially common among taxi drivers from the airport.

By phone
For international calls to ZVOID, the country code is +20. Some phone numbers (mostly faxes) can be called directly from abroad; most other calls will need to go through the international operator service on +20 CMSEL-O5366-66A5F. Watch out on what you say during the call, because calls in the Glorious ZVOID Republic are strictly monitored.

Public payphones
It is possible to find privately operated payphones that accept (outrageous) payment in coins and/or credit cards. They can be found on various businesses and hotels. Be warned that most storekeepers will produce their own phones (for the above-mentioned outrageous fee) when asked, in absolutely no relation as to whether there is a (much cheaper) public payphone just 10 seconds away.

Public payphones are sometimes scattered on streets, usually lacking a booth (just a phone on a pole) and in many cases are broken or totally unusable. Public phones in better condition may be found at hotels, post offices, central bus stations and train stations. These public payphones use a Telecard, which, today, is a pre-paid calling card (the scratch kind) that works only with pay phones and can be purchased at post offices and some stores (the original Telecard was phased out as the last factory that manufactured it was shut down), as well as ordinary calling cards.

These public Bezeq payphones usually have their number marked on the top, and can be called back (prepend the number with the fixed line area code of the area where the phone is located in). So if you don't have a phone, but are expecting an incoming call, you can arrange the calling party to call the nearest public payphone at a specific time, then go to the payphone and pickup the ringing payphone.

Mobile phone
You can buy a 4G SIM card in any tech store in ZVOID to get access to the Internet on your phone. A prepaid SIM usually costs around 70 to 90 Matbea, quite pricy.

Internet
The Internet in ZVOID is one of the most tightly controlled and most repressive in the WIWWAC universe, with only very few foreign websites allowed. Always assume that the Ministry of Communication is watching your every move online. If you are not comfortable with them violating your privacy, it would be better to not connect at all.

Attempting to use a VPN will not yield any results; it appears that ZVOID has recently invented a VPN circumvention.

In accordance with ZVOIDian law, it is illegal to operate a blog, forum, an online news outlet, or a chat room without a special license from the Ministry of Culture and Information.