Shabbos has just ended and I am once again permitted to operate my computer after a 26 hour hiatus. I will probably have the disticntion of being the first to preach a "Rabbinical Sermon" about Jewish law on a Transit website of all places; a very strange forum indeed.
Yes, the Synagogue where prayers are conducted is where separation of the sexes is most noticeable among Orthodox Jews. However the great majority of Orthodox (non Hasidic) Jews today also have extended this practice to all public gatherings, be it weddings, funerals, charity fund-raisers, lectures, concerts etc. The rationale behind this is two-fold. The first is to avoid any physical contact with the opposite sex (other than your own wife) which is strictly prohibited. The second is to avoid seeing women who are not modestly dressed. Modest dress is defined as dresses with a high neckline, long sleeves and skirts which extend below the knees.
Public transit, especially when crowded during rush hour constitutes the greatest danger of these two being violated. That is why bus lines like the B 110 have come into existence.
The route is operated mainly for Hasidics and not by Hasidics. Jack Marmerstein who owns Private Transportation Corp. is not a Hasid. He does not have a beard nor does he wear the traditional black garb. He is however a Sabbath observing Orthodox Jew. Both Boro Park and Williamsburg are home to all the aforementioned sects of Hasidic as well as non Hasidic Orthodox Jews. The route was originally conceived to service ALL of them, and still does. Previous to the establishment of this route, the only way to travel between the 2 neighborhoods was by taking the Q line into Canal St., Manhattan and transfering to the B train. The convenience of the direct service, not the religious factor was what persuaded the city to grant the Franchise in the first place.
Someone asked be the exact route of the B 110. I am not familiar with the Williamsburg portion, but I will get that information from a friend of mine who worked as a dispatcher for the company. I will post the entire route as soon as I receive the relevant information.
KING SOLOMON