Airport a nirvana for many businesses<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in
\nCengkareng, west of here, is home to a wide variety of people
\noffering all conceivable goods and services to passengers and
\ntheir families.<\/p>\n
The businesses range from the legal to the illegal, and
\nvendors have been known to force prospective customers to
\npurchase their merchandise or services.<\/p>\n
Some of the most bothersome businessmen for visitors to the
\nairport are parking attendants and illegal taxi drivers.<\/p>\n
As yet, airport authorities have not explained why they have
\nfailed to take measures to clear the airport of these sometimes
\nillegal and often annoying vendors, who threaten the image of the
\ncountry's largest international airport.<\/p>\n
A business which has only recently popped up at the airport is
\nrenting telephone cards.<\/p>\n
However, many passengers and other visitors to the airport
\nhave not felt it necessary to complain about this latest venture.<\/p>\n
A passenger on his way to Singapore, Sudirman, said on Sunday
\nthe vendors did not disturb passengers, and being able to rent a
\ntelephone card would be helpful to those people who needed to
\nmake an urgent call but found themselves without a phone card.<\/p>\n
\"They (the business people) are so creative in searching for
\nbusiness opportunities.<\/p>\n
\"For people like me who don't have a cellular phone, their
\nservices are really helpful,\" he said, showing a phone card he
\nhad just rented.<\/p>\n
Identifying the men renting telephone cards is as simple as
\nlooking for someone loitering near the telephone booths.<\/p>\n
Two of the 11 men offering rental phone cards on this Sunday
\nwere Thomson Pardede and Hapsan.<\/p>\n
According to the men, no permits or other documents are
\nrequired to start the business. All that is needed is Rp 30,000
\n(US$3.75) to purchase a 100-pulse telephone card, although the
\nmen did say they had difficulty raising the cash.<\/p>\n
Thomson said he began renting phone cards at the airport about
\nthree months ago, after he was fired from the fabric company he
\nwas working for.<\/p>\n
He said he got the idea from a number of his friends who had
\nbeen in the business for about a year.<\/p>\n
Like Hapsan and the other 10 men renting telephone cards,
\nThomson charges customers Rp 500 per pulse, almost double the
\nnormal rate.<\/p>\n
\"I think the price is fair,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that from a Rp 30,000 telephone card he was able to
\nearn a profit of Rp 20,000.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes I earn Rp 50,000 per day, but these kind of days
\ndon't happen often,\" said Thomson, who always carries five phone
\ncards with him.<\/p>\n
Thomson and his colleagues believe people at the airport often
\nhave difficulty making phone calls, because most people do not
\ncarry phone cards or coins with them.<\/p>\n
Hapsan, in his 30s, said that on a good day he could earn Rp
\n60,000.<\/p>\n
\"I'll stick with this business because it's relatively
\nprofitable for me,\" he said. (ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/airport-a-nirvana-for-many-businesses-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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