Indonesians haggle over everything<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesians love to bargain.<\/p>\n
You don't believe it? Take my sister...<\/p>\n
One day she told me she was really ashamed of herself.<\/p>\n
\"What happened?\" I asked.<\/p>\n
\"I wanted to buy some papaya, and I haggled and haggled and
\npressed the abang for a lower price. He finally said, 'Ma'am,
\ntake it! For you, it's free.' I was so embarrassed I thought I
\nwas going to faint,\" explained my sister.<\/p>\n
If you think the incident cured her, you're wrong.<\/p>\n
She's rich. Whenever she goes out she could be wearing over Rp
\n5 million worth of stuff. What's Rp 100 or Rp 200 to her? But she
\njust cannot give up her habit.<\/p>\n
Her secretary once complained to me.<\/p>\n
\"You won't believe this. She wanted to buy some material for a
\nnew dress. I went along, I hovered around her, I went outside,
\nhad a cigarette, I walked around again, I squatted, had another
\ncigarette, and she still hadn't finished haggling,\" said my
\nsister's secretary. \"And all she got was Rp 500 less.\"<\/p>\n
It's not just prices Indonesians barter for. They also wrangle
\nthe law.<\/p>\n
When the new 1992 Traffic Law was introduced in 1993, the
\npublic simply went nuts about the high fines for traffic
\nviolations.<\/p>\n
\"How can we afford such high fines?\" was the common protest.<\/p>\n
The protesters argued that the fines would only legalize bribe
\ntaking by the police.<\/p>\n
Actually, the answer to their argument is simple -- don't
\nbreak the law.<\/p>\n
But it's close to inconceivable for Indonesians to grasp this.
\nIt's as if they don't understand why laws and rules are needed.
\nWhen the government announces a new law, everybody starts looking
\nfor loopholes, or negotiates for a postponement. Just so they
\nearn something from their fuss.<\/p>\n
Which they did with the traffic law. The highest fine for
\nJakarta, for example, was lowered from Rp 6 million to Rp 60,000
\nfor anyone driving a trailer without proper licenses. The maximum
\npenalty for drivers of passenger cars is Rp 25,000, again for
\nthose who don't possess a current drivers' license.<\/p>\n
The government has already postponed the seat belt requirement
\nfor front seat passengers and drivers and the compulsory
\ninsurance for vehicle owners. These, and several other
\nregulations of the 1992 Traffic Law, will not be implemented
\nuntil this year.<\/p>\n
It's very human to test everything, and I must agree that
\nIndonesians are very resourceful at it. On the first day of the
\nimplementation of the new Traffic Law, for example, a motorbike
\npassenger was caught wearing a washbasin instead of a helmet. It
\nwas a creative attempt at dodging the requirement to wear a
\nhelmet when riding a motorbike.<\/p>\n
\"I don't understand. It's to protect their own heads, and
\nstill they bargain,\" commented a friend upon seeing the picture
\nof the man with the washbasin on his head in the paper.<\/p>\n
The three-in-one kids are another example. Motorists use them
\nto avoid the three-in-one restrictions. Although the regulation
\nitself was considered illogical even before it was applied, the
\nuse of the three-in-one kids is a perfect example of how natural
\nit is for Indonesians to haggle whenever possible. It's not just
\nthat they fail to see the objective of the misconceived law.<\/p>\n
More than anything, haggling over the law is kind of fun. They
\nare able to boast: \"See, I beat the law.\"<\/p>\n
-- G.A. Koesoemowinoto<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesians-haggle-over-everything-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }