Learning the art of queuing<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Consider this: Indonesians are good at doing
\ngreat things, but lousy at trivial matters such as queuing.<\/p>\n
It is, for example, easier for Indonesians to build an
\nairplane than to queue.<\/p>\n
Now you may disagree with me, but what about the following
\nfacts?<\/p>\n
How long did it take for the nation to build its first
\nairplane?<\/p>\n
Fifty years, with Independence Day as a starting point.<\/p>\n
How long has it taken for Indonesians to learn how to queue?<\/p>\n
They haven't and an answer may be forever in the waiting.<\/p>\n
One day, at the Soekarno-Hatta airport in Cengkareng, I was
\nlate and there were hundreds of other passengers. There was a
\nlong, curling line of people waiting to pay the exit tax.
\nEveryone was anxious and the line grew longer while the officials
\nbehind the windows did not seem to notice, collecting the tax and
\nworking leisurely as usual.<\/p>\n
Suddenly a young lady rushed in, dragging her Chanel cabin
\nbag. Her outfit was also Chanel, from head to toe, and she
\nsmelled heavenly -- thanks to her obviously expensive perfume.<\/p>\n
She weighed the situation, then marched towards me; to my
\ndismay, she stood right in front of me.<\/p>\n
\"Excuse me, but you have to queue,\" I told her, more
\ndisappointed than angry.<\/p>\n
I say disappointed because I always expected that someone that
\nrich would surely be better mannered. My mind flew back to 1976,
\nduring a trip to Gunung Kidul in East Java. Water has always been
\nscarce there and villagers have to queue for their supply. It was
\na remote village with no electricity. Yet these poor people, none
\ndressed properly, knew how to queue.<\/p>\n
\"I'm sorry, but I'm late,\" the Chanel lady said.<\/p>\n
\"We're all late,\" I said, trying to be patient.<\/p>\n
But the lady refused to move out of the line and went ahead of
\nme.<\/p>\n
Then everybody started murmuring, whispering to each other how
\nrude the lady was. To no avail. She did not even look guilty.<\/p>\n
All right, she had an excuse, albeit a poor one, for cutting
\nin line because she could not afford to miss her flight. But what
\nabout queuing at supermarkets? No life is at risk at a
\nsupermarket, I'm sure, but still some people refuse to stand in
\nline. Some may not know that they have to, but most are simply
\nrude and in a hurry.<\/p>\n
I don't mind if people say, \"Will you let me in? I'm in a
\nhurry?\" It gives me a good feeling to let those people pass. But
\nto have someone jostle you aside without uttering a word?<\/p>\n
Queuing at traffic lights is another concept alien to the
\nmajority of Indonesians. Take your average day at an
\nintersection: The light is green, but the intersection is
\ncongested; no matter how harsh you swear, nobody is moving. But,
\nno, you still try to press forward, knowing you will block
\ntraffic coming from other directions when it's their turn to go.
\nThe vehicles coming from other directions move on, despite the
\nherd of cars blocking their right of way. In less than five
\nminutes, a tangled web traffic and tension is formed.<\/p>\n
How do you assess such a situation?<\/p>\n
It would have been wiser for motorists to wait their turn
\ninstead of moving forward as soon as the light turned green. That
\nwould have saved them a headache. But no, \"It's my right of way,
\nI must move on!\"<\/p>\n
\"Fine, go on and have a nice jam!\"<\/p>\n
-- G.A. Koesoemowinoto<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/learning-the-art-of-queuing-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }