Taxi drivers not obnoxious<\/p>\n
I refer to Krabbe K Piting's ill-tempered article about
\nJakarta taxi drivers in the Aug. 7 edition of The Jakarta Post.
\nShe describes with apparent pride her refusal to pay Rp 4,000 to
\na hapless driver who didn't know a Kebayoran address and then
\njustifies her churlish behavior (which probably caused the poor
\nfellow to lose his place in the queue) by quoting a colleague's
\n\"research\" findings that nine out of ten people feel taxi drivers
\nare \"obnoxious characters\".<\/p>\n
What better example can there be of the growing separateness
\nof many privileged Indonesians from the majority of their fellow
\ncitizens, whom they treat with contempt when it's not possible
\njust to ignore them? Perhaps Piting (and her colleague) would
\nhave a different view if they ever took the time to talk with a
\ntaxi driver, as I've been doing for more than two decades of
\nvisiting Jakarta.<\/p>\n
I am polite to the drivers, and they are polite to me. I ask
\ntheir names, where they're from. They tell me my Bahasa Indonesia
\nis better than it probably is. They reward me -- on almost every
\noccasion -- with good service and great conversations. They tell
\nme about their lives, and I learn how hard they work for so
\nlittle -- money or respect.<\/p>\n
My wife and I rode around Jakarta recently in a taxi belonging
\nto one of the best companies -- also, according to the drivers,
\nthe best employer in the business. We talked with our driver
\nabout the economics of his life. He works from 9 a.m. to
\nmidnight, almost every day, earning commissions on fares that net
\nout, after fuel costs, to just Rp 75,000 on average. On a really
\ngood day, with tips, that might rise to between Rp 125,000
\nand Rp 150,000. That's 15 hours of work for Rp 5,000 - Rp 10,000
\nper hour! And its with the company that pays better than the
\nothers!<\/p>\n
Piting, do you realize how little that driver you triumphed
\nover earns in his working day and why that piddling Rp 4,000 you
\nrefused to pay probably was very important to him? Ask yourself,
\nplease, who was obnoxious that day.<\/p>\n
RICHARD PIGOSSI, Singapore<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/taxi-drivers-not-obnoxious-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }