Time to hurry up and wait and wait and ...<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Patience is in short supply when it comes to
\nJakarta residents.<\/p>\n
Look at how they compete in trying to get where they want to
\ngo. In a traffic jam, you might think you are doing the right
\nthing and obeying traffic regulations by maintaining five meters
\nbetween you and the vehicle in front. The guy behind you,
\nhowever, will probably decide you are a lousy driver.<\/p>\n
He may proceed to blow his horn or overtake you, slipping into
\nthe space you left for safety purposes. He needs to be \"one-car-
\nearlier\" to arrive at his destination, but he will eventually
\nhave to yield to other road users who need to be \"earlier than
\nearly\". The latter -- an ambulance, a convoy of vehicles for a
\nfuneral or just a car carrying \"important\" people -- are usually
\nescorted by motorbikes and heralded by the annoying wail of
\nsirens.<\/p>\n
As for the ear-splitting sirens, I keep wondering if there is
\nany regulation to control this noise pollution. As far as I am
\nconcerned, sirens must only be used for emergency purposes. I
\nunderstand if I have to give way for an ambulance, a funeral
\nprocession or RI-1, the presidential vehicle.<\/p>\n
An ambulance, for obvious reasons, must be given priority. RI-
\n1 needs to get by in a hurry because the President has a lot of
\nimportant things to do. He may be off to give a speech at the
\nopening ceremony of an important event, or to tell jokes on a
\ntalk show. Yet to give way to a group of road users who are
\nmerely in a hurry to get to their destination? No way!<\/p>\n
I once got involved in a heated argument with an officer
\ndirecting traffic. I was halted from entering a main road because
\na string of buses, cars and truck was passing at high speed,
\naccompanied by the ubiquitous sirens. What enraged me was that
\nthe passing party consisted of people from an \"important\"
\ngovernment institution on their way home from the office.<\/p>\n
\"So, you rob convenience from the conventional road users just
\nto let those important people arrive home faster. What happened
\nto equal rights in using the road?\" I protested.<\/p>\n
\"I'm only doing my job according to standard procedures,\" he
\nanswered sternly.<\/p>\n
\"What standard procedures?\" I challenged him. \"Give me just
\none good reason why some people get privileges in using public
\nfacilities while others are required to make sacrifices?\"<\/p>\n
As he could not give me a satisfactory answer, I put my car in
\ngear and whizzed past him to join the homebound crowd. If I was
\nto be accused of breaching traffic regulations, then so be it.
\nFortunately, he did not do anything about it, probably thinking I
\nwas too crazy to deal with.<\/p>\n
Sometimes people are in a hurry for no reason at all. You do
\nyour best to arrive on time for an important appointment with a
\nnotable person, and end up sitting in the waiting room for two
\nhours because the aforesaid notable person is busy jabbering with
\nsomeone else. In this country, the more important people are, the
\nmore likely they will let others, especially those needing a
\nfavor, wait.<\/p>\n
I recently hurried to the wedding reception of an important
\ncouple just to show that I was among the first guests to
\ncongratulate them. I ended up stranded in the receiving line,
\nbecause all the VIPs, the top government officials and such, were
\ngiven priority. Or, put another way, the VIPs made themselves
\navailable to congratulate and to be photographed with the bride
\nand groom.<\/p>\n
Our country's VIPs, especially those in the government and
\nfrom politics, do not need to have patience because they have
\npriority not only in formal events but also social gatherings.
\nUnfortunately, it does not make them put their jobs -- the factor
\nthat put them where they are -- as a priority.<\/p>\n
In the last general election, the people of this nation
\nhurried to the poll booths to elect their representatives so that
\na new government could be established and the economic crisis
\nhandled properly.<\/p>\n
After the elections, we were so excited about having a new
\nHouse of Representatives and a new People's Consultative
\nAssembly. They would soon elect the new president who would soon
\nform the new Cabinet whose members would soon work their heads
\noff to solve the country's problems.<\/p>\n
Alas, we have been forced to wait again. The officials,
\nsupposedly elected to work together in finding solutions to the
\ncountry's problems, are busy with their own agendas. In fact,
\nthey are at each other's throats; trading criticism and
\naccusations seems to be their daily business.<\/p>\n
For the people, it is time to draw on their stock of patience
\nonce again, and wait and see what happens.<\/p>\n
-- Carl Chairul<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/time-to-hurry-up-and-wait-and-wait-and-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }