An ounce of prevention is worth...

Riding the train is still one of the best options to travel. The reasons are obvious. The price of airfares is still high, while the bus is not an option unless you have lots of time on your hands.

Despite the series of fatal train accidents last year, I continue to use the train to get around Java.

I still feel safe riding trains, especially executive class, or at least I did. No major accidents had happened on executive train services, only economy class services.

I did not think twice when a close friend was about to tie the knot in Surabaya, East Java. I went to Gambir Railway Station, the Jakarta point of departure and arrival for executive trains.

Accompanying me on my journey was another close friend.

We imagined what an easy ride it would be on the executive Gumarang train. It would be cool, comfortable and fast, compared to the hot buses and economy class trains. Lucky us.

"The weather outside is very hot, Mas. I want to get on the train and enjoy the coolness there," said my friend as we waited for the Gumarang train to pull in.

"Just be patient," I said.

The train was about 15 minutes late but it was OK for us. As soon as the train arrived, we were delighted to get on, feeling the fresh air inside.

Everything went well at first. We had a good fried rice dinner, enjoyed our chat and ended up reading books separately before drifting off to sleep.

Early the next morning, still half asleep, I realized the train had stopped and we were in darkness. Some people were still in their seats, but others were trying to find out what had happened.

Some train employees wandered through, also trying to find the source of the blackout. Some of the passengers speculated that the problem was in the dining car, which was the second car.

We were in the third car, and we gradually realized we should alight the train. It was lucky we did. Ten minutes later, fire was billowing from the second car, headed to the third.

There was no warning, and no sign of people in authority to tell us what to do.

Standing outside the train, it was clear that the first and the second carriages had been gutted by fire.

The hundreds of passengers walked away from the scene, heading to nearby local homes. We were stuck in Wadu village in Blora, Central Java, some 170 kilometers from Surabaya.

Shortly, we were notified by the train staff that we should take shelter at nearby Wadu train station, some 50 meters from the accident site, to wait for another train to take us to Surabaya.

My journalistic instincts brought me back to the scene. I learned that the source of the fire was an electrical short circuit. It was a small fire, but the train employees were unable to put it out because the fire extinguishers were not working properly.

How embarrassing! No, it was almost unthinkable that a lack of proper maintenance could have led to two cars becoming write- offs. There was the inconvenience to the passengers, but what if someone had been killed?

I went to pick up my friend and we returned to the station. Our situation was nowhere near as bad as the plight of those sad refugees in Maluku and Poso, but, for a moment, we experienced what it must be like for them on a daily basis. The saddest sight were the children and the elderly, looking pale, exhausted and apprehensive.

The railway staff were sympathetic and warm but it could not erase our anger and dismay. We agreed that the train administrators should have done more to maintain their services, particularly when it comes to basic safety measures.

Instead, they had suffered a huge loss in monetary terms and another public relations nightmare.

It would have been so easy to prevent it from happening. Fire extinguishers should have been regularly checked, that is a given. The staff should also be trained to deal with emergencies and their aftermath, including how to deal with confused and panicky passengers.

In our case, we were left to fend for ourselves.

But, will I stop riding the train? No. For me, it is still the best way to travel. After all, I also believe that life and death are arranged by God. But I just hope that a lack of attention to the basic details does not hasten my end.

-- A'an Suryana