An ounce of prevention is worth...

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