Dealing with Jakarta taxi drivers

Dealing with Jakarta taxi drivers

JAKARTA (JP): Getting out of a taxi in Bukittinggi, West
Sumatra recently, I was surprised when the driver returned the
Rp 200 change with a broad smile and a "Have pleasant trip"
gesture. It was very unusual.

Jakartan taxi drivers rarely have small change, let alone a
broad smile. If the fare is Rp 6,000 and all you have is a ten
thousand-rupiah note, then you must be generous in tipping as the
driver is unlikely to have the change. I make it a point to be
well prepared when using a taxi and always carry small change.

Foreign tourists always go home with stories of the terrible
taxi service in Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and Denpasar. This is
bad, as the knowledge will discourage tourists from visiting
Indonesia.

Drivers have been called impolite, careless, indifferent,
reluctant, arrogant, you name it. The most common complaint is
the drivers' refusal to use the meter. If they do use the meter,
they always make up additional charges or take longer routes.

Complaints don't just come from foreigners. Locals have always
had to deal with surly taxi drivers. Try to hail a cab at Blok M
during peak hour and say that your destination is either
bottleneck-Bintaro or Pondok Indah. Four out of five taxi drivers
will turn you down. The first one will screw his face into a
horrible expression as if Bintaro were located somewhere in
Siberia. The second will insolently tell you that he is not going
that way. The third one will give the stock excuse that he must
return to base for a crew change. The fourth will just dash away.
The fifth driver will take a circuitous route to avoid the
traffic jam, and then complain the entire way.

In some cases, however, taxi drivers do have good reason to
turn down passengers or ask for additional payment. They have
their own problems to deal with. Suppose you want to go to a
distant place through heavy traffic and the possibility of
getting return passenger is small. You should understand if the
driver, from the beginning, asks for extra payment.

You say that it's not your problem and that I'm encouraging
taxi drivers to earn money illegally. But no, it's a simple fact.
Being stuck in congestion with an empty taxi is a nightmare for a
taxi driver, what with the high daily rent. They'll waste time,
fuel and ultimately lose money.

Picking passengers up at the airport is another problem. The
drivers must wait in line for a long time to get a passenger.
Sometimes this waiting period, especially at Soekarno-Hatta
before noon, can be as long as two hours. And, if your
destination is only Pluit or Kalideres, the driver is in trouble.
Earning less than Rp 15,000 minus the money the parking
attendants demand is not a driver's idea of good business.

As for small change, you must make a mental note: No passenger
should be without it. On the other hand, taxi companies could
lend drivers some small change at the beginning of their shift.
This way, they would have no reason to earn money on top of what
they deserve. Unless, of course, you generously say, "Keep
the change."

-- Carl Chairul