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