Drivers left traumatized by Jakarta Stock Exchange bombing

By Maria Endah Hulupi

JAKARTA (JP): Last September's bombing of the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) building has inflicted deep trauma on many people who use the building, especially drivers.

Five months after the terrorist attack, victims and eyewitnesses can still remember vividly that fateful day when a powerful bomb in a crowded underground parking lot killed 10 people and destroyed scores of cars.

The huge JSX building houses several underground parking lots that accommodate hundreds of cars. The bomb ripped through a floor and forced the building management to temporarily relocate the car park to the nearby Kafe Tenda Semanggi.

"Most of the victims were guests' drivers who did not know which way to go in case of emergency. I can still feel the terror," said Paino, a driver working for one of the tenants, Royal Insurance, who was in the P1 parking lot where the blast occurred.

He recalled that the powerful explosion shook the building and sent people running in panic. Lights in the area flickered on and off, making the situation in the dark underground parking lot even scarier.

"The only thing I could think of was to escape while everybody else was scurrying around in panic. When I reached the emergency exit, I saw thick smoke billowing out and then I learned that it was a bomb blast," Paino said.

Subardjo, one of the on-duty security guards in the P1 parking lot, recalled that when the incident happened one of the other guards, Husni Thoyib, went downstairs to check whether the drivers had vacated the underground parking area.

"We learned that the emergency signs did work but the thick smoke was preventing the drivers from seeing the signs ordering them to vacate the area. Husni and some other people died of suffocation after they became trapped in the thick smoke-filled space.

The JSX management has improved their security system following the bombing that rocked Indonesia's credibility in the eyes of the international community. Now, incoming cars undergo examination with metal detectors and additional monitoring cameras have been put up.

But the intensified security measures have not entirely restored people's confidence.

"With the increased security precautions, personally I feel more secure but deep down in my heart, I still feel uneasy," said Tri, a driver for Zurich Insurance.

Another driver, Suyono, who works for the SS Yang consultancy firm and who was absent at the time of the blast, shared the same fear.

"Now, I get very panicky at the sound of a loud explosion caused by a tire blowout or the sound of a car backfiring in the parking lot," he said jokingly.

The security guards expressed similar fears but were more confident because they are trained to handle such critical situations.

Some drivers must overcome their fears of a possible fresh attack because they have to stay close to their cars in case their employers need them.

"I do worry but I have to stay near the car. It's my duty as a driver to park my boss' car in the allocated space and to pick him up whenever he needs me," said Sudardjo, a driver with ING Life Assurance.

The drivers are well aware that in times of political and economic instability like the present, security in public places is a major concern.

"With things the way they are, I would prefer to park my car in the open outside the building under the shade trees where there is ample room to get away from an attack. As well as that, we would be closer to the food stalls," said Sugiyono, a driver for PT Danareksa.

With reconstruction work still continuing on the JSX's P2 parking lot, the two other parking lots look less busy with only security guards and a few drivers waiting near their bosses' cars to be seen.

Some drivers were so traumatized by the September bombing that they rush out of the building as soon as they park their cars. They no longer play cards or chess in the parking lot as they used to do to kill time.

"We give the drivers a salute when they enter the parking lot and after that they just go out. I think they'll need some time to forget about the incident. It's a very human thing," Subardjo said.