Drivers left traumatized by Jakarta Stock Exchange bombing

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.