Hell on wheels? The bright side to Jakarta's buses

Hell on wheels? The bright side to Jakarta's buses

M. Grazella, Contributor, Jakarta

If I had to make a promotional poster for buses in Jakarta, it
would sound like this:

"Ladies and gentlemen, climb aboard bus No.45, destination
Blok M and experience the unique services we have in store for
all our cherished clients. First, we provide music entertainment
that no car can rival. Unlike other cars that can only spin the
CD of your favorite musician, we provide you live music
entertainment!

"That's because we have especially invited local musical
talents -- the street musicians -- to entertain your ears with
the acoustic version of the latest dangdut, pop and rock hits for
only Rp 500!

"That's not all folks! We also offer one-stop shopping
services for our busy clients. Along the way, salesmen and women
selling various items will board our bus to offer you an
assortment of useful products, from bottled water to cool your
throat to school atlas to increase your child's knowledge, all
sold at affordable prices between Rp 1,000 and Rp 10,000.

"Finally, as part of our complementary service, our bus driver
will drop you exactly at your desired location, no matter if it's
by the road or at the bus stop. Just yell the word "Stop!". So
don't hesitate and jump on our moving bus before we zoom away.
This is one ride you won't forget!

"P.S. Check your seat before you leave and take care not to
leave any of your belongings. We won't take any responsibility
for stolen, lost or destroyed belongings. Thank you."

These are regular scenes in Jakarta's buses that carry
commuters to and fro in the winding city. Street musicians
singing at the top of their lungs accompanied by their guitars,
salespeople trying to persuade passengers to buy their goods and
reckless bus drivers weaving their way through the packed streets
color the everyday ride. Not forgetting the many types of
passengers that pack the bus like sardines, from insensitive men
who continue smoking in the sweltering heat to well-dressed
office workers with their briefcases stacked on their knees.

While many newcomers to Jakarta's buses may well consider them
rides from hell, if they are willing to view it from a different
perspective, a sweaty ride can become a unique experience.

Instead of viewing street musicians as penny-pinching menaces,
it pays to treat them more as budget live entertainment -- most
of them have genuinely beautiful voices, either due to natural
talent, much practice or both. Besides that, the lyrics of their
songs often contain satire, and they often use humor to sing
about social injustice.

At times too, peddlers really do sell useful objects such as
safety pins and packed tissue paper that can come in handy.

Although stopping at any point in the road is against
regulations and annoys other road users, passengers find this
common practice advantageous because they can be dropped at their
exact destination, even if there is no bus stop. Finally, where
else can you ride a bus by hanging on the ledge of the door as
the bus zooms away, leaving the wind beating in your hair and
your heart wildly pumping?

When it comes down to it, it all depends on your point of
view. It doesn't only affect how your feelings and attitude
towards something, but also the way you live. That's why it's
advisable to keep an open heart and a cool head when dealing with
daily transport challenges.

A bus ride can be a grueling situation, but it can also
provide the perfect opportunity to observe and learn more about
the social conditions of Jakarta.

If you let every traffic jams annoy you, you will go through
every day fuming and tense. Yet, if you teach yourself to see
those situations in a more light-hearted, humorous or creative
light, you will find them bearable, and might even see and learn
something beneficial.

Moreover, you will save yourself from a likely cardiac arrest
and from going absolutely crazy in the future by not always being
stressed. Fuming commuters full of road rage would well start
this year by resolving to see the brighter side of things. Give
it a try for a day or two and watch your transport worries drive
away.

M. Grazella