How to avoid 'brengsek' image

How to avoid 'brengsek' image

From Pelita

"Stasiun Gambir brengsek!" (Lousy Gambir station!), snapped a tourist, who was queuing in the magnificent station of the country's capital city.

His remark was justified, as the grand station, which actually should be sterile and free from ticket scalpers, has on the contrary grown into a thriving locale for these offenders.

Who wouldn't jeer at the station? It was entirely appropriate that the Frenchman uttered the word brengsek, as he was rightly annoyed at being jostled and shoved aside by a ticket scalper, after having queued for quite some time.

At the expatriate's protest, instead of feeling embarrassed, the ticket scalper responded with a threat, without any pang of guilt. Obviously not wanting to worsen the situation, the Frenchman wisely relented.

This was in fact "Incident Part One", as other ticket scalpers pushed him out of his newly acquired spot (somewhere further behind) in the queue for the Jakarta-Semarang tickets.

The fitting expression "brengsek" was snarled again.

To overcome the lousy image of our railway stations -- consequently affecting the country's image as well -- officers who really perform should be placed at Gambir station.

The officers currently wandering about the station apparently allow such misdemeanours to take place right under their noses. Obviously a lucrative team comprising the security officers, station employees and ticket scalpers is executing a smooth operation.

My question to the minister of transportation is: "Shouldn't you be doing something about this lousy situation and do it fast? It's our country's image that's at stake! Or countless brengsek will be repeatedly said."

TARMINAH

Tegal, Central Java