'If a bribe is cheaper than a court fine, why not?'

Most motorists in Jakarta prefer to bribe police officers rather than go to court when they are ticketed. The reasons vary from time-consuming court proceedings, the existence of middlemen, to work demands. The Jakarta Post interviewed some residents about what their choice of action would be if caught violating traffic laws.

Leonard, 28, is an IT consultant who lives with his wife and newborn son in Kuningan, South Jakarta:

Actually, I would prefer to see my money go to the state via the court rather than see it go into the pocket of a police officer if I was caught violating traffic regulations.

But if I could bribe the officer for less than the amount of the fine and save the trouble of going to court, I would choose to pay the bribe, for sure.

Who wouldn't, anyway? So let's congratulate the officers for finding a new source of "income", because even a fool would obviously choose a faster and cheaper settlement out of court.

Santi, 32, is a housewife living in Bintaro, Tangerang, with her husband and two children:

I have never been ticketed ... I hope I never will be. But if I were ticketed by a police officer, I would definitely go to court. I wouldn't want to give any money to corrupt officers.

I wouldn't mind going to court for trial. If I decided it wasn't worth it, I would just apply for a new driver's license, which would be cheaper and simpler in the long run.

I heard recently that police officers are now refusing bribes, that they now give tickets. Is that true?

-- The Jakarta Post