Kudos to Garuda

In these dim and disturbing times it's sometimes a great joy to experience an act of kindness which is unexpected.

Such was my experience after flying back from Medan on GA185 on Feb. 6, 2001. The plane left on time which was fantastic, and despite some bad weather, landed safely at Soekarno-Hatta Airport.

I rushed off to a meeting only to discover that my wallet had slipped out of my trouser pocket and was left on board.

While the loss of some Rp 1 million would have been annoying, it's the credit cards, ATM cards, membership cards etc. which cause the real hassle, and my heart sank at the prospect of having to cancel and replace.

However, in an act of wonderful honesty and kindness, the flight crew retrieved my wallet, handed it to "Lost & Found" who traced me through my name cards and I had it back -- intact -- only hours later.

Thank you Garuda, thank you the crew of flight 185, if this is the New Garuda, I think you are a shining example to Indonesia.

ALISTAIR G. SPEIRS

Managing Director

Indo Multi Media

Jakarta