Motorcyclist in Depok Poses as Soldier After Riding on Pavement

A motorcyclist’s act of riding on the pavement has drawn public attention once again. The incident, which went viral on social media, occurred on Jalan Kartini in Depok, West Java, where the rider not only encroached on pedestrian space but also endangered others by travelling against the flow of traffic. When confronted and asked to return to the road by a female pedestrian who filmed the encounter, the motorcyclist refused and instead claimed to be a soldier. “I am a member, not just anyone,” the motorcyclist said. The pedestrian retorted, “I don’t care if you are a member or not. I am going to church. If you are a soldier, you should not be doing something wrong.” The rider eventually dismounted and approached the pedestrian, insisting his house was nearby. The Depok Military District Command (Kodim 05/08) later investigated and confirmed the man was not a member of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). “We checked in the field and it turned out the person concerned is not a TNI member,” said Depok Military District Commander Colonel Ginanjar Wahyutomo, adding that the man works as a private sector employee. The motorcyclist, identified as marketing worker Syaiful Anwar, subsequently made a clarification video accompanied by TNI personnel and the pedestrian who had confronted him. He admitted he was an ordinary citizen and apologised for tarnishing the TNI’s reputation and for misusing the pavement by riding a motorcycle against the traffic flow.