Mugging in taxi

Mugging in taxi

At about 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 16, my wife flagged down an SS
taxi (an old vehicle) in front of the Land Communications office
on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta. Upon entering the automobile, she
saw a jacket draped over the back of the front passenger seat
with nobody in sight except the driver.

One hundred meters down the road a man suddenly emerged from
the darkness of the front seat area holding a knife and warned my
wife not to scream. In reflex she warded off the weapon with both
her hands, receiving a four-centimeter wound in one hand. The
taxi continued its way to Jl. Senopati and stopped. My wife was
ordered to squat between the front and back seats and she was
blindfolded with wide adhesive tape.

The mugging by the SS taxi driver and his friend caused my
wife to lose a large amount of money, a gold bracelet and her
wedding ring. She was also forced to tell them the identification
number of her BCA ATM card and to take out money from the
machine.

After two hours, my wife was dumped in Rawabuaya district on
Jl. Daan Mogot, in West Jakarta.

I need an immediate response from the SS company. From what I
heard on the telephone with their claims department, my wife's
ordeal was the fourth of similar muggings. My wife was in shock
and did not take down the vehicle's door number or police
registration number.

It is not my intention to discredit the SS taxi company or its
drivers but my wife had that abominable experience in one of
their taxis. And I feel I must warn prospective taxi users of the
possibility of such crimes.

I am greatly indebted to the people who came to help my wife
so she could make a call to us at home.

Name and address

known to the editor