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.

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