Object of ridicule

On May 31, 2001, I had lunch at the Kristal hotel and ordered a taxi to leave with the help of one of the hotel employees at the car call stand.

As I stepped into a Bluebird taxi (431) at the head of the taxi queue, the taxi driver moved the vehicle and I sustained a sprained left ankle.

The taxi driver, Murtono, made no attempt to apologize or explain his actions. Rather, he laughed at me and left.

The hotel employee came down the steps and also laughed at me before starting to berate me for not taking the second taxi in the queue despite the fact that he had never instructed me to do so. After registering complaints via telephone to both the Bluebird company and the Kristal hotel, I have not yet received any word or letter of apology from either company.

Fellow expats, beware! Ordering a taxi at the Kristal hotel and stepping into a Bluebird taxi are actions that you take at your own risk and can result in you becoming the object of ridicule and derisive laughter from those companies, who never refuse to take your money!

MARIANNE J.A.

Jakarta