On driving in Jakarta

On driving in Jakarta

This is in response to Mr. Lance Fogg's letter Drivers in Jakarta published in The Jakarta Post on Jan. 3, 1996.

Mr. Lance Fogg's missed the punchline in his interesting account on Jakarta's traffic. While he rightly advises about consideration for the fellow driver, he argues: "What have you got to lose? Only a few minutes."

Now that is entirely mistaken. Both pedagogically and practically. Nobody loses. Everybody wins! Whether 10 cars manage to slip through a jammed junction or 100 cars cruise through a clear junction makes a difference. The problem being that those 10 would have to recognize the greater claim of the 100, and defer to the common good.

I enjoyed the part where Mr. Fogg's describes how the Jakarta driver maneuvers to position his bumper marginally ahead of the vehicle along side. I have noticed that too. It reminds me of the swaggering Brazilian dance Lambada. What we want is the Tango. Several quick steps in full speed. Stop. Enjoy the view (left, right). And off we go again.

ROLAND LARSSON

Jakarta