Police exile drag racers to Senayan area
Police exile drag racers to Senayan area
By Johannes Simbolon
JAKARTA (JP): Most Jakartans find Saturday night a relief. It allows them time to wind down at the few entertainment places in the city.
Some teenagers have their own way of relaxing. Instead of simply going out to a bar, a discotheque or a movie, they prefer a night on the street, racing against nobody but their own young, restless spirits.
Because of these young racers, weekend nights used to be a nightmare for residents along Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto in Menteng, Central Jakarta. Their daredevil acts also endangered late night motorists on Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin.
Not anymore.
The restless teenagers have found a new, more suitable haven on Jl. Asia Afrika in Senayan, Central Jakarta.
It is considered more suitable because it is quite a distance from residential areas and very few vehicles use the broad road late at night. That gives the youths the opportunity to indulge in their risky, mindless endeavor without troubling others.
Jl. Asia Afrika is never very busy, even during rush hour. When midnight falls, the road is virtually deserted, unless there is a drag race going on. They usually start at 11 p.m. and last until early in the morning.
"The median on Jl. Cokroaminoto prevented us from doing spin-outs. The road is wider and longer and the police seldom interfere," explained Doni, a high school pupil and veteran Menteng night racer.
Dozens of cars, vans and jeeps, mostly BMWs, Lancers and Volkswagens, were orderly parked along both sides of the street that Saturday night, while several others sped along the 400- meter stretch of road.
The spectators sat on the cars lining the street or ate at the dozens of orderly arranged food stalls in the plaza in front of Senayan's West gate.
One or two girls showed they were no less daring than their male peers by placing themselves behind the wheel.
"We are all junior and high school students," said Iwan, a journalist's son who is in his second year at a Central Jakarta high school.
Death
Accidents are the order of the night, and a few have claimed lives. A boy was killed instantly in an accident on New Year's Eve. Several others were injured during the crash involving four cars. The boy's death has failed to teach the youths any sort of lesson.
"This is a great time. I like it. I can forget all I have learned at school during the week," exclaimed Iwan, who went to the race that night after lying to his father that he was going on a date with a schoolmate.
After two decade of cat-and-mouse games between the police and the teenagers, which have taken hundreds of souls, the races moved to Jl. Asia Afrika last year.
The races began in the 1970s along Jl. Sabang and the stretch along Jl Sudirman up to Jl. Gajahmada and Jl. Hayam Wuruk in Kota. Police managed to steer them away from Jl. Sabang several years ago, but they moved onto Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto. There, the races continued for many years despite routine raids and arrests by police.
The presence of the Menteng district military garrison at the end of the road was no deterrent. Because the racers were soon released after being apprehended, the public understands that the teens belong to "untouchable" families -- families above the law.
The drag racers started to desert Menteng last year after concrete medians were built. This prevented them from doing their favorite spin-outs.
The police then tightened controls on Jl Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin and gradually herded the racers to isolated Jl. Asia Afrika.
"In a way, it is a success that we have managed to clear them off of the main streets and from residential complexes," Lt. Col. Bambang Haryoko, spokesman for the city police, told The Jakarta Post.
Circuit
Bambang said the police have done their utmost to find ways to solve the recalcitrant problem. They have staged several racing competitions, with other agencies, to accommodate the few boys and girls who dream of becoming true race care drivers. But the youths enthusiasm is low.
Police research has shown that only a few of the teenagers they apprehended knew anything about the technical aspects of the cars they were racing. The police took this as proof that the thrill seekers were not interested in becoming real race car drivers.
Some boys tried to blame their addiction to racing in the streets on the price of using the Sentul circuit and the closure of the Ancol track.
According to Sardjono, Sentul Head of General Affairs, the circuit used to charge cars Rp 50,000 and motorcycles Rp 30,000 for two hours on the circuit, regardless of who was driving. As of November 1994, however, it has lowered the rates to Rp 25,000 and Rp 15,000, and allows students to use it for free if they wear the mandatory racing outfits.
"We want to lure them away from the dangerous, useless races on the streets," Sardjono explained.
Bambang doesn't believe it's the cost that makes the youths take to the streets. Most are from well-to-do families.
"The majority of them feel great if they can race on the roads and run from the police. That's what they want," he explained.
Now that the races have moved to Jl. Asia Afrika, the accident rate has reportedly declined.
What the police do now, as clearly displayed last Saturday night, is prevent the race from spreading onto other streets and keep the accident rate as low as possible. The police don't cordon off the street, or chase after the youngsters. Chasing them leads to accidents because the youngsters drive wildly when escaping. The police pass by every 15 minutes when the racing begins to intensify.
When the police show up, the racers hide down adjacent streets before returning to race a few minutes later.
By disrupting the intensity of the race for just a little while, the police can prevent accidents.
"To be honest, we can't stop the race. I wonder if some other party can?" concluded Bambang.