Seeing through a scam

Seeing through a scam

The area outside Plaza Indonesia between Hotel Indonesia and
the President Hotel can be unpleasant at night, particularly with
many people loitering on the front steps of the shopping center.

I pass this area often and try to keep my wits about me as I
have heard of various purse snatching and pickpocket cases. At 8
p.m. on Sept. 24, I crossed Jl. Thamrin from Plaza Indonesia to
Wisma Nusantara. As I walked toward the crossing intersection, I
noticed an elderly man walking in front of me who would turn
around every few steps, presumably checking out who was behind
him.

I stood away from the man as we waited at the crossing
intersection. As we crossed, however, the man moved directly into
my path. Although I walked faster and reached the sidewalk before
him, he again moved directly into my path.

I then felt him brush his arm against my side and assumed he
was going to try to pickpocket me. Instead, his hand moved
rapidly downward and there was a clink as something hit the
sidewalk. I picked up a pair of eyeglasses, and saw that both
lenses had been shattered.

I realized quickly that the short drop to the sidewalk could
not have shattered the lenses and that something was going on. I
handed the man back the eyeglasses, and continued walking. He
came up alongside me a few steps later and informed in English
that I owed him Rp 60,000 for breaking the lenses. I replied in
Indonesian that I knew the lenses had been shattered beforehand
and that he was trying to con me. At that, he turned around and
walked away.

BRUCE EMOND

Jakarta