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