The thrill of driving in Jakarta ...
The thrill of driving in Jakarta ...
By Myra Sidharta
JAKARTA (JP): My friend Dolly, who came to live in Jakarta a
few months ago, proudly showed me her new Indonesian driver's
license.
"I have driven only once, only making left turns, I haven't
tried the right turns yet. But I am so happy, now I don't have
to use a driver," she said excitedly.
"Chuck is going to buy me a small car and has given me a road
map, so I will have no difficulties moving around," she added, as
if she now had everything under control.
I smiled on hearing her excitement. The fun had just begun for
her, I thought. She doesn't know what she is in for. People say
that the traffic in a country reflects the people's mentality.
Not so in Indonesia.
"Indonesians are the nicest people in the world, but behind
the steering wheel they instantly turn into the wildest of
animals," wrote the late father M.A.W. Brouwer, a well-known
columnist in many Indonesian newspapers.
Anyone living in Jakarta will agree with him. International
traffic rules do not apply in Indonesia, and drivers abide by
only one rule: "The survival of the fittest".
To survive in the jungle when you are so small is difficult.
There are so many "panthers" on the road, once in while a
"jaguar" even appears.
I had a frightening experience driving on the toll road when a
"monster" with lots of tires drove past. I did not see the truck,
just the tires, and I was frightened to death that he might suck
me in. There was so much energy and ugly noise coming from the
numerous tires that kept turning and turning. Another time I saw
an overturned truck that had scattered its load of hundreds of
iron bars across the highway. What if I had been next to him when
it happened?
Before Dolly ventures into the big world of Indonesian
traffic, where cars, motorbikes, buses, bemos and bajaj roam, I
would like to give her some good advice. She must remember
though, that these tips only apply in Indonesia, elsewhere she
will get a ticket for doing the same things.
If she builds up the courage to make a right turn, she should
know not to get in the right lane, where people normally go.
Dolly should head for the left lane, if possible the left-most
lane, to overtake all the cars and then squeeze in among the cars
and try to get back to the middle lane. If she thinks this
method is outrageous, I should tell her that it is the art of
squeezing that makes one a good driver. Squeeze into any lane, as
long as your indicator is on, the drivers behind you will slow
down because they don't want to dent their precious automobiles.
There is no compulsive insurance for cars here, therefore people
are more careful. Giving way is not only a form of politeness,
but also trying to save your own skin. Dolly should not only know
Jakarta's road map by heart, but she should also find out about
Jalan Tikus or the rat's trails. These are the small roads,
probably not seen on the road maps, but drivers take them to
avoid traffic jams and traffic lights. It is a way to get to your
place faster. But sometimes you get trapped in the narrow roads,
because if one car blocks the road, you are left to wait until he
gets out. Yet it is exciting to try them, because you pass the
kampongs where everybody is friendly and usually the kids say
hello and wave to drivers.
Sometimes driving is not as problematic as parking. In big
office buildings, the best places are reserved for the
executives, who seldom come to the office, but their places have
to remain empty in case they come. Visitors must be prepared to
park far away from the building. In most high-rise buildings they
get the lowest basements or the highest floors.
If Dolly is lucky enough to find a place, she should open her
window to be able to hear the parking attendant's directions. Of
course she knows Kiri (left) and Kanan (right), and their Oop-oop
sounds, so commanding that she understands it is time to stop.
But she may get puzzled when she hears Ateret! That is the
Indonesian pronunciation of Achteruit, a Dutch word, which means
"reverse".
It may be good for Dolly to learn a little Dutch before she
ventures onto the road. Many car-parts are in Dutch here, just
like household items are in Portuguese and business terms are in
Chinese. She may not find it difficult to understand what a
karburator is or the sen, which is the indicator, of course.
Bensin is gas and ban is tire, whereas a veleg (velg) is the
wheel-rim. But we speak of aki for accu, which is the battery
and would Dolly know what the kenalpot is? Well, the meaning is
very difficult: the pot that makes explosive sounds -- the
exhaust pipe. Very proper, isn't it? And in case her brakes don't
work, saying "Remnya blong" is all the mechanic will understand.