Ticket scalpers

Ticket scalpers
a
t Gambir

From Koran Tempo

As a passenger, I would like to strongly complain to the
railway authority about the train service, which makes passengers
feel uncomfortable, and ticket scalpers making a huge profit from
selling tickets at exorbitantly high prices.

Passengers who have stood in line for a long time are
disappointed when they hear that tickets have been sold out. This
is because scalpers are also lining up along with them and
scrambling to get as many tickets as possible. They then hand the
tickets over to their "boss" who offers the tickets to passengers
at exorbitant prices.

It is more than irritating to see a man handing over a stack
of tickets to scalpers who later sell them at twice the price.
The normal price for an Argo Bromo or Anggrek ticket is Rp
190,000, but after scalpers get ahold of the tickets, the price
jumps to Rp 350,000 and Rp 375,000 respectively. Meanwhile
security officers, who are perhaps afraid to do anything, pretend
to see nothing out of the ordinary and continue to sit there.

The economic crisis has forced many people to make money
anyway they can but does that mean they can extort money from
other people?

I am wondering if this is the best that the state-run public
transportation company can offer the public. With this letter I
would like to appeal to the authorities to take strict measures
against ticket scalpers operating at the station. Who else dares
to?

AG. W. SETYONUGROHO

Jakarta