`Traffic congestion makes me crazy'
`Traffic congestion makes me crazy'
No one will deny that living in a big city like Jakarta can be
stressful. However, most Jakartans accept stress as part of the
cost of living in the capital. The Jakarta Post spoke to several
residents about stress and how they cope with it:
Eddy, 31, works as a private driver for an executive in
Sunter, North Jakarta. His wife and two children live in
Cimanggis, West Java:
Jakarta is traffic congestion. All of the streets in the city
are crowded with vehicles. It is impossible to avoid this
distressing fact every day.
I have studied city maps to find all the shortcuts, but it's
no use because all the roads are congested during rush hour.
As a result, my boss sometimes complains because she is
sometimes late for meetings. But what can I do? There is nothing
I can do about it, right?
I have given up on the situation. Worse still, I have to work
up to 15 hours a day due to the traffic. It really exhausts my
energy and time.
I never get home before nine at night. It really drives me
crazy. I can't stand this job any longer. I'm so depressed that I
am having stomach problems. I throw up every morning and have no
appetite.
Maybe I will quit and work as a motorcycle taxi driver, like I
used to. I would have lots more time with my family then.
Besides, riding a motorcycle is less stressful than to car.
Even watching soccer on TV or talking to my wife doesn't get
rid of my stress. It's driving me mad.
Well, I should talk to my wife first about quitting. But this
job is unbearable and is really driving me crazy.
Iwan, 29, sells sunglasses along the sidewalk in Senen,
Central Jakarta. He lives in Salemba, Central Jakarta, with some
friends:
Everybody knows that living in Jakarta is stressful.
It is getting worse for me, with my business slowing down.
No one is interested in buying sunglasses anymore. Maybe people
just don't have the money to spend.
This makes me depressed because I don't even have the money to
pay for my daily meals.
When I feel stressed I'd rather be alone rather than spend
time with friends. I just think that being with friends does not
solve my problems.
Usually when I'm in terrible stress, I prefer to be alone and
pray to God. I try to surrender to God since I believe that God
provides people with what they need.
This gives me the strength to cope with the situation. When I
haven't eaten all day, I just think that there is always tomorrow
and another chance to earn money. That helps ease my depression.
Hari, 25, works for a company in South Jakarta. He lives in
Sawangan, West Java, with his family:
Traffic in Jakarta upsets me so much that I feel depressed
every day. Every day I have to cope with rush hour traffic before
and after work.
I come from a village, so I'm used to a more peaceful and
relaxed lifestyle. I think that's why the traffic bothers me so
much.
Worse, several times I have been ticketed by the police for
riding around on my old motorcycle. Last month the police
ticketed me twice for this reason.
But I don't like to stay at home because my mother always
asks me for money. She doesn't know how hard it is to earn money
in Jakarta.
The whole situation makes me desperate. That's why I would
rather go live with my relatives who are relatively more educated
and able to understand my life.
I'm sure that Jakarta is the source of all this stress.
Jakarta drives me crazy all the time. But I have no other choice
if I want to make money.
So, I just try to sing as much as I can when I'm driving
through traffic to reduce the stress.
Yeni, 46, works in sales in Tebet, South Jakarta. She lives in
Menteng, Central Jakarta, with her family:
Traffic congestion in Jakarta is the main source of pressure
for me. But what can we do? If we want to live in the city, we
have to accept it.
We can't avoid these situation as long as we live in the city.
So, the best way to cope with stress is just to enjoy it.
Usually when I feel depressed, I just listen to music and sing
along to the songs. Or sometimes I go to a good friend to pour
out my feelings.
I'm learning to enjoy stress as something that makes life more
colorful. I mean, life becomes more dynamic with the stress.
While enjoying stress, I'm sure there must be a way to fix
these problems. That's based on my experience.
-- Leo Wahyudi S