`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