Train ticket price

Train ticket price

On Feb. 2 my husband and I took the 9 a.m. Argo Gede train
from Gambir station in Jakarta to Bandung. He already had a
ticket but I still had to buy one. I went to the ticket window at
8:50 a.m. but was told that no more tickets were sold because the
train was about to leave, but I could buy a ticket on the train
at the same price.

When the collector came to us I told her we needed to buy
another executive class ticket. She charged double the normal
fare which according to her was in line with the company's rules.
I told her that the official at the counter had informed me
differently. She then mentioned an amount of Rp 36,000 (the
normal fare is Rp 30,000). I said I would not pay more than the
usual price. She took the money and returned later to give me my
ticket, a karcis suplisi.

Being a Thai citizen and not used to that kind of treatment of
customers I decided to write this letter. Moreover, it gives me
the main reason why I do not want to stay any longer in this
country. I have been here for quite a while since my husband has
to work here, and it is really not the first time that somebody
tried to cheat me as a foreigner. Just because you cannot know
everything like a local person or because you are not able to
communicate well in the Indonesian language is no reason to take
advantage of a customer. That it happened in such an obvious way
and with a state-owned company, to boot, was beyond my
expectations.

Perhaps somebody could take some action against such things. I
have heard that this year is the year of national discipline. Do
not only talk about it, live it. And, at the least, let me know
if there is really a supplement on the ticket price if you buy it
on the train.

S. CHANHOM

Bandung, West Java