Vendors running rings around Senayan joggers
Vendors running rings around Senayan joggers
JAKARTA (JP): For many years, the Senayan sports complex in
Central Jakarta has been a favorite site for Jakarta residents
from all walks of life and ages to jog and take part in morning
exercises, particularly on weekends.
Nowadays, the morning view at the vast complex has drastically
changed as more and more people come to the site for different
reasons.
No, this story is not about businessman Bayu Maruto, a former
member of the elite presidential guard, who daringly introduced
himself to widow actress Chintami Atmanagara, while jogging at
the Senayan complex sometime in late 1998. The two became
officially engaged few days ago.
These days, the complex is always swarmed by hundreds of
street traders selling so many kinds of food, drinks and
merchandise, ranging from shoes, diapers, wristwatches, shirts,
used imported garments, toys, kitchen knives and wigs.
On the other site of the complex, one can see a number people
selling various items, such as car accessories and household
equipment, from their cars.
The new trend at the site, according to regular joggers, began
with the onset of the economic crisis which badly hit the country
in mid-1997.
Before, in the 1980s, for example, sports enthusiasts only saw
a few dozen food vendors, especially those selling chicken
porridge.
But traders are traders. For them, the regular presence of
thousands of people at the complex is a big market for their
businesses.
And they are not wrong. Joggers, who usually come to the site
with their spouses and children, always purchase the goods on
display on mats at the edge of the "jogging track", the street
that encircles the football stadium.
Others spend their time engaged in a kind of window shopping.
Ulfi said she and all her family members were happy with the
traders' presence.
"I can shop for my daily needs, including vegetables, here. I
also don't need to prepare breakfast during weekends as various
kinds of foods can be found here," she said.
"It is more practical, isn't it?" said the employee of a
garment company and mother of two boys.
But complaints from some other joggers about the crowds of
traders, which have been mushrooming from day to day, are on the
rise. They say their presence hinders sports activities.
"Conditions were better two years ago when the number of
traders was still tolerable, but now -- especially on Sundays --
it has turned into a traditional market," complained entrepreneur
Prihartomo.
The traders sometimes take up part of the track, leaving
limited space for the joggers.
But many regular joggers at Senayan admitted that the Bayu-
Chintami case is something natural.
"I come here to take part in sports and perhaps I too will
meet my future wife here," said Brahma, an employee of an
accountancy firm in Central Jakarta.
Brahma, who was there with scores of colleagues, said that one
of his relatives met his girlfriend in Senayan, although their
relationship only lasted for six months.
Rini, a clothing trader at the complex since last year, said
she has witnessed many times how the younger joggers became
acquainted with each other during the morning jogging.
"They mostly make use of the breakfast time," she said. (ind)