Aging Problem

As usual, Monday from the second week after Idul Fitri...all I can see the road full of cars and people. Everything back to normal again. Being early or the other way arounf for about 5-10 minutes really does matter when we have to take public transportation.

Anyway, there I was minding my own business, still a bit sleepy but the bus already close to my destination. So, I straight up a bit and try to open my eyes widely. Then I heard the official of TransJakarta talking with the driver. At first, I didn't really pay any attention to their conversation. They were talking about air conditioner.

Music can drive you crazy

Is there any of us who don't like to listen to the music? Though we are probably not someone who has the need to buy all the CD and such. But listening to a song can be a problem for the health of your ears and head. Especially if we dislike the genre of the song. And it happens a lot when we are on public transportation.

Pay the fare, please

Usually, I wrote about my daily rants about myself while taking public transportation. Well, this time is the other way around though I might have written about this previously. Now, I am going to write the story that I heard from mikrolet's driver


Mikrolet is not the same with bus related to the fare. For buses, the fare is the same for short and long destination. Some people doesn't like to pay full when they feel they only have been in the bus for short time. Or we can say that they actually can walk to their destination but perhaps too lazy. Mikrolet has different fares, depends on how long the passengers destination. The shorter your destination then the cheaper is the fare. And even so, passenger still trying not to pay in full for the fare. And guess what... Yes, female passengers are the most naughty passenger who always try to avoid paying in full. Can't really blame them as they are the financial adviser at home. Things that need to be cut, they will do so without hesitation.

But one day, I saw a male passenger with two kids paid the fare for himself only. That made other passenger asked the driver why on earth that guy only paid for one person while he also taking 2 kids? The driver, calmly said that the guy wasn't the only one. There were others just like him, but he was not really keen to pressure them in order to paid full.

Wow, this kind of driver is very rare. When the driver pissed off over one lousy passenger, he can be moody all day long. Several of them probably ranting about that passenger, saying nasty things. The driver probably think that his income will be lesser than usual. He was angry to that passenger and know nothing else to lash out his anger but to speed up his car. So, the passenger who paid less fare have nothing to fear about his or her life. They have moved on thinking ah, I am able to cut my expenses. But his or her action leaves other passengers scare to death. Why? Because the driver speeding up his car and God knows what will happen next. The driver probably just told all other passengers to get out and move to another public transportation. Or he could grumbling all day long and being nasty to other passengers.


Come to think of if, when the driver is nice then there is always at least one lousy passenger who probably paid less or doing something to annoy others.

So, do we really need to meet bad drivers to make up our mind and paid the fare as it should be?

Cool Mikrolet's Drivers

Remember this cool look from a public transportation (mikrolet) above?


I found that several other mikrolet's drivers also stunned me with their gadgets :)

This one use a flash disc to listen to the music... Cool man!

This one used a very sophisticated (though out of date) handphone... *sweating*

But a very different condition with this one ... *sighing*

Identification

Someone asked me in bewilderment about drivers of public transportation. Is it true that they have to wear official identification? Well, they should place it in a place or spot where anyone can see it easily. I even heard that they also need to wear uniform though not many of them applying to this regulation.

Naturally when you saw a driver of public transportation with no identification, you should be alarmed. Though an identification on the spot doesn't automatically mean that the identification truly belong to the driver. This regulation meant to avoid illegal drivers taking passengers and in the end committed crime.

Taxi in Jakarta

  There are so many taxis companies here in Jakarta. There is taxi with very expensive fare, fairly expensive and economic class. Those taxis with very expensive fee supply all the luxurious comfort for the passengers. After all, money can buy almost about everything. Can't afford to pay the super expensive fee, then there are few criteria for people to choose which taxi they wish to take.

Usually we (especially women passengers) already have the list, which taxi have expensive fare and have good reputation. Also taxis with lesser fare but not giving any less service.

It turn out...

A few days ago (on Indonesian holiday: 29th June 2011), I was inside a crowded busway.

One answer for all

Driver and their assistant always have one solid good answer that could shut all the complains, anger shouting and protests from all passengers.

Obey the rule...or not...

A few days ago I went out with regular bus ; you know the one that only need us to pay IDR 2,000. Then as usual, since the bus only being occupied by few passengers the driver starting to drive the bus like crazy. ENough to drive our heart to beat faster and then the driver suddenly slow the bus sooooo much that it can ignite our blood pressure to the max.

Go to hell!

I know that the risk of using public transportation like mikrolet has risks like meeting with a jerk driver who probably never go to school. But then again, when it happened still feel so suck

So, here is the story. That day I went home using mikrolet and sat beside the driver. The seating has been arranged so it could be occupied by two passengers on the front.

And the route is...

Well, my destination is not far from the spot where I found the cab and there is only one route that we should take so yeah obviously I did wonder why he has the need to ask about it. With bewilderment I told him that we should just take this road straight. Then I asked why in the heck he should ask about it unless he has no idea where we were going. No surprise when he said yes and admitted he was a new driver for a couple of days.

Ordinary people having a conversation

My parents are chatty people. If we are using a cab, there is no chance they are just going to stay silent from starting the journey until reaching the destination. Unless both of my parents are not feeling well therefore they do not feel the mood to have a chit chat. Or the driver looks totally annoying and make all of us wishes oh dear let us get to the destination as quicky as possible.

If the driver talked to my father then the topic would not go far from politic and REAL situation in our society that we are certain most of the supposedly representative people up there have no idea whatsoever. About prices of daily needs, gasoline...all going up excpet your own pride. LOL... If my mother usually loves asking about general stuffs. Like from where exactly the driver come from... How long has he been driving taxi like the below conversation :

Driver : Careful, Ma'am... Take it slowly... (to my mother who using a staff)

Mom : Thank you driver... Please take us to....

Driver : Which way you wish to take? How about this road? It is the shortcut... Avoiding traffic jam

Me : Sure thing... ( I agreed as I have already known the street. Please note that taxi's driver is not GOD who can tell exactly when and where the traffic jam will be... Plus, few of them can be devilish by not informing about the traffic jam... So, a knowledge is a must)

Mom : Where you coming from originally?

Driver : From Purwakarta Ma'am...

Mom : Have you been driving in this taxi's company for a long time?

Driver : As a matter of fact yes Ma'am... I have never moved to another companies again.

Mom : Wow, sounds you like it there

Driver : Yeah, this company is not so bad Ma'am...

Mom : How so?

Driver : We have to give to the company approximately 200,000 Rupiahs from all the fare that we have collected. Then after deducted for gasoline we could take home the rest of the money... That is why we are very motivated to find more

Me : Anything else?

Driver : They are family oriented... We could borrow money especially for our need related to our children's education. And we could buy this car for our own by installment...

Mom : Why there are so many drivers have no clue about where they suppose to go?

Driver : Well Ma'am... Same thing with newbie in the office... On the first day they surely have no clue about their work, right? Same thing with new drivers

Me : if you are accidentally hit or  being hit by another car then you should bear the cost of repairment?

Driver : Yes as we take out this car from our pool in good condition. Then we are oblige to return with the same condition.

Me : have you ever received fake money?

Driver : I have. The fare cost was 70,000 Rupiahs. The nervous passenger gave me 100,000 RUpiahs. I took no notice and just return the change amounting 30,000 Rupiahs. Since the pool found out it was a fake money, my total loss was 130,000 Rupiahs.

Mom : You will get another income from somewhere else

Driver : Yes Ma'am. Amien for that


And that was conversation of ordinary people about ordinary life that we all try to get by with our own decent effort.

Taxi and updating status...

There are so many taxi's companies here in Jakarta... Many of them are really good but many of them ar not so good. That include the driver often robbed the passengers and left that trauma feeling. Mostly happen to women passengers who just finished their work from the office late at night. But several cases happen in the broad day light.

I think we have to rely on our instinct whenever we call a cab. If we are with a bunch of friends then we may not care about the creepy situation inside the taxi. When I said creepy that includes automatic door-lock, no handling to open the window or the window also shut automatically from the driver's seat. If there are only one or two passengers the driver could drive to an empty spot then picked up his gang to rob the passengers. I would say that if we get that paranoid feeling when we were about to enter a taxi then do not hesitate to cancel using that taxi.

There are three kind of taxis in Jakarta. Those with expensive fare, standard fare and the other with lower fare (as they still use the old fare). Being cheaper does not mean they give bad service. Again, it depends on the driver it self. I once took a well known taxi and getting off before I even reached my destination. As the driver simply annoying and do not want to listen to our direction. The driver often asked which way we as the passenger would prefer them to take. But this one, not only he did not ask me which way that I prefer. Instead, he keep on bragging that he know the street better in the most annoying way.

So, I would not stated down here which taxis that are good for passengers and which one is not. Usually, office, airport, hotel and mall working together with well known taxis to provide service for its visitors. So, you can be sure that they can be trusted.

Sometimes there are chatty drivers whose conversation are fun and enjoyable. Others merely annoying and you would end up just saying yes, no, uh-hu, hmm...in order to finish the conversation. You may be surprise but new drivers often have no idea where they should go. It's a good thing if they are willing to confess in the first place. But there are a few who would not admit that they are clueless. And of course they could take a wrong turn and drive us mad.

Watch out those drivers who love talking on their cellphone as they would not concentrate on the road. Be careful with sleepy driver so you have to keep talking to him.

Additionally, I think we should start to use our addiction on Social Networking to update our status when we are using a taxi. Like for example, you use this taxi : BB. Once you got in, then write it down on all your social networking status that you are using that taxi with ID number that printed on the door. If you think is necessary then you may also include the driver's identity such as his name and his driver's ID. This usually located near at the dashboard. Why I suggested this? So, in case you forget something in that taxi you could at least give detail information to the taxi's company that you use this taxi. Naturally, if the driver found the left stuff first they might keep it in case the passenger claim it back. Unfortunatelly if the other passenger found it then they obviously could not return your stuff.

So, don't just use your social networking to update status that you are upset, or at the mall, or on the street. Use it for this as well :) Who knows, it might be usefull someday ^__^

Don't mess with the driver

My friend said this after reading my posting about driver who waits for hours for passengers.
That's so true my friends. Never ever try to make a scene with the driver in the middle of his job to take passengers reaching their destination. otherwise then get ready for these :

1. Mikrolet's driver Waiting for passengers
Never ever tried to rush the driver to get it move on. If we hate waiting then it would be best for us to step out from the waiting vehicle and shut your ears if the driver screaming at you. He needs passengers but we need to beat the time. Although we still need the cheap fare as well.
If they are upset, some of them immediately barking at us. I prefer these kind of drivers as it would giving me a chance to walk out from his vehicle. If he did not retort back, then get ready to have a heart attack as the driver will speed his vehicle to the limit.


2. Bajaj's driver
The driver will be pissed if we bargain too cheap for the fare. It is a good thing if he just move away as a sign that he refused the offered fare. The disaster came when he angrily agree with the fare and once we get in he drove the vehicle like crazy
That's why I always wondering when hearing a friend bargain too cheap. Aren't they afraid that the driver will drive like crazy as he hates to accept the fare but need the money?

3. Paid below the fare
If we are on the bus, we would be dealing a lot with the driver's assistant when it comes to the fare.
But with mikrolet's driver, oh don't you even think to pay below the fare. They would not hesitate to stop, get out from their vehicle, chasing us then asked for the fare to be paid full.
How could I know? Well, I once experienced that being chased by the driver because my friend did not pay accordingly. It was a surprise to see him suddenly behind us asking for the money.
Lucky us he did not hit us on the spot.

4. Opposite tendencies
If we want the public transportation to move fast...then the driver make it very slowly as if to compete with a turtle. But when we want the public transportation to move slower ( I did not say slowly... I just want it to be a bit slower) then it was like a push for them to drive it as fast as they can be.


The point is, let them drive, let them do whatever they want as long as they bring us safe up to our destination.

Unwritten laws

Before I start storytelling I just want to let you know that all the pictures that I have taken and uploading here are not representing areas that I describe here in this posting :) Just so we clear ^__^

Remembering the street singer talked about manner between singing on the bus it remind me few unwritten laws between drivers of motorcycle taxi and mikrolet who both waiting for passengers...

Everybody well aware that Mikrolet's fare are a lot cheaper than motorcycle taxi. Since mikrolet's route as not as unhampered as motorcycle taxi that could go anywhere on demands... Naturally within fare agreed by both of the driver and passenger.

For short routes people prefer to use Mikrolet rather than motorcycle taxi...especially if there is a mikrolet devotedly standing by forever to find passengers. Therefore to avoid any nasty social jealousy between drivers of mikrolet and motorcycle taxi...seems they have agreed on this unwriten law (well...of course it was unwritten... Should it be a national law or something to be written?) This if from an observation that I notice from area near my home. Where usually drivers both of motorcycle taxis and mikrolets standing by at the exact same area. Sort of like their home base.

 Starting from 09.00 PM any mikrolet must be vanished from the face of the earth and do not even think to pick up a passenger even if the passenger have already histerically calling out for the mikrolet. Overkill... But that was happening whenever I arrived at that particular area past 9.00 PM and all those mikrolet's drivers seems have gone deaf and refuse us the passengers. I have no other choice but to use motorcycle taxi. One of the drivers told me about their unwritten law. That starting from 09.00 PM they will get their turn to look for passengers. I nodded start to understand. Then obviously starting from that time I tried so hard avoiding to be there around 09.00 PM. Which is kinda hard whenever I have to do over time in the office.

While in another area near my home, mikrolet's driver who look for passengers CAN NOT park their vehicle near the home base of motorcycle taxi drivers. In the beginning I was confuse to see that all mikrolet's driver seems pretending not to hear me calling them. What's wrong? Does they have different unwritten law here? But it is not 09.00 Pm yet! Then when I was in the middle of my walk, an empty mikrolet stop and offer me to get in. After I get in I started to asked the driver about why no mikrolet stop when I called them in that area? Then the driver explained to me that once all motorcycle taxi's driver almost gang up on a mikrolet's driver only because that driver took a passenger near their area (place where motorcycle taxi's driver all use as their home base while waiting for passengers). So on this one I am not so sure whether there has been an agreement or anything like that. Obviously that accident enough to make mikrolet's driver avoiding that area while picking up passengers. Unless they wish to be beaten by an overwhelming numbers of angry motorcycle taxi's drivers.

Yeah, life is a definately hard so there has to be some kind of allocation in earning money...

Handphone on the bus

Sometimes I think handphone should also be forbidden on the bus... A warning not to use handphone on the plane due to the signal will disturb navigate system on the plane. Even with that horrific fact still there are passengers who just simply not care

Then why the use of handphone on the bus must be forbidden?

1. Well, for your own safety
Aren't you forgetting that there are many pickpocket on the bus? What's the point of parading your new gadget on the bus? Oh, well come on... There is no way I am going to be mugged. I am sure I will remember where do I keep it. And surely I will remember to be careful not to let anyone grabbing my bag... YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?

2. Noisy
Totally true... NOISY... You are fall into a sleep while you are sitting there on the bus, then suddenly there is this thundering voice beside you
YEEESSSSS! GOOD MORNING SIR! (silence while listening)
NOT YET! I AM STILL ON THE BUS (another silence while he listen to someone on the other line)
HUAHAHAHAHAH.... YOU JUST KNOW IT, SIR...(listening seriously)
ALRIGHT SIR... IF IT'S OKAY I COULD EXPLAIN IT TO YOU RIGHT NOW...

While the people on the right and left beside him glancing in fury and if only they could scream, "OH NOOOOO.... Why can't you speak when you have met the person?

3. Fall
Yes, you could fall while in the middle of message texting. Message texting with one hand is kinda tricky... Then without realizing it, the other hand that you used to hold on to something...finally reaching the gadget... And just after you releasing the holding part...you hear the screeching sound from the driver hit the brake. And by the sound of the brake your body is flying to don't know where along with your gadget flying beautifully. Until it landed somewhere and got kicked by other passenger...and its gone. Or even if you manage to find it, it has been damaged.
And in that teary moment, there will be always someone saying to you, " THat is why you do not play with your gadget all the time..."

4. Destination forgotten
I was reading my book when i heard a scream from a lady. It turn out that she was busy chatting over her cellphone and forgot to get off from the busway when it has arrived to one of those bus stops. And like always, rather than get to be blamed by others...better blaming other in the first place.
"Hei! Stop! That was my stop, " the lady screamed
"Sorry Ma'am, no can do... I have informed that we have arrived at the previous bus stop. But you did not respond to me, " the official replied with patience.
"But I was on the phone!"

Hhhmmm, I was thinking... What was that suppose to mean? So the busway and all of us here have to wait on that bus stop until she finished with her phone?

And while she was ranting, the busway kept on moving. Unfortunately (for her) the next bus stop is miles away than the previous stop.

"Let me get off here!" she screamed again angrily.

The official in charge sighed, "We can't do that, Ma'am. You have to get off at the bus stop for busway... We are not allowed to just let the passengers out in random places... It's dangerous..."

Finally she gave up and since she was still not satisfied she ranted again. She was back on the phone with don't know who and ranted about how nobody informed that she supposed to be getting off, blah, blah, blah

5. Dangerous
Nowadays there is a huge fine to drivers if they were caught busy chatting on the phone while driving whereas they should be concentrate on driving. So I beginning to think, is the same rule also applying to bus drivers? I have witnessed that several of them loves chatting on the phone while driving the bus. And to think that there are so many lives at stakes in their hands. What if there is a car crash due to loose ability to focus while driving?

Now you see why the use of handphone should be forbidden on the bus? (yeah right, as if I could stand not playing with my gadget on the bus)