Harmoni Bus Stop This Morning

Rain pouring down heavily since last night and this is the look of the river taken from Harmoni Bus stop on 29th January 2014.

Here are news about TransJakarta :

Bigger TransJakarta (hopefully soon)

New buses for TransJakarta (when? where? which? What? Really?)

NOWHERE SAFE (especially for female passengers)

Photos on 22-23 Jan 2014

Photos were taken around 5 PM yesterday at bus stop Harmoni and around Passer Baroe area across from Gedung Kesenian Jakarta.

The Flood Episode

Dark Sky

As usual, in the beginning of the year we have rainy season. The rain pouring down hard on earth and as the result we have another flood session around Jakarta. With the flood all over the city, people find it hard to go around. Schools closed down, either because they were surrounded by flood. Or becoming base camp for the refugees. Busways or any other transportation unable to cross the flooding area. And therefore, workers having difficulty to get to their offices on time. Sometimes, they have to turn back home because the road was no longer there due to the flood.

Rain = Flood = NO BUSWAY

The year 2013 has passed and now we are in the middle of January 2014, back to our routines. Holiday is so over. And it means we are back to the usual head to head, body to body, cramped together on the bus or any other public transportation.

Flooding Jakarta 2013

On 17th January, under the heavy rain I went to the office. My neighbor help driving the car so I didn't have to use public transportation. That morning, busways still operating with load of passengers as usual. On the way to the office, I started to feel wary. The rain seems doesn't have any intention to stop at all. And the rain still pouring down hard when I arrived in the office. Naturally, me and the others started to find it hard to concentrate on whatever we are doing. We keep on listening to the dropping rain all the time. The sky looking gloomy as if have something in mind, no more bright hot day under the sun. And the worst part, water start to flood in front of the office. Not big flood yet, but enough to destroy shoes and making pants wet.

Rainy Season

And here the rain season comes again! There is always mixed feelings for me whenever the rainy season has arrived again. Jakarta, with or without heavy rain always have this terrible traffic jam. And it gets worst whenever rains pouring down hard on earth. Perhaps, after the rain all those cars run slowly for fear having an accident due to slippery road. So, there the traffic jam for hours and hours even after the rain has stop. I remembered there once this heavy rain hit Jakarta. And afterwards, many people sort of "staying overnight" on the road. Totally stuck, awful traffic jam. You just stay there, at the exact spot for hours. That is why sometimes I see no different in driving your own car with using public transportation. Once you get stuck in the middle of traffic jam, the stress will be the same. You can't go anywhere else, just stay there. Waiting for the miracle to happen.

Rain oh rain

 What is the connection between rain and public vehicle? Obviously there are a few…

Though I am so happy if rains pouring down the earth as it were supposed to help creating cooler atmosphere but when I was still on the street or inside the bus…then the cool atmosphere is a no-no. Neither inside the regular bus, Air Conditioned bus up to bajaj and mikrolet… There is only a thin line of differences.

The obvious facts are the humid air, sultry condition and the decreasing stock of air. That situation would be worst if heavy rain pouring down on earth. Even when there is no rain, the sitting passengers would not want to open the window let alone if there is heavy rain outside. The closed window does not guarantee that the rain will not seeping through it. So, those who already sat has to let their clothes slowly but sure getting wet by the seeping rain.

Same thing happened when using Bajaj. Eventhough the driver already closed the window, but since it was not permanently built then once there is a windy rain, the water splashing inside the bajaj and let the passenger get wet. And when you using mikrolet and sitting by the door, well get ready to get sick as the back door will not be closed even though rain pouring hard on earth.

During the heavy rain, I would not want to use ojek. But, if I was already using it then what can I say? Once I was using ojek to go somewhere. In the middle of the journey suddenly from not so heavy rain then escalated to heavy rain. There was no question that I was totally wet. The ojek driver also worried that his motorcycle could broke down as flood starting to fill the street. Luckily I finally arrived at my destination…though with soaking wet.


Then what happened with passengers standing on the bus? Most of them just get on the bus and already soaking wet. Either their body or their umbrellas or their belongings are all wet. Those who bring umbrella just keep holding the umbrella and the dripping water falls on to clothes of other passengers. The wet clothes were not going to be dried. However, it would be getting even more wet by sweat due to the hot weather inside. The supply of CO2 are bigger than 02…


What about using Air Conditioned bus? Sure, they might be air conditioned bus but these buses mostly are 10 years old. Not so sure whether they replaced the AC. For certain, ACs in so many buses are mostly damaged. The craziest thing I have ever been was getting on the bus with only a bit wet from the rain and getting off 70% soaking wet. When I was about to sit inside the air conditioned bus I was fully aware that there was dripping water from above probably from the damaged air conditioner. So, I just sat there and fallen asleep immediately. (I love to sleep, what can I say?). When I finally woke up I suddenly realized my jumper feel heavier and I feel cold on the neck. So, when I was to get off I stare at my seat… OH DEAR…, already there was a towel on the back of the seat to contain the dripping water. And my jumper also became the container of the dripping water. I have to take a medicine once I arrived at home to prevent me from getting sick.

Getting on the busway you could feel the cold air since it is air conditioned. But after soaking wet from the rain do you honestly still want to feel the cold inside the bus? Not to mention other people will push you around here and there. Additionally, due to the heavy rain the bus stop for busway becoming slippery. And if you are just in luck queuing for busway after office hour during the heavy rain…then get yourself ready for the splashing windy rain on your face. Sure, there is a rooftop above the bus stop but along the way there is nothing that separate you from the nature.


After all of that I still try to think positive. As even though I was soaking wet both before and after using the bus at least that all these times I have never experienced bus stop due to something wrong with its engine during the heavy rain. I could already imagine how I am going to cry in blood if I have to get off the bus because of that. And while waiting for another bus, I have to stand all the way under the heavy rain. Not to mention that while we are waiting for the bus in the middle of the heavy rain, there was a bit flood near us. Get ready to get wet as the passing cars and bus will not going to hesitate to pass that flood and the splashing water from it will hit us straight away.

Rain oh rain...

Nightmare

Rain + vehicles + Jakarta = NIGHTMARE

Oh no, I am not going to discuss about heavy rain that hit Jakarta for 3 hours nonstop on 25 October 2010... What's to talk about since I was not on the road at that time...

 But I do still remember when the first time I experienced that nightmare in the beginning of 2010. I forget the exact time but it was probably around January. The situation was more or less the same... Nonstop heavy rain for hours. I knew it already that there would be heavy traffic jam and rather I just pondering and wondering on the road waiting for bus more than 1 hour...better just go to the mall. It was Friday and so I contacted my friend to meet me at Grand Indonesia near Hotel Indonesia. We talked for hours and decided to end it at 10.00 PM. And I thought, the traffic jam surely over by now based on years of my experience.

And once I got out of the mall with my friend we were stunned... Why on earth this queuing for taxi still like this with so many people? We then go further near Hotel Nikko Jakarta and wait for taxi. Not bad for a night walk along with the workers from the mall (mall close around 10 PM)

We wait and wait for taxi... My friend who rented and stayed around Setia Budi (still near) loyally wait with me to get a cab. We waited for about half an hour and almost tempted to walk to Sarinah to intercept taxi there. It was almost 11 PM before finally I found one cab so I say farewell to my friend. I figure I could arrive at home within approximately 20 minutes... It was soo late already...

WRONG...

STILL TRAFFIC JAM at Imam Bonjol street along to Diponegoro... The driver then take initiative to find another road avoiding traffic jam. We circle around here and there and end up at the street near Tugu Proklamasi... And just stay there. STUCK. The driver sighing and me was beyond sighing. I was almost screaming when I looked at the fare meter... SHould I just walk? Seriously? Then finally we were able to move and the driver decided to take the road to Bukit Duri to escape from another traffic jam at Matraman Raya. That was the moment I saw that BUSWAY was still around with lots of passengers inside. All look tired and upset. That day was on Friday while heavy rain yesterday was on Monday 25 October 2010. I could imagine how pissed everybody were who arrive late at night at their home, sleep for few hours and already have to get up early in the morning. Then go to work with fear they have to deal with another nightmare.

Wondering why this thing keeps on happening? Things like this are going to make people passed away sooner due to stress and upset. They are tired from work and to go home they have to fight their way through rain, flood, traffic jam and worst...no transportation at all...

Maybe we should move to another town? Or change nationality?