Indonesian Diary Entry

8/31/01 A note about transportation.

I have now sampled a variety of modes of transportation. The available modes of not just varied, and widely ranging, but rather surprising. The lowest end mode is the becak. The becak is a three-wheeled bicycle, pedaled by a driver, and carrying from one to three people. I have on occasion noticed four people in a becak, but this may have been an experiment. These are currently forbidden in Jakarta. The banning of becaks in Jakarta is a socio/political issue and there have been aggressive protests by the drivers in the capital city. (Since the becaks move at about the same rate as I do when jogging, it is probably obvious why they are banned. Since the real rate of unemployment is extremely high it is also obvious why the drivers are protesting.) I have not ridden in a becak, for reasons of safety and humanity. The modes of transportation I have experienced are the taxi, the city bus, the car and driver, and the mini-bus. Let me say a few things about the mini-bus.

The mini-bus (actually called some other formal names, including kobutri) cruises the major streets. There seem to be regular routes but I only know that they go up and down the major streets. If you think of a 1975 vintage dodge mini-van that has been retrieved from a disabled vehicle scrap yard you’ve got the right vehicle in mind. On some streets they are of uniform color, but on the major street nearest my residence they vary in color. The way I spot them is to look for something that is enveloped in a cloud of bluish smoke. That is no guarantee, but at least I narrow down the possible candidates. Not all smoking vehicles are such mini-busses, but all mini-busses leave their mark on the environment. The other way to spot them is to look for a vehicle with someone hanging on and projecting from the door opening. (Naturally, there is never a door, as that would slow down entry and exit.) It was from such an opening that I found myself suspended yesterday. I am not much of a risk taker, so I am not sure how I wound up more outside the carrier, than in, but nevertheless there I was. Things were going OK for a while. Then I looked down. I was standing on a step (and hence outside the bus), but the step was clearly rusted. In fact, for much of the perimeter of the step, where it was attached to the bus, I could see the street all too well. At the same time I became aware that my briefcase was only over my shoulder and my shoulder was uncomfortably close to pedestrians. This was a day in which I had decided to bring my camera with me – in the briefcase. Since my other hand was clutching a roof bar for support I didn’t have any options. Thankfully, shortly after all of these self-observations the van screeched to a halt to add another passenger. (Recall that capacity is meaningless here.) As the individual added his bulk, possessions, and particular scent to the bus, I was able to swing the brief case across my head. Now the threat was modified so that any grabber of the briefcase would get the case, camera, and my head as well. Off we went. Not long after this I decided to walk the last few hundred meters. (The word block really has no place in the vocabulary.)

I have not mentioned the fee. The fee for a mini-bus is Rp. 500. That is roughly 6¢. City busses are also fun to ride, but they do not have quite the character.