Last night I visited DagDigDug office in Langsat, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. It happened without any plan. I was called by Paman Tyo when I was in my office.
Soon, I got out to take a taxi. It’s not easy to get a taxi. First, I got taxi without any counter turned on. The driver asked me Rp. 30.000,00 for taking me there. I didn’t accept his offer and I decided to stop not far from I take this damn taxi.
I didn’t remember the name of the taxi. But the color is orange and green, with very bad condition car. I will not take this kind of taxi anymore!
Then, I got a “right” taxi. Jakarta City taxi is the name of that taxi. The open-door fee was Rp. 5.000,00. I don’t know this is the current fee or not, because as far as I know, the fee is Rp. 4.000,00.
I told the driver, “Lab School, Ahmad Dahlan Street, Kebayoran Baru”, then he started to drive. When we were in Kebayoran Baru, the driver asked me, “where will we stop, sir?” The driver didn’t know where’s the Lab School!
Errgghh.. I called Paman to ask the detail address. “Circle K, Ahmad Dahlan”, Paman told me. “Hoo, I see”, the driver then turn his car to the target.
“31.000″ was shown by the counter after we stopped. I gave the driver Rp. 50.000,00. “You can give me back Rp. 15.000,00″, I told him. But he didn’t have any change. “Do you have Rp. 5.000,00, sir?”. Weh.. I didn’t have it too!
“Ok, you can give me back only Rp.10.000,00″, finally I give him more tips. I assumed it as an alms to the driver. Heheh.
Thanks for the invitation, Paman!
This day is my bad day. Waking late in the morning, made me in a rush to go work. Damn!
Then I was waiting my favorite bus Mayasari Bakti P77, because minivan M11 was still staging a strike, in front of Sarinah, Thamrin Street. The clock is ticking, and the bus showed at 8 o’clock. I raised my hand to stop the bus but it didn’t stop! The driver assistant was shaking his hand which means, “sorry, we don’t pick any passenger more..”. Argghh!!!
What a fruit! What’s the reason? The bus was not fully loading passenger, but why it didn’t pick any other passenger? Grumbling but I tried to be patient. Waiting bus AC62, more expensive cost than P77.
After waiting for 30 minutes, a big blue Mayasari Bakti bus showed up. I saw the label at the top of bus at a glance. Yes, this was my bus. I raised my hand and got in to the bus.
I sat there to take a deep breath, until suddenly the driver assistant yelled, “Bekasi.. Bekasi..” What?!! I realized that I took a wrong bus! I thought it was AC62, but after I got down on Benhil shelter, I read the label carefully, AC 52! Perfect!
After a quarter hour waiting bus in Benhil shelter, I decided to take taxi. Usually, it took 30-45 minutes to go to my office, but using taxi, it only took 15 minutes!
But for the consequence, I spend more money. Rp. 6,500 for AC52, Rp 5,500 for Senayan toll ticket, Rp 1,500 for Kebon Jeruk toll ticket, and the last, Rp 20,000 for taxi fee. What a perfect bad day on this Thursday!
Monday, May 27, 2008, hundreds of public minivan drivers in Jakarta staged a strike demanding an official rate of increase as a result of increases in fuel prices, leaving many students and passengers suffering.
There are over 400 public minivans, M11, serving the Tanah Abang-Kebon Jeruk Route in Jakarta. Drivers are demanding fare increases for their routes of Rp 500 to Rp 1,000. Before the fuel price hike, I spend just Rp 2,500 a day. Now, it gets an extra Rp 500 over the current fare, become Rp 3,000.
P77 buses drivers not taking part in Monday’s strike were charging passengers an additional Rp 500 to Rp 1,000 despite no official announcement on the issue. Air-conditioned buses, AC62, traveling between Jakarta and Tangerang have increased rates Rp 5,500 to 6,500.
This strike was disappointing me and other passengers. If those drivers make a protest, why don’t they do the better way? Strike is not an effective solution.
Next month, I’m moving to my new place. Taking me closer to my office, I just walk there without taking care with transportation fees anymore. Haha!
Finally, this is the time. I have to move to Jakarta, a city that I hate. Gramedia accepted me as part of their programmer team.
In depth of my heart, I still don’t want to move there. But in reality, Jakarta offers more opportunities, lessons, experiences, and of course money. The culture there of course differ to Jogja. You have to be tough enough if you want to survive.
Yes, I will be there in next May. Good bye, Jogja. I’ll miss you already!
Fiuh.. Four days in Jakarta, gathering with famous Indonesian bloggers was a great experience for me.
Finally, I met Mas Jay, Mas Yoyok kesambet kondom, pretty Sarah, queen od kopdar Chika, Nazieb, Caplang the biker, Yudis the tukangkopi, Mbak Yati “bergerak”, Mas Pitra (again), the trimaskenthir (Paman Tyo, Ndoro, and Pakde Mbilung), Mas Iman the guru, the rich people from BHI, and I don’t remember all, sorry..
What a nice bloggerhood!
* Photo is hot linked from here.
