Welcome to << MK:BLoG >> - v.10 - |
posted : Wednesday, July 13, 2011
title : local bus experiences
I shall write about my local bus experiences. The difference between the “street busses” and transjakarta. When I mean street buses, I am referring to the Angkots, the mikrolets, the MetroMinis and the Kopajas.
Yes the buses are beat-up, seats are cramped, hard and somewhat uncomfortable for long-journeys, there is no air-conditioning and you are susceptible to the elements and pollution of the streets and the wailing engines of the Angkots are loud and conversation is nearly impossible. And the only reason why I prefer Angkots over TransJakarta is simply the SWARM of human bodies at rush hour. I’ve been pushed, jostled, yanked, pulled, trodden on, elbowed and mashed in all manner of ways during rush hour on the transJakarta busway, but that is the way of life on that system. At lease, for one thing, the majority of passengers traveling in Angkots or on TransJakarta are working-class Jakartans, and up till date, I have only experienced graciousness and pleasantries from traveling with Angkots. There is no such thing as “special reserved seats”. People automatically get up to offer their seats to any ladies that board. More than once, if I am standing and someone nearby gets up to alight, he/she will politely tap your shoulder or ask you to sit. More than once, I’ve been told: “Mas, silakan duduk.”, (means “Sir, please sit”), and those who can get a seat actually look around to see who needs it more than them! People here are genuinely nice and it’s a very painful contrast back home. I am almost a thousand kilometers away from home traveling on the cheapest transportation available on the streets and a local offers me his seat. But back home I read about this childish farce between a young and old man and the ensuing debacle over a “reserved seat”, with netizens buzzing on forums over who is right or wrong or the morality regarding the whole issue. Why did it even happen? Something is wrong with the society if such a petty issue is exacerbated to such bitter intensities. You can read more regarding the issue of “contested” seats on the Singapore MRT transit system.
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