I pull into the lot at Plaza Renon this morning behind a white car. As I wait for the driver to take his ticket from the machine and enter the lot, two girls on a motorbike zip up on my left and then maneuver their bike in front of mine behind the white car. As the driver of the car takes his ticket and moves forward, the girls also move forward, and as they move forward, another motorbike driver zips up on my left and cuts in behind the two girls.
I always find this astounding. Every time it happens. And it happens often. I cannot quite decide what is transpiring here. Are these people blind on their right side? Or do they imagine that I'm just parked there in the entry to the lot and don't actually mean to enter? What can they be thinking? Are they running desperately late for something? (Well, actually, that goes without saying. These are, after all, Indonesians).
I mean, I myself am in no hurry, but I do have a sense of existing. Why is it that my existence seems so superfluous to these drivers? And how is it that they seem to give no thought to possible consequences? I must say (as I always say) that committing this sort of traffic insult in America comes with a fair chance of getting beat up or even shot. Seriously.
But oh well. We're not in America, are we. Luckily for them.
I always find this astounding. Every time it happens. And it happens often. I cannot quite decide what is transpiring here. Are these people blind on their right side? Or do they imagine that I'm just parked there in the entry to the lot and don't actually mean to enter? What can they be thinking? Are they running desperately late for something? (Well, actually, that goes without saying. These are, after all, Indonesians).
I mean, I myself am in no hurry, but I do have a sense of existing. Why is it that my existence seems so superfluous to these drivers? And how is it that they seem to give no thought to possible consequences? I must say (as I always say) that committing this sort of traffic insult in America comes with a fair chance of getting beat up or even shot. Seriously.
But oh well. We're not in America, are we. Luckily for them.
3 comments:
Of course this is not so near Bali but goes a little with attitude of line cutters. https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-46529582
Unrelated to your story, sumatriptan, if available does wonders for those MS
headaches.
Mb--Thank you for sending this very interesting piece on 'crazy rich Indonesians'. I've posted in on my Facebook page, as friends here are sure to be interested too. The most glaring thing, really, is the immense gulf between the well off and the desperately poor--and in Indonesia you don't have a government that does anything whatsoever for the poor. There does seem to be a growing "get in front of others whatever it takes" attitude and there is certainly a rapidly growing allure of materialism. Sad. Newly rich people here will often buy huge SUVs and park them on the street instead of in their driveway. I asked one guy why and he said, "If I part it in the driveway, people can't see it." Lol. Well, at least he was honest.
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