Bending the rule

Eventually, I enjoyed driving over the busway

Enough… I gave up! Stuck for hours, I couldn’t stand waiting for cars in front of me to move forward, while seeing other road users using a lane on my right side; busway. 

I never drove a car or rode a motorbike in Jakarta before. I usually take a cab or a bus to reach my wife’s office or to go to other destinations in Jakarta city. I always criticized people who drove their personal cars on the “busway” or the bus lane. I couldn’t understand why they drove on the lane that they were not supposed to. 

The busway should be solely for public busses and it has been built only for the convenience of public transportation. Motorbikes and private vehicles are not supposed to use the busway. That’s the rule!

One day, when I was in a cab, going from Sudirman to Gatot Subroto, I was trapped in a badly traffic jam around Semanggi area. The cab driver tried the best getting out of it and he eventually had a chance to take the lane of the public bus. I scrutinized him. I told him if everybody on the road did the same, the traffic will be worse. He simply goes, “Sir, everyone is doing it. If I didn’t take the busway, somebody else will do and we’ll never reach your office.” I was clumsy, couldn’t reply him, not a single word.

Another day, I was in a Bus P6, heading from Cawang Uki to Slipi junction. The bus driver had the same bad behavior; taking over the bus way. He suddenly leapt from one lane to another, and whenever there is a chance, he innocently took the busway. 

Well, most public bus drivers are so energetic but insane. They drive the bus like they’re the owner of the road. They drive slowly on the left lane and suddenly take over the right lane. And most of the time, they speed up the engine and suddenly slow it down while taking over the left lane just to pick up a passenger who is standing by on the road with “no stop” symbol. So, never drive your car on the left side of any public transportation in this city. Otherwise, they crush you alive!

Yesterday, I eventually did the same. I bent the rule. 

After struggling for hours to get out of the dense traffic around Pancoran area, I had the chance to leap from my lane to the public bus lane. I felt guilty but enjoyed it.