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I don't always take a taxi, but when I do, I usually get life advice or a kind reminder why I should be thankful of the little things in life. It seems that taxi drivers in Jakarta are philosophers amidst all the sick people in this so-called metropolitan city. Not all of them love to talk or sometimes you got luck out and get weird taxi drivers, but when you laugh/smile/curse/shed tears with them, it means you struck gold mine!
Here is a conversation excerpts I recently had with a taxi driver.
From Lunch Plan to Retirement Plan
Situation: I noticed a black plastic bag hanging and asked the driver what was inside. He said that it belonged to the previous passenger.
Taxi Driver (TD): I got the passenger this morning. He was snacking on gorengan (fritters). He must have left this plastic bag.
Me: What time did you start working this morning?
TD: About 5.30 a.m. This morning was exceptionally a very busy one as I haven't eaten my breakfast. (Time was 8.45 a.m.) You're my third passengers this morning.
Me: Well, it's a good thing then. But don't forget to eat or you can get ill.
TD: Oh yes, I'll stop to eat nasi uduk (rice cooked in coconut milk) my wife prepared for me. Then for lunch, I will eat sop iga (rib soup) on Jl. Sumenep. It costs me Rp 13,000 but it's very delicious.
(I forgot what I said, we ended up talking about retirement plan)
TD: I'm in the middle of buying this taxi, which will be completed in the next seven years. Once I buy it, I will sell it, then buy a plot of land to do some farming. Seven years from now, my eldest child will graduate from high school, she can find a job and take care of her siblings.
Me: Wow, you already plan for your retirement. How old are you, Pak?
TD: Right now I'm 45 years old. Seven years from now, I'll be 52 years old. I'll still be considered young, but I can't stand the traffic. It's very stressful to live in Jakarta. I live a straight life: I don't smoke, gamble or go to prostitutes. That's why I can save money to buy the plot of land. Retirement plan is important, because you can't work for the rest of your life.
Me: It's so true, Pak.
Do you have a retirement plan? Do you ever have an interesting conversation with a taxi driver?
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Anyway, tips on taking taxi in Jakarta:
- If budget is not a problem, take Blue Bird, Silver Bird or even Tiara Express (ha!)
- But if you're on a budget like I do, take the safe low-tariff taxis: Putra, Express, Gamya or MegaKosti. My favorite is actually the ones with TV (TransCab), really handy when we're stuck in the traffic, but they are hard to spot.
- But if you can't get any of those taxis and you're on a rush, the golden rule is pick the taxi that looks new
Other tips:
- If you don't speak Bahasa or the local language, here is a tips: when I was in China, South Korea and Vietnam, I always took the hotel card bearing the address in local alphabet system because sometimes they don't understand foreigners. Anyway, just print/write the address in a card and give it to the driver. Psst, the taxis in South Korea have GPS, so the driver can find the quickest route to the address.
- Another tips would be to speak slowly, so they can catch your words. Use some strong key words, for example: "Indonesia. Embassy. Yoido." Or "LG Tower".
- Ask the hotel's receptionist to get you a taxi. Or if you have a local friend, ask him/her to inform the taxi driver about the destination.
- So you got a taxi that has a very fast meter? Or the driver take you around to make you pay higher rate? It happened to me in Hanoi when I went out with Tita, but it could happen in Jakarta and other places too. Stay calm, and say you'll call a police. See if you can open the window, so that you can scream for help to people on the road. Result: the taxi driver in Hanoi finally took us back to the training center upon hearing the word 'police'. We didn't pay him by the meter, we only paid him half of what the meter said.
Here is a conversation excerpts I recently had with a taxi driver.
From Lunch Plan to Retirement Plan
Situation: I noticed a black plastic bag hanging and asked the driver what was inside. He said that it belonged to the previous passenger.
Taxi Driver (TD): I got the passenger this morning. He was snacking on gorengan (fritters). He must have left this plastic bag.
Me: What time did you start working this morning?
TD: About 5.30 a.m. This morning was exceptionally a very busy one as I haven't eaten my breakfast. (Time was 8.45 a.m.) You're my third passengers this morning.
Me: Well, it's a good thing then. But don't forget to eat or you can get ill.
TD: Oh yes, I'll stop to eat nasi uduk (rice cooked in coconut milk) my wife prepared for me. Then for lunch, I will eat sop iga (rib soup) on Jl. Sumenep. It costs me Rp 13,000 but it's very delicious.
(I forgot what I said, we ended up talking about retirement plan)
TD: I'm in the middle of buying this taxi, which will be completed in the next seven years. Once I buy it, I will sell it, then buy a plot of land to do some farming. Seven years from now, my eldest child will graduate from high school, she can find a job and take care of her siblings.
Me: Wow, you already plan for your retirement. How old are you, Pak?
TD: Right now I'm 45 years old. Seven years from now, I'll be 52 years old. I'll still be considered young, but I can't stand the traffic. It's very stressful to live in Jakarta. I live a straight life: I don't smoke, gamble or go to prostitutes. That's why I can save money to buy the plot of land. Retirement plan is important, because you can't work for the rest of your life.
Me: It's so true, Pak.
Do you have a retirement plan? Do you ever have an interesting conversation with a taxi driver?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway, tips on taking taxi in Jakarta:
- If budget is not a problem, take Blue Bird, Silver Bird or even Tiara Express (ha!)
- But if you're on a budget like I do, take the safe low-tariff taxis: Putra, Express, Gamya or MegaKosti. My favorite is actually the ones with TV (TransCab), really handy when we're stuck in the traffic, but they are hard to spot.
- But if you can't get any of those taxis and you're on a rush, the golden rule is pick the taxi that looks new
Other tips:
- If you don't speak Bahasa or the local language, here is a tips: when I was in China, South Korea and Vietnam, I always took the hotel card bearing the address in local alphabet system because sometimes they don't understand foreigners. Anyway, just print/write the address in a card and give it to the driver. Psst, the taxis in South Korea have GPS, so the driver can find the quickest route to the address.
- Another tips would be to speak slowly, so they can catch your words. Use some strong key words, for example: "Indonesia. Embassy. Yoido." Or "LG Tower".
- Ask the hotel's receptionist to get you a taxi. Or if you have a local friend, ask him/her to inform the taxi driver about the destination.
- So you got a taxi that has a very fast meter? Or the driver take you around to make you pay higher rate? It happened to me in Hanoi when I went out with Tita, but it could happen in Jakarta and other places too. Stay calm, and say you'll call a police. See if you can open the window, so that you can scream for help to people on the road. Result: the taxi driver in Hanoi finally took us back to the training center upon hearing the word 'police'. We didn't pay him by the meter, we only paid him half of what the meter said.
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