From ignorant socialites to 'gerobak bubur': What else could block our road?

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What happens to our roads and sidewalks? | Twitter/public domain


In major cities of Indonesia, let's say... anything could be a cause of traffic jam. It's not just about a nine-to-five daily rush, but more complex, it is about how we really live. For seven years living in a cultural city of Yogyakarta, I realize that in fact, even in a city with "most decent" lifestyle, the road can suffer technical problems that may last forever.

Sometimes you understand about bottle neck on the road, but in many times, it didn't work that way. Emotionally, honestly, nobody would like being disturbed by things that could be managed. Either by traffic jam, nor by emission from buses. As in many major cities in Indonesia, in here I can easily feel that there are not many traffic rules obeyed by the public. In fact, there are so many things here understandable, accepted as a common thing that everybody can face daily.

For years, local government of Yogyakarta have issued lawsuits to manage people on the road, and especially for protecting rights of pedestrians. Yet, all those laws always held back by any other thoughts considering "tough people" whom really difficult to deal with. The government in so many times must invite paguyubans (groups of people working in a same field, esp. culinary) to talk about how they pick places other than trotoar (sidewalks) in order to serve people's needs of fried rice and noodles.

In the morning it is easy to find "gerobak bubur" parking on the many sidewalks in Yogyakarta (I bet also in Semarang and Jakarta). People sit and eat on other part of the sidewalk, while the cashier put on wide grins and asking you to "join the morning congee club". Dont say... it's a middle-upper class breakfast, not the poor. And they are quite well-educated.
When the night comes, sidewalks are "taken over" by other kinds of business. If not by fancy restaurants with fancy cars parking in a half part of main road, it is a huge blue tent with bright white lamps and smokey grills. And yes, these are a quite fancy places for you when you feel bored to have a candlelight in restaurants (which in Yogyakarta is not a too popular).

Until I post this writing, nothing really changed on Yogyakarta's sidewalks. Portable tents and outlets are still taking place on sidewalks and no significant people issued protest about it. Some people were angry about it, saying "this must not happen in a city with tourism image". Some other were sounds optimistic by saying that they can easily deal with it by thinking that maybe this will soon be fixed.

But after years?

You can see pictures I picked up from Twitter in the head of this passage, and start thinking "Hey... I am really living in Indonesia!"

Where the business opens, there comes the traffic jam. And from gerobaks to fancy cars, anything can block your roads. We are still living in a country where rules are rules, yet business are business. Lawsuits to manage traffic are considerably expensive, but how to deal with ignorant people is something else.

We live in a country where middle-income people raised the bar (about 170 millions now) who  just feel how to live with exclusivity and broadened rights on the street. Socialites can park their Toyotas taking a half of small road, because they are permitted with welcome by the owners of the seafood restaurants. Rich girls in hijab who even rookie in driving can suddenly park their sedans, with hazard lamps are mistakenly switched ON, and buy a phone credit for nearly five minutes, or a cup of milkshake, ignoring that it's a bottleneck red-light avenue.

I once emailed the traffic center police about this problem. And guess what they said?

"We can hardly deal with rich people, kid. But when you see something like that happen again, maybe you wouldn't dare to issue a report for the restaurant owner."
It is also quite funny to read public comments on Twitter about their roads to be blocked ignorantly. Well, this may be just a comedy after all. It could be no funnier when you finished reading this blog and go out facing same problem, with no willingness to issue a public report. In many sides of this way of thinking, it is okay if people consider things like this is not too serious. Perhaps it was just me who were too afraid about how our cities will grow with worse density in the future.





Conclusion: there are so many things in our city lives when rules cannot be obeyed just like that. Considering "rich" things and others, our lawmen face such dilemma when laws are just laws, and lifestyle came on top of it. It is just sad remembering the possibilities that we may still live with this for years to come, and the government still in anxiety to strengthen their opinions against capitals.




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