A very touching picture one day -- the seemingly mundane view of a new pedestrian bridge linking a busway stop to a multistory market in East Jakarta. It was touching because it was another rare addition to the awareness that you're human, and getting to be recognized as such in this city.
The feeling of being a dignified human in Jakarta, as we all know, is rare and spare. It is the feeling shared by pedestrians on the exceptional sidewalk; until you freeze at the onslaught of approaching motorcycles or wind your way gingerly around potholes.
More common is the sense that it's your own fault you're not a motorist when you're waiting and waiting forever for a chance to cross a busy road; or the sense of despair of mulling the options of taking the sardine-packed train or bus, or drive in dense traffic.
Once abroad in a developed country, the typical Jakartan may spend a moment or two in disbelief when a driver halts and waves to let them actually cross. "Is he really stopping for me?" I thought one day in one such country (I forget which).
When driving in Jakarta we resort to our customary principle of reaching our destination as fast as possible while negotiating pedestrians as if they were annoying obstacles!
The pedestrians are the majority here, yet it seems their voices have been drowned out by ideas of what a livable city should really be. Spending time exploring the malls seems to be the most exciting pastime here; they're educational too, you get to know about the brands and stores people are yapping about.
But surely the metropolitan's elite have been abroad, no less those who ran for the governor's seat in the first ever direct election. Surely they've enjoyed so many other cities and pocketed ideas on improving our metropolitan.
Yet given what our city's like, the impression is they haven't. What do you feel in a city without easy access to clean parks -- a city where for many families the air conditioned malls and huge stores are the nearest, most convenient recreational facilities?
New Zealand's little town of Christchurch prides itself on its vast park areas -- we could dismiss such boasting, saying we couldn't afford all that empty space with our teeming millions.
True, enjoying the sunshine or evenings in parks is free, while the city needs the enclosed spaces for the revenue they contribute.
But the masses would greatly appreciate a governor who tried to alleviate them of some stress. The malls are nice for window-shopping and a sweat-free rendezvous -- until you step out and are once again reminded you're not human when you're without the car or the driver!
That's why anyone would applaud more efforts made to establish a decent mass transportation system, wider pavements and more parks.
For all our lovely buildings, when we must pass mounds of trash, negotiate reckless buses or maneuver the gaping holes on the pedestrian bridges, this Jakartan has only one thought -- how uncivilized those in power here must be.
--Ati Nurbaiti
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