Trying to Commute in Jakarta

markyboy2005

Having moved to Jakarta about 9 months ago, I finally plucked up the courage to take my bike out onto the road and give it a try. Bear in mind that this is a city where almost no road rules apply and road traffic consits of every type of vehicle you could imagine with a volume of moped drivers that would simply blow you away. It is not unusual to see a horse drawn cart fight with a bus for space on a 4 lane expressway on a friday afternoon.

The traffic is considered so bad that our company provides a driver with the car as it is not expected that someone from outside Indonesia should or could drive on these roads and I have not even considered getting behind the wheel since I got here.

So I chose last Sunday to give it a try for 2 reasons - 1. it is holiday season (end of Ramadan) and 2. on a Sunday they close down one lane of the main road through town from 6:30 am till 9am.

These combined meant the traffic was lighter than I have ever seen it here.

Sounds easy doesn't it!

Even with those two things going for me, this was one scary ride. I was buzzed by mopeds (for fun), had my arms touched whilst waiting at the lights (by females on mopeds who simply want to see what I feel like) and almost knocked a 1 legged man (beggar) over as he hopped in front of me to get some cash. These are the things I can remember, the whole ride was a little surreal.

So that is the background and now I want to start riding more consistantly to work on a daily basis if I can.

What tips if any do you have for cycling in heavy traffic where no rules apply? What has worked for you guys in the past, what shouldn't I do.

I note that loads of you seem to commute in London - how do you deal with the issues there?

Any help would be appreciated.

woodford2barbican

I think you are on your own on this one! London might be a bit busy but it is nothing like that......

Good luck!

hamboman

Holy hellfire! That sounds gruesome, but at the same time like a really good rush!

Um, advice... nothing like I've ever experienced I'm afraid. I guess the best thing would be to move predictably.

Cyclegent

Sadly I have never been touched by a female stranger in London, but we do have a few beggars, and motorbikes and taxis love to 'buzz' cyclists too. Overall it's not too bad apart from:

1. the aforesaid bikers and cabbies
2. white van men and BMW drivers, and 4x4 mums who don't know the size of their car
3. other cyclists who RLJ, undertake you at lights, undertake lorries turning left, listening to ipods who don't ever look and generally cycle like idiots, looking like t*ts in their 'safety' gear and helmets, also POBS (pedestrians on bikes) who don't even bother with the safety gear and ride up and down the pavements
4. the occasional lunatic bus driver, especially the bendy ones, though in general bus drivers are considerate
5. suicidal peds jumping out in front of you, esp in Oxford St, or anywhere where p*ssed people stagger around at night (ie, everywhere in London)
6. the incredibly steep hills around the northern heights area of London (Hampstead, Highgate etc)


I've always said the problem with traffic in the UK is that it is totally unpredictable - you don't know whether a driver will be ultra-polite or a snarling, lunatic chav. At least in most foreign countries you know people's driving will be consistently bad, and can prepare accordingly.