I have always wondered how the bus system in Jakarta works. And I do not mean the Trans Jakarta ones, but the green shabby ones with a yellowing Kopaja written faithfully; the monsters that I grew up with. Unlike the fixed stops I am used to, I rarely see such points in this city. What I see instead are buses stopping in the middle of the road as they wish, I assume to pick up the passengers. This observation led me to wonder whether no driver nor potential passengers ever complain against this erratic-ness.

This morning the traffic was surprisingly light, and I was finally close to my office when I saw an orange bus with no doors (the perfect specimen to represent its kind) slowing when a guy and a girl raised their hands in unison; the signal to summon I take it. A guy with visible money in his left hand jumped out from the back door while the guy jumped steadily and the girl carefully onto the front door. After ensuring the passengers were safely in, the money guy jumped back in and the doorless bus left in speed leaving no other trail of its presence but a cloud of smoke behind.

I watched the silent 5-seconds affair in a strange excitement while waiting for the red light. A second later a guy on a motorbike infront of me fell when another motorbike ignorantly pushed it on its elusive pursue to move forward amidst all the stationarity. I saw the first guy fell on the ground, accompanied by a loud thump of his vehicle on the concrete. Before I could even blink, 5 other guys rushed off their motorbikes and helped the guy up before attending to his bike. The perpetrator jumped off and apologized with sincerety in his eyes. The victim raised his hand and put on a reassuring face that he is alright.

The light turned green and everyone climbed back on their vehicles and drove on to start their day.