Since our family's driver resigned 2 years ago, we've been travelling by taxis more often than ever. Well, at least until the time my brother finally got his driving license. Isn't it nice to simply pick up the phone and dial for a taxi, or wait by the roadside to be approached by 1 or 2 taxis that will take you wherever you want?
On the contrary, it's really not that convenient.
In Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, several taxi companies operate on the streets. Some adhere to the regulations, be it the traffic or the company's vision and mission. The driver greets you properly, responds politely to what we say (of course, we'll have to be polite as well) and does a job that earns the taxi company a good impression on the customers' mind. Some drivers may be exceptional in terms of being familiar with lots of places, that all we need to do is to sit back and relax without having to give them directions. Once, I've even met a taxi driver with a good sense of humor and a friendly attitude. I'd like to help nominate these kind of people as "the best employees of the year" if there's ever a feedback form which I can fill during my taxi rides.
However, some taxi drivers just don't seem to be appropriately suited to their jobs. My mother had once taken a taxi driven by someone who smelled like alcohol. How on earth can we trust our safety in the hands of a drunkard? Furthermore, it would be somehow uncomfortable when the driver suddenly asked you about your personal life or when he/she mentioned about some upcoming events that can get you to pay them extra money. The worst thing to be happening just before getting off a taxi would be the driver telling you that he didn't have the change for the money you had paid and it was quite a sum of money to give up on. But what can you do apart from "donating" the money, when you don't have a small change either?
Earlier today, I took a taxi with my mom to get back home from an eye clinic in Jalan Panjang, West Jakarta. A taxi pulled up near our standpoint, and upon seeing that this taxi comes from a reputable company, we decided to ride it home. Oh my, how we regret choosing that wrong taxi. The driver was quite rude with his irritable responses and seemed to be so impatient in driving. His behavior really got on our nerves and so when we encountered a jam near our housing complex, we decided to stop him there and alight after paying. We just couldn't stand having to spend more of our money on such terrible service. It was a nice morning with a comfortable temperature, so walking home would worth more than dealing with this kind of person.
Overall, my experiences in riding taxis in Jakarta have been okay. It's not difficult at all to get a taxi here, I suppose the problem lies on our luck in getting one with good service.
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