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gado_gado
Joined: 04 Oct 2006
Posts: 28
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 Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 4:19 am Post subject: Is it me or...? |
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Do Indonesians deliberately wait until you are about to pass them in the street the step into your path?
This happens to me at least five times a day.
Am I the one walking funny?
Don't even start me on Indonesian escalator etiquette. |
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gugelhupf
Joined: 24 Jan 2004
Posts: 575
Location: Jabotabek
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| Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 6:00 am Post subject: |
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In a past life, I moonlighted teaching people how to ride motorbikes for their driving test. I discovered that if trainees focused on an obstacle, such as a traffic cone, they often rode straight into it. Where the eye looks the body follows. People are so busy gawping at bules that they just walk straight at them.
Bear in mind that escalators simulate people walking up or down stairs at the pace of a healthy westerner. Indonesians do not walk up or down stairs at anything like that speed - if at all - and they usually need to stop for a smoke break afterwards. Do not be surprised, therefore, when indonesian couple with kids are deposited at the end of the escalator and just stand there having a breather while those coming up behind crash into them without ceremony. |
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PlasticPill
Joined: 22 Sep 2005
Posts: 51
Location: usa
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| Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 6:13 am Post subject: |
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| Do not be surprised, therefore, when indonesian couple with kids are deposited at the end of the escalator and just stand there having a breather while those coming up behind crash into them without ceremony. |
So true!!!  |
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guruengerish
Joined: 28 Mar 2004
Posts: 424
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 11:08 am Post subject: escalators |
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Another point Ive noticed, is that most Indonesians stop dead, once they've plucked up the courage to actually step onto an escalator; no walking up the steps or keeping to one side. Nope. just stop dead and block anyone wanting to come through.
Re the comment on smoking: do you mean to say that people still smoke inside malls and the like? |
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uilleannpiper
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Posts: 107
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| Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:20 am Post subject: Re: escalators |
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| guruengerish wrote: |
Another point Ive noticed, is that most Indonesians stop dead, once they've plucked up the courage to actually step onto an escalator; no walking up the steps or keeping to one side. Nope. just stop dead and block anyone wanting to come through.
Re the comment on smoking: do you mean to say that people still smoke inside malls and the like? |
I think the original idea of an escalator was simply that - to allow you to be taken up/down without having to exert any energy. If you think you still have to walk when you get on an escalator, use the stairs instead. As for staying to one side, hardly happens in Australia either so it's not just an Indonesian thing.
And anyway, we're guests in a foreign country. Why should we insist that Indonesian 'escalator ettiquette' follow our rules. But then oh yes I forgot, this is, paraphrased quote, "not a civilised" country.
What bothers me though is people instsiting on using the elevators like the ones at Taman Anggrek. I press the button and wait all alone with my child in her pram, finally the elevator arrives and hordes of Indonesians come from out of nowhere and pile in before me leaving very little space for the pram. If that's the way they wish to use elevators in this country, fine. I'm not going to insist they change their ways.
However, I have given up on the elevators and use the escalators instead and notice that every other person, Asian and Western alike who possess baby in pram have also learnt this lesson.
And, yes, people still smoke in the malls - some of the coffee shops, and Sizzlers, have smoking sections.
Last edited by uilleannpiper on Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:28 am; edited 2 times in total |
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TEAM_PAPUA
Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 1679
Location: HOLE
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| Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:25 am Post subject: * |
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Multiply the above by one hundred and you're almost able to comprehend what it is like to spend five minutes in China.
(China has the added attraction that it is socially acceptable to elbow kids in the face and barge past old ladies to secure a seat on a bus, or become the first to get served in KFC) |
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xsbir
Joined: 09 Oct 2006
Posts: 81
Location: The Big Durian
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| Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 2:54 pm Post subject: Re: escalators |
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| uilleannpiper wrote: |
I think the original idea of an escalator was simply that - to allow you to be taken up/down without having to exert any energy. If you think you still have to walk when you get on an escalator, use the stairs instead. As for staying to one side, hardly happens in Australia either so it's not just an Indonesian thing.
And anyway, we're guests in a foreign country. Why should we insist that Indonesian 'escalator ettiquette' follow our rules. But then oh yes I forgot, this is, paraphrased quote, "not a civilised" country.
What bothers me though is people instsiting on using the elevators like the ones at Taman Anggrek. I press the button and wait all alone with my child in her pram, finally the elevator arrives and hordes of Indonesians come from out of nowhere and pile in before me leaving very little space for the pram. If that's the way they wish to use elevators in this country, fine. I'm not going to insist they change their ways.
However, I have given up on the elevators and use the escalators instead and notice that every other person, Asian and Western alike who possess baby in pram have also learnt this lesson.
And, yes, people still smoke in the malls - some of the coffee shops, and Sizzlers, have smoking sections. |
Okay with escalator etiquette, I suppose. You're right this is their country, their culture. Culture is just a way of doing things. So if they want to waddle along at extremely slow speeds, no hurries no worries, plant themselves on escalators, block sidewalks, fine.
But then there's something called common sense or lack thereof. You almost got to it when you mentioned Indonesians' elevator habits. A full elevator arrives at a floor with a bunch of people wanting to get on, and a bunch wanting to get off. Common sense (at least in the physical world I live in) dictates that people should be allowed to leave the elevator first before others try to enter the elevator. That's not what happens here. The crowd invariably tries to push its way in before letting anyone out. What I do is rudely ram right into people as I get out saying "harus turun dulu ya!" However, it still happens everyday, even in a place like the WTC where there are a lot of foreigners and you'd think people would know better by now. I call it the "Indonesian elevator mentality". I've been here so long I don't know if it happens anywhere else. Does it?
You can also see this phenomenon if you use the busway. The new busway routes are all going to use a two door system, since the one door system does not work here. The designers of the busway should have known that before building the first three lines. |
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gado_gado
Joined: 04 Oct 2006
Posts: 28
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| Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 7:10 am Post subject: |
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also, can't think of anywhere else where I would voluntarily consume a can of isotonic drink named Pro Sweat or Pocari Sweat.
I have disturbing mental images of legions of underworked Ojek drivers having their armpits milked for that 'secret ingredient'...
Enak. |
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Andror
Joined: 01 Sep 2006
Posts: 34
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| Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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30 minutes to get to a local restaurant 1 km away...
That's what I encountered this evening in Kelapa Gading with a 'macet total' at a major local roundabout. Eventually, I just mounted the roundabout (luckily I decided to ride my motorbike and not take a taxi).
There was absolutely no good reason for such a situation to exist.
Rather, nobody was prepared to give way to the right, and so said roundabout was blocked to the extent that NOBODY could pass!
The consequence of everyone paying for their licence rather than actually learning road rules and just giving way instead of shoving through really shows.
LEARN TO DRIVE, PEOPLE! |
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TEAM_PAPUA
Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 1679
Location: HOLE
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| Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 2:37 am Post subject: * |
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| Quote: |
| I call it the "Indonesian elevator mentality". I've been here so long I don't know if it happens anywhere else. Does it? |
You should try the subway trains in Seoul and Shanghai - a true demonstration Darwin's theory.
I think it's just selfishness & stupidity. Like the one motorcycle rider who can't wait in the traffic, so goes along the inside and risks killing people getting off the bus - he then tries to turn off the road and causes a 2km tailback, because he is such a stupid *beep*.
Ever been on a motorcycle behind another guy smoking a cigarette? There is nothing better than having hot ash flicked into your face! |
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Demonicat
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 65
Location: Near Shida, Taipei
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| Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 2:47 am Post subject: |
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| Well, not to diagree but the subways (at keast in Seoul) are less about the people and more about time. Essentially, you have 30 seconds between when the door opens and when it closes. Add the fact that 20 people are geting on through each door, and 20 are getting off... I don't think that compares to an elevator where hold door can be pressed. |
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TEAM_PAPUA
Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 1679
Location: HOLE
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| Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2006 9:22 am Post subject: * |
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It's worth the rush to see some of those HOT korean girls on their way into the city 
The 'Burberry' girls.... |
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Chester
Joined: 15 May 2004
Posts: 383
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2006 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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gado gado.. aaah the pocari sweat.
my first encounter was in pusan some years ago,
very hot day and severely hung over from partying in Texas Street.
popped open a pocari sweat and that indenyable smell (something akin to crusty underwear) made it impossible to drink.
I too summised it was harvested from a "glandular region", and perhaps someone had "hocked a loogie" in there too.
Maybe it was just the korean version, with added squid essence, cause i quite took a liking to it in Jakarta. |
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Chester
Joined: 15 May 2004
Posts: 383
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2006 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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gado gado.. aaah the pocari sweat.
my first encounter was in pusan some years ago,
very hot day and severely hung over from partying in Texas Street.
popped open a pocari sweat and that indenyable smell (something akin to crusty underwear) made it impossible to drink.
I too summised it was harvested from a "glandular region", and perhaps someone had "hocked a loogie" in there too.
Maybe it was just the korean version, with added squid essence, cause i quite took a liking to it in Jakarta. |
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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 1337
Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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| Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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| gado_gado wrote: |
also, can't think of anywhere else where I would voluntarily consume a can of isotonic drink named Pro Sweat or Pocari Sweat.
I have disturbing mental images of legions of underworked Ojek drivers having their armpits milked for that 'secret ingredient'...
Enak. |
Of course, Pocari Sweat comes from Japan. When I was stationed there back in the early 1980s, it was sold in most of the outdoor vending machines. |
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