Meaningless Black and White Lines

Boxing Day.

Since Jakarta is free from the usual heavy traffic this long holiday weekend (that's what I read from the morning's KOMPAS), I decided to head to Senayan City to survey the price of a certain gadget at Best Denki.

As the taxi I was in was negotiating the corner from Jl Hang Tuah to Jl Asia Afrika, I was greeted with the view of long queue of vehicles entering Senayan City.

Damn you KOMPAS!

Traffic was heavy on both sides of Jl. Asia Afrika especially the section near Senayan City and Plaza Senayan.

Rather than joining the queue to enter, I asked the taxi driver to pull over by the bus stop infront of the mall. And save a few thousand rupiah.

I know. I'm a cheapskate.

Inside, the mall was crowded. Most were there for the year-end sale, I presume. From Debenhams to Zara. Sales galore!

Reminds me of the Boxing Day sale in the UK.

After checking out the price of the gadget at Best Denki and surveyed other shops in the mall offering the same item. I had to get out quick.

Bearing in mind the highly unfavourable traffic condition outside, the cheapskate in me reckon that it would be cheaper to board a taxi from Plaza Senayan instead of Senayan City. No need to do that far u-turn nearby Mulia Hotel.

This also meant that I had to risk my life crossing the busy Jl Asia Afrika to get to Plaza Senayan (I blogged about this once, here)

I tried to reassure myself that it would not be that life threatening because the person manning the pedestrian crossing would be there to assist pedestrians get across safely.

Well whadya know! They were not there! My only hope now is for the motorists to understand the purpose of the black and white lines across the road, which I was blankly staring at. And puting my whole trust in. Fat chance! It would be something beyond miracle if they understood what those lines are for.

I was just a few seconds late to join the large group of people who had just crossed the road.

Fine. I looked around hoping that there were more people who, together in a group, would stand a better chance of making the motorists stop and allow us to cross. A group of people is clearly more visible that a single yours truly.

I waited... and waited.. and waited. No one. Not a single soul!!!

Damn!!! Why did I pick this moment to cross??!!!! I was trying to make myself to look as cool as possible. Hopefully they'd see me as someone who was waiting for the taxi. Or ojek. Or Kopaja. Whatever!! As long as they did not see the fear and desperation on my face to cross that friggin' road!

Soon I realised I had waited a tad too long.

Voice in my head : Raise your right hand - Flap it up and down - Walk briskly to the median.

I repeated the procedure in my head over and over again. Took a deep breath and made that first step onto the road into the path of the oncoming traffic on my right.

Flap, flap, flap..... walk, walk, walk.

And I was safely standing on the road median.

Voice in my mind : Well done mate! Repeat process, but now raise your left hand and flap it up and down.

Took a deep breath. Flap my left hand up and down into the direction of the traffic on my left.

1st car stopped.

2nd car stopped.

So far so good. All the while continuing the ever important hand flap.

I was about to cross the path of the third car when I suddenly realised it wouldn't stop. It kept moving forward. And nearly hit me.

That was when the graceful hand flap automatically turned into a stiff wooden bat. Palm down, I hit hard the hood of the car.

Bang!!!!

I looked angrily at the driver. He was stunned.

"Can't you see there's a pedestrian-crossing here!! You bloody moron!!!" shouting on top of my lungs while pointing downward to the black and white lines.

Needless to say, the 4th and 5th car just stopped and allowed me to cross safely. Thanks to the mad man from KL, a group of people seized the opportunity to cross to the median from the Plaza Senayan side of the road.

I knew I got quite a number of stares. But... ada aku kesah??? The important thing - I made it safely to the other side of the road.

I just don't understand why can't any responsible authority build a pedestrian bridge which connects the two malls.

Why-la Fauzi Bowo?? Tell me why????