Driving Frenzy
Everyday I drive myself to get to where I work, in Kemang. The distance from my home to Kemang, is not really that far. But what detests me the most is the traffic and behavior of the people on the road.
There are just too many vehicles on the road. Especially during the going to and from office hours. Everybody’s rushing to get to the office, which mostly starts around 8-9AM, and then they’re rushing back home after the clock shows 5PM. The road then somehow has a magical power to transform ordinarily nice people into monsters and everything else hideous. With no exception, it affected me.
Just this morning, right after that turn out from my komplek and into the main road of Jalan Raya Bogor, I could already see the traffic waiting for me. It was one created by a nearby Japanese electronic appliances factory *SANYO boo…*, as I waited (un)patiently to pass the traffic, I noticed that motorcycles are closing in on the sides of the queue line of cars, trying to also pass the traffic, but waaaay too close to the line of cars where I was. I did realize that one beside me was that close that he could almost lean on the side of my car, but then the road’s magical spell swept on me, I had to move forward – ‘cause the line is moving, though I unconsciously realized that if I moved in a straight line following the car in front of me, the right front wheel of my car could roll over his foot just below that wheel.
Which I did exactly, (dunno whether its accidental or purposefully), what I know is the guy on the bike opened his helmet and started cursing me. I rolled down the window, with a frowning face (somewhere between feeling sorry for him and a winning feel) and answered “Mas sendiri sih, salahnya mepet mepet mobil… ya maaf kalo sakit…”.
I could see his lips still cursing, and he moved right in front of my car, as to slow my way down and created a pretty long distance from the car in front of me. I couldn’t care less.
But that was this morning, now, at almost home time - sitting in front of the computer writing this log, I deeply felt sorry for that guy. I have many loved ones and friends using motorbikes to get around town, and somehow I just don’t know if I can blame them for being an egoistic monster on the road, for the same reason that I am also one when I’m on the road.
So, who is to blame? What’s the solution? You tell me.
