Bajaj and Me

One of my favorite public transport in Jakarta is Bajaj. Bajaj is not an original Indonesian vehicle, it was originally adopted from India. Its famous unique features are its thunderous sound (you'll have to shout if you want to be heard), its vibration, and its unpredictable movement (only God and its driver knew where, and when, the Bajaj would turn).

Sometimes it's difficult to estimate how much I should pay for a Bajaj trip, and my lil sister repeatedly told me that I should always bargain when the Bajaj's driver offered a price. It was not as simple as I had thought.

First, we couldn't hear the Bajaj's driver's voice clearly, thanks to Bajaj's machine's thunderous sound. Second, we had to shout out our bargaining price so that the Bajaj's driver could hear us clearly. Third, if the Bajaj's driver easily agrees with our bargaining price, we have to be suspicious. He may think of some illegal routes to reach your destination... something like counter current route or crazy bajaj ride ON sidewalk.

Here's an evening conversation with a Bajaj's driver:
Gita (G) : UI Salemba pak…
Bajaj's Driver (BD) : Okay…
Bajaj (B) : WEREWEREWEREWEREWER…..
G : How much?
BD : ....ven… sand…
B : WEREWEREWEREWEREWER…..
G : WHAT?! SEVEN THOUSAND? (I made a SEVEN sign with my hands)
BD : (he nodded)
B : WEREWEREWEREWEREWER…..
G (hmm... how much should I bargain… have no idea... 7000 is fine... but I HAVE TO bargain as my sister said... so...) : FIVE THOUSAND? (giving a FIVE sign with my hand)
BD : ....SIX...
B : WEREWEREWEREWEREWER…..
G (duh, what did he say, perhaps 6000... I hope so... I would pay 6000 first, if he didn't mean to say 6000, then I would add 1000) : ALRIGHT...
B : WEREWEREWEREWEREWEREWEREWEREWEREWER..... NGGOOOEENGG..