Jockeys and Ojeks

No i'm not referring to jockeys in horse races - Jockeys are men, women or children who stand on the side of the road waiting to be picked up by drivers so that they can drive on certain main roads in Jakarta during peak hours.  There has to be at least 3 people in the car therefore most people pick up a Jockey on their way into work.  At first I thought - how dangerous?? Riding around with strangers in our car. Well it's just normal here.  The Jockey's rarely talk, they just hop in and ride along until they are told to hop out. They are usually paid about 15,000 rupiah (Less than $2).  They get in the car having no clue where the driver is heading or how long they will need them.  The craziest part of all is how young children are on the side of the road as Jockeys.  One day our Jockey was 10 years old and lived about 5 hours away from Jakarta.  He catches the train every morning alone and heads to Jakarta to be a Jockey for the day and make money for the family and goes back home on the train every night alone. It's really unimaginable.  And makes you think how incredibly blessed you are.  Mothers with the tiny babies in their fabric sling or young children by their side are also very common.

So if you don't have time to pick up a Jockey and sit in the intense traffic of Jakarta, your next option is to take an Ojek.  Ojeks are simply motorbikes and their owners that are parked on small side streets waiting for someone to hop on the back.  The driver hands you a sweaty/smelly helmet and off you both go.  The advantage is how quickly you can get from one place to the next.  Motorbikes can drive in between traffic and along the side of the cars making much faster time than any vehicle on the road.  The cost can vary - especially if you are an expat (someone from another country), and of course depends how far you are going.  Alo and many of my friends have taken Ojeks, but I have yet to work up the courage to take one.  Traffic in Jakarta is so incredibly bad and they have no rules so it's certainly not the safest mode of transportation :). Plust the sweaty helmet thing just makes me cringe!

Alo taking photos while on the back of the Ojek!

I took this last photo from the internet but it basically sums up what the traffic looks like on a daily basis. And you thought the DC area traffic was bad!