‘Stand your ground’ could be their motto. Jalan Paletehan taxi drivers in Blok M, Jakarta, belong to a very restricted category, and they don’t allow just any other colleague to enter the family.
Like the plague-stricken, the respectable Blue Bird taxis are not even allowed to operate on their territory (as a matter of fact they stand by outside the perimeter up the street).
Sitting on the car hood while chain-smoking Kretek cigarettes, the average predatory Paletehan taxi driver is out to chase his prey. The target is anyone who looks more or less like a pedestrian Bule (Indonesian word given to Western people) strolling from a point A to a point B.
Even if you clearly seem to be just going next door, they will still call out to you for a ride. Indeed, they don’t really care about your destination. Rather, what preoccupies them is how they can get as much money from you as possible.
Actually, this should be enough to relieve the fears of most expat patrons since the local taxi mafia almost never resorts to violent confrontations, unlike some other Jakarta night taxis. In other words, they won’t frighten you because they are not criminals, they are simply crooks!
They are family, all of them are Blok M regulars, and are friends with each security guard on the street. They are also quite familiar to the bar girls as they sometimes provide them with Shabu-Shabu, which in Indonesia is not only a famous Japanese hot pot… but also a hard drug.
Here is possibly the only real danger those drivers represent as they are often as high as their Bule customers are. Otherwise, most are barely eighteen years old and have limited experience behind the wheel. Their cars are like the submarine bunk bed that always stays warm because it is occupied 24 hours a day - which results here in crappy rusted cars.
So, what’s the catch? Prestasi, Kosti Jaya, Dian, Diamond… Whatever their pretty name, they have plenty of tricks in their bag. The common scam is obviously when they fiddle with their meter to have it running at the speed of light, up to three or four times the usual fare.
One common tactic is the art of deliberating losing their way. Beware if you fall asleep, as you could easily find yourself in the middle of nowhere! When the driver strongly insists on using his meter instead of negotiating a set price, then he is most likely trying this trick.
So let’s consider now a very practical situation. Why would you take a risk to lose your time, patience, and money in negotiating a crooked fare when you can just catch a Blue Bird as long as you walk 50 meters to the end of the street?
Most likely, because you are inebriated or because the girl you picked up has rushed to her friend from the street mafia. Perhaps it’s late and there are no Blue Birds around. If so, ask the bar management to order you a decent taxi.
One more thing: even once you have jumped in to a Blue Bird, the local mafia is still in business. Sometimes, someone will show up at the driver’s window and require a parking fee. It’s only 3000 Rupiah but it can be exasperating when you are a regular. Figure out how much it would cost a year! You would be better off drinking it than feeding the lazy Mafioso.
This Expat Rockstar has a magic answer that always allows him to escape from their tentacles, ‘This is not my car!’ Try it, it always works. Paletehan taxi drivers have developed a very practical philosophy where they simply try to rip you off… as long as you are willing to allow them to do so!
Nils is a French journalist and Internet consultant based in Jakarta since 2001, he is happily enjoying rock star lifestyle along with married status… or at least trying to make it work smoothly…
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey there, thanks for the tips.. You guys made my day… actually I should say you guys made my night!
When one of the fake parking guys tells me to pay 3000 Rup for a parking fee I just always say “man, forget you, get out of here” and tell the driver to go.
I have never paid so far
You find same kind of dudes in Bali around Double Six club. The problem is actually with those expats stupid enough to be crooked even once. It gives all possible reasons to the taxi mafia for keeping on bullshitting around. Boycott!!
In fairness Dian is a reputable company, I’ve never had problems with them. The cowboys are easy to spot they drive the old clapped out Protons, as you rightly say the easiest solution is to just walk around the corner and get one of the reputable firms.
I think it is best to pay the “parkir” man, if the driver is a regular in the area he will merely be hit for it later himself. It’s only a couple of thou, I know it’s irritating but look everyone’s gotta make a living somehow and you should simply regard it, along with the bribes you pay the policemen, as a tiny proportion of the tax you’re not paying in Indonesia.
I always walk round the corner past the Blue Birds and flag one down on the main road. [even when i have a girl with me]
if driver taxi ask money i say get of on my face
I found a way around this one quite by accident. I don’t go down to Blok M to meet girls myself, I usually go down with my mates who are looking for girls. When I’ve gone down, my girlfriend usually comes and when my mates and I are all pissed up and it is home time, we let her lead the way. I tell you when they start hassling us, that meek, little 90lb indonesian kitten becomes a raging bengal tiger and rips ‘em a new one. I’m not quite a typical raging bule playboy bringing my girl, but it sure is an entertaining sight. Besides, my mates are always thankful as she usually picks the girls for them and negotiates them down to next to nothing in a few cases.