Ojek please!

Eric, a colleague of mine and I were happy to catch a Bajai in front of the school to drive us to the gym in Kemang. It was 5.20, my class started at 6.00, it's ony 2.3 km away; we'll be there in no time... NOT. Although walking in Jakarta is rarely an option (even google maps.com doesn't give you the option to walk in Jakarta), after 40 minutes of sitting, sweating and pollution inhaling, Eric and I finally jumped off the Bajai  and walked our way to the gym.

Once at the gym I talked to the customer service department about my options as far as transport. Here is what it comes down to:

• Taxi with high risk of being stuck in traffic
• Bajai with high risk of being stuck in traffic + being exposed to pollution and heat
• Walking with no sidewalks and with a high chance of getting hit by a car
• Going by bike with a high chance of getting hit by a car
• Ojek (also known as hopping on the back of a motorcycle) with NO risk to be stuck in traffic, known to be good drivers, but having to wear stinky, gross helmets.

Ojek it is. I'll borrow a helmet from Fanny.

Depending on the frequency and area of usage, there are different ways to pay an Ojek. For me the most interesting deal would be to hire a personal 44/7 Ojek. In other words I need to find an Ojek, negotiate a fix monthly salary ( max 400 000 Rupiah = 38 Euros), exchange numbers so I can text him when and where he needs to pick me up, close the deal. Yeah... easier said than done.

C-