In Reply to: Accidents and 'Transport, Boss'? posted by Malibali on Monday, 5. March 2007 at 05:11 Bali Time:
A lot of the "unwritten rules" depend on where you live in Indonesia. For example, in a city hmmm lets pick Jogjakarta Central Java where there are more motorbikes than cars.. motorbikes rule the roads.. so IF there is an accident between car/motorbike the car is always the loser... it doesnt matter who was right or wrong...
For example, if a motorcyclist is hit and falls off his bike, you will get the good people who will stop and help... this happened to a friend of mine, he was hit by a car, was in a coma for a week, and is ok now..but lost his sense of smell... the car driver stopped and helped him to the hospital etc...
or you get the complete opposite, which happened to my partner, was sideswiped by a car, fell off his bike (light injuries only) and the car sped off...to never been seen again... they dont want to take responsibility for what they have done, and dont want to have to pay for any damages...
In Jakarta is the size of the vehicle that rules the roads... buses/trucks etc...
a work collegue was hit by another motorbike which didnt have lights on at night, and my friend had his jaw broken. Of course the foreigner (my friend) was to blame.... and he basically had to run for his life to his house.. lucky it was close by. For his motorbike the local people stripped it of parts...and no bike left. My friend then had to pay about 5 million of the hospital bill of the other rider who was IN THE WRONG with not using the lights at night!! Even then the family kept hasseling him, trying to get more money.
Another friend (english guy) was hit by a motorized 3 wheel taxi cab, but luckily happened in front of police chief's house... so the "guards" helped him... the taxicab driver was caught and bashed (yes by the police and locals) and they took my friend to hospital for 4 operations in one, screws in his ankle, shoulder, jaw, wrist, however the hospital wouldnt operate without a 15 million rupiah deposit first...
the bike was safe, because the police "protected it in their holding yard" but again...my friend had to pay money to the police to get his bike back..first it was 2 million, then the cop dealing with the problem said "his wife was about to have a baby" and they needed more money...so it went up to 3 million....
And yes, bus drivers, truck drivers will run and hide, because they dont want to be bashed by the locals (probably hoping they died along with any other victims than having to face the reality of the accident) and they dont want to pay the costs, its always reported on the news after accidents, that the driver/pilot/conductor/captain etc... has dissapeared and the police are searching...
These are just some of the stories I've heard first hand...
Basically in Indonesia, any criminal caught, or someone who causes an accident etc, will get bashed/killed by the locals or if not the locals the police will do it. You see it all the time on tv.. for the criminal shows, the "suspect" is being interviewed by police in the station, but his face and body is swollen from being bashed...or the cops love to shoot the "criminals" in the leg... so they cant run away....or shot dead...
In Bali it seems that most people are in jail because of drug crimes, for any other crimes, such as stealing, rape, murder etc etc, its traditionally dealt with first by the locals (bashing/public humiliation etc)...putting the person in jail is the last thing on their minds..