| Domani | 03-25-2010 03:25 PM |
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1508663/
Mariana pulls her pink head scarf tight down over her forehead and steps gingerly into traffic, waving her hand surreptitiously at the passing drivers to let them know she’s available.
Her conservative attire makes it clear that it’s not sex she’s selling on the side of the road. Instead, Ms. Mariana – who like many Indonesians goes by only one name – is among the thousands of Jakarta’s poor trying to make money in a trade thought to be unique to the Indonesian capital: professional hitchhiker.
“Car jockeys” such as Ms. Mariana work busy corners all over Jakarta as the city struggles to deal with gridlock that brings traffic to a standstill every morning and evening.
Hiring one or two car jockeys means a driver can ride in the slightly faster-moving carpool lanes that are restricted during morning and evening rush hour to vehicles with three or more passengers. In exchange, jockeys are usually given 10,000 or 20,000 rupiah, about $1 or $2.
“Sometimes they give me 20,000 rupiah, but if they are stingy they only give me 10,000. If they drive me for half an hour and only give me 10,000, then I get angry with them,” Ms. Mariana said, adding that she usually has to spend 2,000 or 3,000 rupiah taking a bus back to her starting point after the driver drops her off across town. | 