Often enough, in Indonesia, if you try to do things the right way, it ends up looking like the stupid way. Would you do it anyway?
I have been postponing writing about this, because I wanted to write when I have finished the whole process. Unfortunately that whole process took me 1.5 months. A little background: I came back to Indonesia on January 2012, after staying abroad for 11 years. One of the already cliched precautions given to any Indonesian home-comers would be to beware of the traffic. For this reason, I've been avoiding the traffic. How, you may ask? For one, I do not own a car. And the second obvious way is to never go far. For about a year, I rented a place super close to my work place. By that I mean walking-distance close. Thus, so far, I have been successful in beating (or rather running away from) the notorious street jams. However, now has come the time for me to run no more, and drive instead. After almost a year and half, I feel that now I need more flexibility and mobility in Jakarta.
Almost nobody here obtain a driver's license the right and formal way. Several reasons can be used: time constraints, corrupt application system, long-winded process, the test is impossible to pass, etc. Bribing has become the normal standard operating procedure. You can give some money to "calo", and then you come to Satpas Polda Metro Jaya at Daan Mogot, West Jakarta, you get your picture taken, and you will be free to drive around the city. It's fast, it's easy, it's painless. The "calo" will take care of all the process and all the bribing in the police station. By the way, fun fact, I can't find a translation in English for the word "calo". The closest to it would be a "pimp".
So, what if, you, against all the conspiracies this universe has mustered, wish to still do things the right way? Well, ladies and gentlemen, meet me, and all the conflicting thoughts and restless feelings I have about this issue, and maybe we can unite :) I wish I can tell you that I am this brave person with strong conviction, determination, and will power to stand firm for the truth. I am, unfortunately, pretty far from that. But, I do hope I can bring value by sharing this experience of trying to do the right thing in the midst of messiness.
First, let me share the 2 main reasons that compel me to differ from bribing to get my driver's license:
1. When I watch the news on TV, and I see corruptors or government officials making just the most ridiculous comments, or like the video of a Balinese policeman asking for money from a motorcyclist, I cringe. I cringe at what this country has become, at how imprisoned we are by corruption. I long to live to see that moment of liberation, where when I see a policeman and government officials, I would feel safe instead of afraid. When if I go to court I feel secure because I know I am fully protected by the laws. But, that is all good and easy when I am the person in front of a screen, eating chips and passing judgements with no consequences. At the moments when I face these issues myself (regardless of the scale), would I do the same things as the people whom I cringe at do? Do I dare to be the hypocrite?
2. I have to admit that I hesitated a lot during this whole process. To bribe or not to bribe? One strong moment of conviction came when at my first visit to Polda Metro Jaya, I met a fat policeman. More on that below, but I think you can already guess what happened.
The Theory Test
On the 6th of May 2013, 7.30 am, I arrived at the Polda Metro Jaya to apply for the driver's license.The first step is the easy and the straightforward one: paying. Basically, you go through a series of booths where you have to pay for this and that. Here's the breakdown of all the expenses:
- Rp. 25.000: health check, which is actually a 1 minute eye check. Less than 1 minute even.
- Rp. 75.000: form and administration fee.
- Rp. 30.000: insurance fee.
So, if, you are making a driver's license the honest way, you'll pay a total of Rp. 130.000. You fill in some forms, you pay that amount, and you will be good for the next step. Oh, don't forget to prepare copies of your KTP; you'll need them in some steps through the process.
Next, prepare yourself for the theory test. It is a multiple-choice test with 30 questions on it. You are given 3 choices for each question and 15 minutes to finish. Choose wisely! No, actually wisdom has nothing to do with it, really. When I entered the test room it was only a quarter full. The commander would wait until it is full before starting the test. Bring a 2B pencil and a pen with you. You won't need an eraser. The question bank has a total of 500 questions and there were 10 sets of test. So the test that you get may not be the same as the one taken by the person next to you. If you can get 18 right, you'll pass the test.
I met the fat policeman I mentioned before, as I was entering the room. He asked me, "Hi, mbak, would you like to take the test or not?" At this point, I knew what he meant and I was really turned off by his style and the passive aggressive way of talking. I answered, "Isn't that the way to get a driver's license?" He replied, "Oh, so you'd like to take the test?" I told him that I would, and I entered the room. As I waited, came a bunch of people with hearing deficiency; they were talking in sign language and it took them a lot of efforts when they tried to talk normally. The fat policeman didn't make fun of them in a direct way, but he was making comments that were slightly derogatory, and looked annoyed when they asked questions to clarify things. I knew then that if I were to give any money, the least that I can do is not to give to this particular policeman.
Unfortunately, I got 16 out of the 30 questions and did not pass the theory test. I came back home feeling frustrated but still convicted that I was doing the right thing. When you fail, you can come back again after 2 weeks (or more than 2 weeks) and repeat the test without paying more. I don't mind doing that if Daan Mogot is not so freaking far from my house. But that's not the main problem. I think the ultimate frustration comes from the fact that there's no official manual for the theory test that we can study before hand. And believe when I say common sense can't make you pass it. Below are examples of the test; which of the vehicle should go first, 1, 2, or 3?
The night before I planned to go back for another driving test, I was having a hard time thinking about what I would do the next day. I could not really find a good source to study for the test on the internet, and the question to study amounts to 500. So, I guess in a way, I finally decided that I would bribe the policeman. I told my mom that night about my decision and of course she said that she's disappointed in me. Big time. Not because she opposed the bribing, but because if I came to that conclusion anyways, I should do it the first time. And after my long speech about why I wouldn't bribe, why I said did not translate to real action and I threw away my conviction really easily.
But I was scared. I still studied the questions (though it was a lot to take in), but what if I fail again? Does it make sense to come back so many times? It really is easier just to pay, right? On the way to the police station, I was still on the fence, but leaning towards paying. I wanted to settle it there and then, get my license and just move on.
I arrived at the police station and came in to the theory test area. The fat policeman wasn't there. I was early and so there was only an old man preparing the test room. I approached him and asked, "Sir, is there anyway to get the license without taking the test. Are you able to help me out?" He was a really polite guy, he said, "Mbak, I cannot. Please just take the test and Insya Allah you will pass." I was apparently asking the wrong guy; he was not in a position to help me a long the process. He was only a janitor anyways. So when the policeman finally come, I gathered my courage to ask him, "Pak, can I cut corners to get the license?" He asked me how many times have I taken the test, to which I told him that it was my second time. I was really surprised when I answered, "Just try again, hopefully this time you pass." WHAAAAT? I frantically messaged my mom to tell her what happen and how I couldn't get anybody to help me out. She messaged me back saying that outside, there were no "calo" at all. Apparently, there was a sweep on that day and nobody dared to offer help. Again, WHAAAAT in the wooooorld?
So, I was forced against my will to take the test. It did not feel any easier than the first one and I came out of it feeling desperate. I had a feeling that I could not get an 18 out of 30. The wait for the result was not pleasant. But, when I got it back, I got 18 on the dot! Don't ask me how, but it happened. I was super ecstatic, knowing that I had moved forward a step in the process.
I straight away went to the driving test zone. There were about 8-10 of us that day who moved forward (from what appeared to be around 70-ish). I was not happy for too long because I failed that driving test. Only one person passed and it was his 3rd time trying.
So, two weeks later, I came again for a second driving test. I came on a Saturday morning around 8 am. I had the whole driving test zone to myself to practice. There are basically 6 things tested:
1. Foward 50 m
2. Reverse 50 m
3. Foward zigzag
4. Reverse zigzag (Are you kidding me?)
5. Reverse parking
6. Parallel parking
And there were cones placed on the track. If you hit just one of the cones, you fail. And mind you, the cones are placed close to each other. In the forward and reverse 50 m for example, the space fits my Avanza car just right; there only little space left on the both sides of the car. In both parking, you can only try once, and if you already reversed you car, you can't go forward anymore. In other words, you cannot "fix" your parking and no going back and forth.
I knew after my practice that morning that I was able to pass it. But, it also took some luck. So, if I hit one of the cones, I was ready to give the policeman some cash. Thank goodness I did not hit anything. The policeman did hint me to give him some money by asking where I work and where my parents work. And he said that my parallel parking was not good enough, even when I did not hit any cones. He said, "OK, I will help you and pass you." NO, you did not pass me! I passed fair and square.
- Rp. 25.000: health check, which is actually a 1 minute eye check. Less than 1 minute even.
- Rp. 75.000: form and administration fee.
- Rp. 30.000: insurance fee.
So, if, you are making a driver's license the honest way, you'll pay a total of Rp. 130.000. You fill in some forms, you pay that amount, and you will be good for the next step. Oh, don't forget to prepare copies of your KTP; you'll need them in some steps through the process.
Next, prepare yourself for the theory test. It is a multiple-choice test with 30 questions on it. You are given 3 choices for each question and 15 minutes to finish. Choose wisely! No, actually wisdom has nothing to do with it, really. When I entered the test room it was only a quarter full. The commander would wait until it is full before starting the test. Bring a 2B pencil and a pen with you. You won't need an eraser. The question bank has a total of 500 questions and there were 10 sets of test. So the test that you get may not be the same as the one taken by the person next to you. If you can get 18 right, you'll pass the test.
I met the fat policeman I mentioned before, as I was entering the room. He asked me, "Hi, mbak, would you like to take the test or not?" At this point, I knew what he meant and I was really turned off by his style and the passive aggressive way of talking. I answered, "Isn't that the way to get a driver's license?" He replied, "Oh, so you'd like to take the test?" I told him that I would, and I entered the room. As I waited, came a bunch of people with hearing deficiency; they were talking in sign language and it took them a lot of efforts when they tried to talk normally. The fat policeman didn't make fun of them in a direct way, but he was making comments that were slightly derogatory, and looked annoyed when they asked questions to clarify things. I knew then that if I were to give any money, the least that I can do is not to give to this particular policeman.
Unfortunately, I got 16 out of the 30 questions and did not pass the theory test. I came back home feeling frustrated but still convicted that I was doing the right thing. When you fail, you can come back again after 2 weeks (or more than 2 weeks) and repeat the test without paying more. I don't mind doing that if Daan Mogot is not so freaking far from my house. But that's not the main problem. I think the ultimate frustration comes from the fact that there's no official manual for the theory test that we can study before hand. And believe when I say common sense can't make you pass it. Below are examples of the test; which of the vehicle should go first, 1, 2, or 3?
Sometimes, God tested your motivation by giving you choices, but in the end leave you with only one: the one He really wants you to take.
The night before I planned to go back for another driving test, I was having a hard time thinking about what I would do the next day. I could not really find a good source to study for the test on the internet, and the question to study amounts to 500. So, I guess in a way, I finally decided that I would bribe the policeman. I told my mom that night about my decision and of course she said that she's disappointed in me. Big time. Not because she opposed the bribing, but because if I came to that conclusion anyways, I should do it the first time. And after my long speech about why I wouldn't bribe, why I said did not translate to real action and I threw away my conviction really easily.
But I was scared. I still studied the questions (though it was a lot to take in), but what if I fail again? Does it make sense to come back so many times? It really is easier just to pay, right? On the way to the police station, I was still on the fence, but leaning towards paying. I wanted to settle it there and then, get my license and just move on.
I arrived at the police station and came in to the theory test area. The fat policeman wasn't there. I was early and so there was only an old man preparing the test room. I approached him and asked, "Sir, is there anyway to get the license without taking the test. Are you able to help me out?" He was a really polite guy, he said, "Mbak, I cannot. Please just take the test and Insya Allah you will pass." I was apparently asking the wrong guy; he was not in a position to help me a long the process. He was only a janitor anyways. So when the policeman finally come, I gathered my courage to ask him, "Pak, can I cut corners to get the license?" He asked me how many times have I taken the test, to which I told him that it was my second time. I was really surprised when I answered, "Just try again, hopefully this time you pass." WHAAAAT? I frantically messaged my mom to tell her what happen and how I couldn't get anybody to help me out. She messaged me back saying that outside, there were no "calo" at all. Apparently, there was a sweep on that day and nobody dared to offer help. Again, WHAAAAT in the wooooorld?
So, I was forced against my will to take the test. It did not feel any easier than the first one and I came out of it feeling desperate. I had a feeling that I could not get an 18 out of 30. The wait for the result was not pleasant. But, when I got it back, I got 18 on the dot! Don't ask me how, but it happened. I was super ecstatic, knowing that I had moved forward a step in the process.
I straight away went to the driving test zone. There were about 8-10 of us that day who moved forward (from what appeared to be around 70-ish). I was not happy for too long because I failed that driving test. Only one person passed and it was his 3rd time trying.
Driving Test
So, two weeks later, I came again for a second driving test. I came on a Saturday morning around 8 am. I had the whole driving test zone to myself to practice. There are basically 6 things tested:
1. Foward 50 m
2. Reverse 50 m
3. Foward zigzag
4. Reverse zigzag (Are you kidding me?)
5. Reverse parking
6. Parallel parking
And there were cones placed on the track. If you hit just one of the cones, you fail. And mind you, the cones are placed close to each other. In the forward and reverse 50 m for example, the space fits my Avanza car just right; there only little space left on the both sides of the car. In both parking, you can only try once, and if you already reversed you car, you can't go forward anymore. In other words, you cannot "fix" your parking and no going back and forth.
I knew after my practice that morning that I was able to pass it. But, it also took some luck. So, if I hit one of the cones, I was ready to give the policeman some cash. Thank goodness I did not hit anything. The policeman did hint me to give him some money by asking where I work and where my parents work. And he said that my parallel parking was not good enough, even when I did not hit any cones. He said, "OK, I will help you and pass you." NO, you did not pass me! I passed fair and square.
Apparently, getting a driver's license in Indonesia is just as easy as getting one in the US. And at the same time, just as hard
And so, we have come to the conclusion. Living in Indonesia is not that straight forward. If you want to be street smart, you probably have to break some rules. If you want to play by the book, you have to do things that might not make the best sense. I don't want to say which one is right; I can understand the logic behind both. But for this case, I can say from experience that getting your driver's license in Indonesia without bribing is doable. Sure, it needs some work, but what doesn't?
In the US, I came to DMV three times as well. First was for the theory test, which I also had to study for. Of course it was easier because the study material was a lot clearer, but here, you can also get the material here and there from the internet and I heard unofficially there is a guide sold in Gramedia.
The second time, I came for the driving test, at which I failed the parallel parking. Although for that one, I do have to take full on responsibility because I had just learned how to drive and did not have a good sense to part. In Indonesia, when I came for the second time, I failed the driving test because the cones were really close to each other as if you're driving in a really small alley, so I hit one of them and failed.
The third time, in the US, I had prepared myself well for the parking, I knew all the right things to do, and I managed to pass. This is similar to my third time coming for the test in Indonesia. I came earlier to practice, and I passed.
So, I would say that, getting a driver's license is never easy, anywhere you are. Like it or not you have to study for it, and you have to practice for it. In Indonesia, we take it for granted that there are "calo" and the police officers to bribe. And if you take that route, that would be the easiest driver's license requirement in the world. You only have to come to the station to get your picture taken and voilaaa you can drive. Now, THAT, does not make sense.
So, if you want to do it the formal way, be assured that it is actually only slightly worse than the tests in the US or UK or Australia or whatever country you want to name. I do hope that in the future, the police officials make the process a less painful one by having the "one window" policy where you get everything from the same booth and and also make the study material available. But, looking back, I am actually fine with having to study and practice for it.
For now, I am just thankful that I don't have to go back to that police station again. Phhhewwww... And I can roam around Jakarta freely!!!!
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