Safety in Indonesia

saintjean wrote:

Integration in the community is a good thing and can increase our safety.

Excellent.
If you show you care about others, the locals will be far more inclined to help you out when you need a hand.
Being a good neighbour is great advice.

I agree luke hehehe i been in jakarta now close to 3 years... i have had 1 motor bike stolen but it was my fault for not securing better thinking it was safe as it was. As to my surpise i learned fast nope it wasnt...But it worked out in the end cause my. CBR motorcycle was only 8 months old and insured so it was replaced by the newest modle. But back to this low key stuff sorry i am not that type of man...I love what i have and keep it nice.. And Im hmmm. I love being diffrent then the normal so ya i do stick out .....And i think thats why i never get bothered. Being a American from Kansas and a cowboy at heart but in the city so i am a pretty stout fellow....Plus i love to try to conversate with all i meet..It shocks alot of them cause there use to many not saying nothing. But all in all ya i feel pretty safe

I must say its so easy to prevent to get your bike stolen, don't use chains, locks whatever it will not work, just make a switch which cut of the power to the ignition, hide the switch somewhere in the frame where only y know where it is, park, switch it off, they can use a " T " key to rip off your ignition lock or alarm, they will not be able to start the bike, that's the iimportant thing, someone want to steal a bike will not push it out of the parking lot, they will get caught. Or buy in glodok one of those GPS gadgets 500 k, build it in your frame, and if get stolen, much easier, will locate the bike via google maps up to 5 or 10 meter of locations, so then you can call the cops, and they or you can beat the shit out of the one who stole your bike, I hate people who steal others property, they pigs ! makes my blood boiling, had our car stolen a long long time ago, the cops where driving it, no proof, and we could not find it, that would be a funny thing, cops driving it, locating it, call the cops, and present the evidence, mmm. well it will not happen again...

Yes i know now! My new bike has both anti malin alarm by touch and gps inside the steel of the frame that sends to my phone now. I can even turn the bike off by my phone.I got my first new CBR just before the news posted alot were being stolen..Thing is mine is a little more advance then the standard CBRs mine has addional electronics such as music and tv, usb charging, gps guiding and more..So now i have more then just fuel cut off switch and GPS tracking... I learned my lesson hehehe but as i said its all fine now i should have exspected it before . Plus most the time parking it people give me like vip parking cause how big and all it is..

cool driving a Harley and a twin classic Honda 650 special abroad, but I am not a biker too dangerous, slipped and felt one time, gave it up, getting too dangerous at my age so the CBR how big is it ? ( cc ).
yup agree the thing you put in right now will help, the funiest thing I like is the GPS, which if they don't find them, well get them withing 5 meter, that would be nice to find out ( don't hope though ) seeing the face of that shithead who stoled the bike ...

Its the 250 cc with the full motor GP package. Ya i allready scare alot of people just starting it up before getting to it from my phone hehehe it has remote start. Plus they hear me in traffic listening to my music....But thats how i deal with the jakarta gila traffic....instead of loud muffler mine has full stero music. I just turn up the tunes and forget about the traffic..some like it and it makes them smile or want to dance! Some just dont know what to think cause they never heard music come from a bike let alone a CBR hehehe so they just get out of my way hehe a plus . Cars can hear it even which is good so they know I am beside them and alot of time will give me a little more road.. My gps will go global with in 5 meter and dosent matter how far on the shut off all I have to do is sms a message to my bike to turn off.. I have all this cause I love touring on my bike to bandung, pongchuk. Bogor even djog dja and other places it mostly what i do to relax get on my bike and ride.

great ha ha , yup 250 is big here, but you still will be stucked in traffic as the other small bikes, but for touring its okay, puncak and bogor is nice for big bikes indeed, that self starting GPS is indeed a magic thing here haha, a bike starting itself, funny. haha. good luck my friend.

I live in Bali. VERY DANGEROUS: the roads at least. Balinese drivers are the most egoistic drivers I have seen and I have traveled a lot. I had two accidents with my bike in two years time.

For the rest it is pretty safe. I hear sometimes about some incidents around Kuta. I live around Sanur and go to bars sometimes until very late. Again the only real danger are the drivers who absolutely don't care about other drivers. It gets worse at night when they drive full speed through red traffic lights.

For those in Jakarta: you won't believe me when I say that driving in Jakarta is really disciplined compared to Bali.

Kind regards

Marc

I must say indeed, yes, when we entered Bali fro the ferry to Den Pasar it is still a while, 10 hrs or more, you see the same as in Jakarta, milons of freaking motorbikes, I though Bali was spared this drama, but no, and no one can drive, everywhere kids , girls on bikes, 2 or 3 on one bike, trying to pass us on a 1 car road, well did not happened, falling with their make up smut faces in the mud boy, they are indeed worst then Jakarta, I think in Jakarta more cops who wants to make a buck, wife withing 2 months caugh , her mistake, without helm on the rear, one time the ojek had no driving license as usual etc.. so they are pretty much controlling here, Bali I don't knw, but is seems everyone is doing whatever they want to do I hate those bike drivers, every year I have to put a new bumper on the car, the don't give a shit, f** up your car, and escape, even 30 cm they have to get in between you and the other car, well you know the feeling for sure, makes blood boiling ! I smashed 1 time as AH with a piece of wood his front light, after hitting me on purpose in order maybe to collect money, boy he was pissed off, but we have to be carefull they all cowards, if alone no problem, but with groups of 10 they have the gutz to jump you, so I just let it go now, and just once a year spray the bumper or doors again ... they do not have any experiences, do what they want, and think they own the road and don't care about anything, its a curse !

Yes I agree it is very frustrating and dangerous with so many motorbikes everywhere. For about Rp3 million deposit anyone can buy a bike whether they know how to drive it or not. But as a car driver I learn that we just have to drive more slowly and expect the unexpected from motorbikes. I always give way to them, always, because not matter how crazy they drive, they are the ones who get killed, not us, and we car drivers are generally the ones to get the blame whether it is our fault or not. My in-laws parent hit a motorcyclist some time back. The guy was fairly badly hurt and insisted to be taken to a hospital, a good hospital. Their car was also impounded by the police. Totally for the hospital bill, some compensation and the police fine they paid out about Rp15 million.

I was driving the other day and indicated to turn right, and a motorcyclist just speeded past me and clipped my front bumper. He went flying but was not hurt except some minor bleeding on his arm. We got off the road and he was visibly shaken and he demanded Rp500,000 for some scratches on his bike that were probably there already. We negotiated it down to Rp200,000 and he was happy enough. Options are that he could have damaged my car as he left, but he didn't. So I got off cheaply and learned a lesson in driving in Indonesia.

For me, there was no damage at all to my car. The motorbiker might have caused the accident on purpose in order to get money, some people are doing this. But for only Rp200,000 everyone was happy.

Now I drive even more carefully than before.

you r right, we have to give them the way, and they know it, so that's even more worse, but what can we do ?
there have no brains, no sim, no respect, and if possible, yes from the Bule get money, my wife had that, someone " pura2 " felt down, without no reasons, she was lucky a security guard so it happen, and forced the guy away, he was seeking money ofcourse. if I clip one, I don't pay, maybe I am foolish but take the more violent approached, I smashed one time a headlight of an AH, so be it. Also the legal DP on a bike is like 30 percent, but you have, ofcourse , those greedy bastards of distributors who sell the bikes, they just sell a bike for 5 percent DP, they take the " risc " of the other 25 percent, hey who the F ** cares that 25 percent they make triple in returns, if they finance a bike, you have to pay for a bike of 12 mil at the end like 25 or more mil, so they don't care, they causes more idiots with no experiences with no sims on bikes, harashing other drivers, including the object " bule " ofcourse, I just tell them if I bump them to F** off and most of the time because I speak the langue pretty well, they  scared off by this, but the problem is those AH who hit your car with a piece of wood, and escape, cowards, if 1 on 1 I contront them , but they always escape, and if more then 10 , yes then they have gutz, so all cowards imo.
but I agree, it depends on the area and situation how they manipulate you, but it sucks. the freaking dealers are the problem, they greedy and just interested in selling bikes, Jakarta added this year again like a couple of miljons, its a business, and they don't care what payment system they have to attach to a sale, the government should be the one who are checking those guys, but that again, is a long story.
same is in the holy month all the FDA is out, catching vendors with expired dates on products etc, stuff without license or pom government numbers, which is illegal, so the big question is why only in the Lebaran month, why not EVERY MONTH, its just showing off they " doing their job " my ass, after Lebaran it the same S** again, selling noodles with formaline, borax, meatball with poison , krupuk from skin of cows of 2 years old, crawling with megots, selling water straight from the rivers, putting some choride in it and sell it as clean water, they operated 10 years, without any problems without anyone getting the, until an area they regular supplied in east Jakarta, a lot of people got diareah and had to go to a hospital, but then the justice system will give them maybe 2 months and a fine, so we still far off comparing this to abroad, it doesn't matter much, but please let the people know that their " is " a system in place, and they they daily do their job, not only a so called special holydays  !! what should be eat now  ? water , noodles with formaline, veggies and dry fish with formaline, baso with borax or pig ( I don't care much about the pig as they do ) but I mean its basicly impossible to buy streetfood, the only thing you can do is buying from someone you really trust ( mm ) or pay ridiculous prices in supermarkets, hoping you not cheated...  welcome to Indonesia, where you have to be really mental strong

This is an old thread but I can across a dodgy situation in Jakarta yesterday.
I was tired and it was late, that meaning I didn't want to travel home so I booked a hotel.
My return from the restaurant saw a prostitute hanging around outside my room, she slipping in as soon as I opened the door (without invitation - I'm not into that disgusting stupidity).
She insisted I'd booked her through an app (there are prostitute apps?????), then started a WA messaging session with her boss whilst trying to negotiate price.
Not wishing to physically sling her out, I left the door open but strongly told her I had no interest, I hadn't ordered anything, and I wanted her out. She insisted on taking a picture of me to show her boss she was in the wrong place - a step too far so I told her very forcefully there was no way she was taking a photo and made it very clear she should leave or be thrown out.
I gather, after a later conversation, they try to get the picture, then go for blackmail - that making me wonder if the hotel was anything to do with the scam - They have a photocopy of my KTP.
I went to reception where they denied all knowledge, claiming she'd slipped in without their knowledge, but yesterday is the last time I'll book that place as they're either in on it, or they neglected security.

Moral of the story - if a pro turns up, block her way into the room so she can't just slip in and, if she manages, grab her by the arm and drag her out if she doesn't obey your first order to leave.

I'm still too 'polite British', so she got away with her attempt far too long, but no harm done and she went away empty handed.

Very similar incident happened  with me, TWICE
Both incidents happened in Jakarta, first one was at a very well known higher end hotel
I was actually in my room when this happened and was waiting for room service (exscuse the pun)
I just called security (panic button in several locations of the room that you press several times security calls your room no answer they come) and she was removed
Second incident was similar
Many hotels in the big cities in south east Asia are notorious for freelancers or own girls Indonesia is no exception
It's a fast growing (already huge) industry in Indonesia demand is so big many 1000s of foreigners are flocking here to offer services
Local A list artists are currently in national media for doing this and have been for as long as I've been here

Gwmeath wrote:

It's a fast growing (already huge) industry in Indonesia demand is so big many 1000s of foreigners are flocking here to offer services
Local A list artists are currently in national media for doing this and have been for as long as I've been here

I know tourists go to Bali for paid sex services, and I suppose it's just the sad end of the tourist industry, but I would hate that stupidity to spread even further than it's already managed. The 'massage' places are easy to avoid so can be ignored, but pros hunting me in a hotel room is more than I'm willing to stand. I think, should this happen again, I'll give her a single warning then drag her to reception and insist on calling the cops. If she's alone, that'll scare the crap out of her and her boss but, if the hotel is involved in a scam, that will very probably show up in the staff's faces.
You've probably gathered, I dislike that sort of stuff anyway, but attempted blackmail is not happening.

I read up on that thing with artists working as high end, expensive whores, a sad episode for Indonesia's entertainment industry. Still, as long as men are stupid enough to pay good looking women a sack of cash for 30 seconds of fun, you'll find women willing to do it.

The hotel thing I experienced was a different matter, very probably arranged by the hotel (or maybe an employee) as they have a photocopy of my KTP, thus the means to blackmail me had she managed to get a photo. I did pop down to reception and ask (in front of other guests) if they'd sent a prostitute to my room. No way to prove who did it so I had to let it go with a little minor embarrassment for the management.
The hotel  is clean, tidy, and cheap (but the breakfast is rubbish), and it's really handy for the airport train as Surdirman station (BNI city) is just 2 minutes away on foot. It's also only 10 minutes walk from my new dentist - also handy.
I might well stay there again as they realise there's no way I'll get scammed, so I believe it's safe now.