Angkot : The Social Laboratory
Angkot : The Social Laboratory part 1
Bandung, May 3rd 2009
17.28
I am Ainun and this is my friend Religia. Both of us are grown and
lived for a long time in Bandung. We are going to our hang out
together.
Do you know what angkot is? Angkot is a special public transportation
in Bandung. Many people rely on this public transport. In angkot, we
can find various kinds of people. No matter what their social status or
their economic status is. Everyone can use this transport wherever and
whenever they want.
Why is angkot so special? Because, there are no other cheaper public
transport in Bandung. We also have buses, taxies, local train, until
traditional transport like pedicabs and horse crate. But the most
comfortable transportation with a cheap price is angkot.
Now, we are on our way to go to town square. And guess what the
transportation we use is?? Yes, it’s angkot. We prefer use angkot
because it can decrease the traffic jam and we just like to observe and
think about each unique moment that happens in angkot. Angkot is just
like social laboratory for me. I can learn about life from the
diversity of people.
Angkot : The Social Laboratory part 2
We can make a hypothesis. Most of the angkot’s
passengers included to middle circles of society. This community is
easiest to find in Bandung, because the majority of Bandung’s
inhabitant included to this class. The most supported place where we
can find them is in Gasibu* on Sunday morning, or to the town square.
Further, I can identified and make a summary about their
characteristic.
First, they always frown when they have shopping, because their income
is just barely enough to live on. Usually, the wife is very
consideration of their expenditures, really think about the advantages
and disadvantages of something.
Second, they are “high class wannabe”. That’s why, they are always
shopping an imitation things. For example, the imitation of Sophie
Martin bag. The original price maybe up to millions rupiah, but the
imitation is just about thirty thousand rupiah until fifty thousand
rupiah. Even the Chinese factory is never progressing without them,
because the consumer of Chinese’s products is them. They always become
victims of fashion. They want to be accepted as a “the have”. That’s
why, they make their lifestyle “resemble” to “high class life style”.
They always watch the fashion, and they follow it.
Third, they have lots of huge dreams. For lower circles of society,
they had buried their dreams deeply, early, and never mind about it.
Because they think they won’t get a chance to change their life. But
for middle circles of society, they always think about their dreams.
They always hope that maybe sometime, a chance will come, and their
destiny will be changed. Their probability to get a chance is greater
than lower circles of society.
Finally, we had arrived to our destination. We learn so many lessons I
won’t to forget, about a life.
*Gasibu = town square in front of the government office in bandung.
gasibu has running track, people usually come there for having exercise.