Danger Ranger

The year was 2016, and I was beyond bummed when the news circulated on how Ford was to cease sales in Indonesia. Though never had the chance to own one, Fords have never failed to turn heads (mine at least), even during their Mazda-re-badge days.

What intrigued me the most was their "dull" design cues back in the 90's and early 2000's, you know the one, boxy with curved edges, found in Escorts, Lasers, Fiestas, and the likes. By the likes referring to their small trucks, the almighty non-North American Ranger - or at least for the first few generations of them. 

I remember growing up in BSD where a gardening shop owner has had a bright red single-cab 4x4 - the first-gen-Mazda B-Series-based one - using everyday to haul pots, plants, sacks of fertilizer, but still manages to keep it well maintained, even until today.

Fast forward to the other day, I was somewhere in East Java for work, and was supposed to be inspecting heavy equipment, when I totally got side-tracked by a couple of abandoned Ford Rangers at the lot.

Though not in prime shape as the BSD-roaming Ranger, but boy, call me weird, but it was like time froze for a few moments as I looked around the pair of single-cab 4x4 B-series in cowboy rattlesnake-skin boots.

KendaRANT: JORR Jams

Have you ever driven around the Jakarta Outer Ring Road, and as you close in towards the TB. Simatupang section, and thought to yourself, “why are all these cars slowing down?” as you and all the other motorists around you slow down to a halt? Then as you inch your way towards the Pondok Indah section, the traffic speeds up once again at acceptable highway speeds, you let out a sigh of relief? I know I have.

After years of taking this route and analyzing all possible causes of temporary congestions as such, I have thought of two: cars hogging the right (fast) lane, and trucks and buses hogging the middle lane.

Let’s start with the former, we’ve all seen this. It’s probably safe to say there will always be a right lane hogger in the vast Jakartan toll roads alone at any given time, may that be some chick on her phone, or some grandpa trying to figure out where to take the next exit. If you’re not overtaking, nor are you going above the speed limit, it would be really cool if you’d just stay in the middle or left lane.

Now to the latter, the culprits who really grind my gear: trucks and lorries. Look at them, probably feeling all high and mighty compared to us puny cars, doing the bare minimum 60 km/h in the middle lane, leaving the left lane empty for a while, until the occasional below-minimum speed truck appears. It baffles me to think how these drivers don’t understand basic instructions that say “Bus dan Truk tetap di lajur kiri.” Short, sweet, and simple.

Combine these to together, and gradual, painful congestion on the toll roads is what you get, especially on elevated sections, where all these trucks tend to slow down and drop a gear in order to make the climb. So regardless of what you drive and who you are, please, for the love of God, get smart, stay in your designated lanes.