After the driver gave me his second helmet to wear, I got on, a little uneasy: all I had were little pegs to rest my feet on and little handles on the back of the bike to hold onto. But all of these drivers get around well enough and do it every day, so it must be safe, right? After I put my helmet on, we drove off, the wind singing in my ears and giving me a nice, dry hug after a humid day. My mind was filled with the thought, “What if we get in a crash?” But I realized that there was nothing I could do except trust my driver, who, like the rest, was very good at driving in the bike-crowded streets. So I relaxed, sat there comfortably, and enjoyed the nice cool breeze as we zipped through the maze of streets and traffic. Since then, I have ridden ojek more than I can count and find the experience to be restful after a long day’s work.
Most families in Indonesia have and use motorcycles instead of cars because cars are very expensive here. Most people also have one or maybe two small businesses in addition to their main job, and ojek driving is one way that people make a living. I have also met many drivers who have been taxiing for as many as 21 years as their full-time job. Similar to Uber and DoorDash in the U.S., people can use ojeks to order most things to their homes, such as medicine from a local pharmacy, groceries from the store, or take-out from a restaurant. Because ojek drivers are a large part of the population in cities and provide an important service to so many people, they are a key part of the economy in Indonesia.
