Jakarta

[Sean EZ]

I just returned from Jakarta; am preparing my report. Mainly dealing with pictures, which takes a a bit longer to sort through. But I want to raise a separate question first.

As I travel through the city, I saw one shitty neighborhood after another. At many spots right at the center of the the city, even next to the museums and govt buildings, there are building ruins. I have not seen one true "nice area" in Jakarta, and decent-condition buildings are few and far in between. I went to Mangga Dua mall; inside the mall is OK, just outside the mall... shitty.

The sewage gutters are mostly clogged by garbage. The area around Classic is pretty old and run-down as well. It flooded after the new year eve rain.

Why is the city so run-down?! Where are the nice areas in Jakarta (if they exist)?

Where do you live? I used to think same thing when entering NJ from Manhattan and it went on for miles, worse than Jakarta in my opinion. But it is much worse in India than anywhere else I've seen.

Are you there for pussy or sightseeing? If sightseeing Central and South Jakarta are cleaner and generally more developed than Kota Mangga Dua area of the North.

[BkkVistor77]

How much did you have to pay? Just a thought but are you sure this Tinder girl didn't know there was a road stop with her buddy cop working and drove you on that route purposely?

LOL, no, she definitely wasn't. I think I had to hand over 500 k, which from what my friend told me, is significantly more than the norm. She said one had to cough up 200 or 300 k and generally they'd be happy, but not this time. Anyway, I've had worse, no biggie, and I understand that these guys are on shit wages and see us as an easy target, it's all in the game, but it's still unpleasant.

[Maila]

I just returned from Jakarta; am preparing my report. Mainly dealing with pictures, which takes a a bit longer to sort through. But I want to raise a separate question first.

As I travel through the city, I saw one shitty neighborhood after another. At many spots right at the center of the the city, even next to the museums and govt buildings, there are building ruins. I have not seen one true "nice area" in Jakarta, and decent-condition buildings are few and far in between. I went to Mangga Dua mall; inside the mall is OK, just outside the mall... shitty.

The sewage gutters are mostly clogged by garbage. The area around Classic is pretty old and run-down as well. It flooded after the new year eve rain.

Why is the city so run-down?! Where are the nice areas in Jakarta (if they exist)?

Even for developing countries, some of these cities in SEA seem to be really lagging in development. I thought Bali was weird. Such a big tourist location and barely any infrastructure at all where walking seemed better than being in a car. Although, funny story, I took this tour in jogja and they took me to this village, which had decent roads, built schools, and everything. It was oddly much better developed than what I saw in Bali. I was recently in Cebu and I though that was pretty shitty.

You would think the capital city would be better. I mean, compare against Bangkok for instance. Maybe they'll make a nicer new capital city:-the.

[Maila]

I decided to try social media, specifically Tinder. Having no luck on that thing. What puzzles me is that these women either don't talk or if they do, it's in one syllable. You ask them a small question as a conversation starter and I just get a "why" or something. I guess these are not all working women, otherwise, one could just ask for their rate directly.

These tinder matches just go nowhere for me. Not liking it. Even conceptually, you can like a person but you can't really message them and have to depend on them randomly coming across your profile and liking it without knowing that you liked their profile. (I know, a subscription "solves" this problem they created. But it narrows down the pool so much if we're talking only about paid subscribers.) I got their "gold" subscription or whatever.

I think I'm done trying to get girls using social media. Too much time and effort for not enough gain. Twitter had slightly better results in Jogja. I also understand other people would have a different experience based on their background / demographics.

[Smoothy]

We all know about the traffic cop scams. Happens in many SEA countries. On a daily basis where I am in Thailand.

Thailand is nothing like Jakarta for police raids. On the very rare occasion I have been stopped by the police in Thailand, they were polite and have never made me pay anything at all. One time they made my Thai girlfriend at the time, who was driving, pay a small fee. But she was absolutely in the wrong on that occasion and if it had been in the USA, she would have gotten a ticket for sure. I think she gave them 300 baht. That's nothing if you ask me. It's the exact opposite in Jakarta. The police go out of their way to cause you shit over nothing and pressure you to pay. They will pull the taxi over and not say a word to the taxi driver, they will go directly after you in the back seat because they know you have a lot more money than the taxi driver. Indonesia is by far the worst place in Asia for this type of police shakedown. The only countries I have seen that even compare to the kind of police corruption you see in Indonesia are in Africa.

That being said, I still don't worry so much about the police shakedowns at the traffic stops. The most they will want is about a million rupiah (about 70 USD) and I consider that just to be one of the prices that have to be paid while in Indonesia. It's not something that happens very day or even every month. I guess it could happen to me more often, but I don't go out late at night that often anymore.

In Thailand, I have been at Soi Cowboy and also at Nana when the Thai police raided the place and shut it down. On those occasions, it was a total no effect at all on me because the police simply kicked us out and didn't hassle us at all. The only negative effect on me was that they closed the places down so I lost an evening of fun. The Indonesian police raid at a place like Sari Ayu is a totally different deal. You do not want to be in a place like Sari Ayu if it gets raided by the police for drugs because that could possibly be real trouble.

[BJtemp]

I just returned from Jakarta; am preparing my report. Mainly dealing with pictures, which takes a a bit longer to sort through. But I want to raise a separate question first.

As I travel through the city, I saw one shitty neighborhood after another. At many spots right at the center of the the city, even next to the museums and govt buildings, there are building ruins. I have not seen one true "nice area" in Jakarta, and decent-condition buildings are few and far in between. I went to Mangga Dua mall; inside the mall is OK, just outside the mall... shitty.

The sewage gutters are mostly clogged by garbage. The area around Classic is pretty old and run-down as well. It flooded after the new year eve rain.

Why is the city so run-down?! Where are the nice areas in Jakarta (if they exist)?

[Maila]

I never figured out what you are supposed to get for buying the dancer drinks. I know you get to touch their boobs and butt, but for how long I don't know. Maybe some monger friends in the know can educate us on this.

My one experience with the dancer was, she forced herself upon me, then started to pick up drinks from the the trailing worker's tray (looks like liquor but likely just tea). Boom-Boom-Boom, 3 drinks, she asked for the number, sign the bill, and she was gone.

From beginning to end about 2 minutes. Not worth it.

I heard - but not 100% sure as I don't like to do things in the public - with 365K payment, the same money as going to room, you can elect to have a girl at the table for the full hour. But as you have indicated, if you don't speak bahasa and they don't speak English, it's hard to have fun sitting around.

Yeah, it can be a rip off too. In Tijuana, they get handsy with you on their own. In Patong, it was fine, they sat with you, chatted, played games, got a little handsy, etc. , and most of of these places it was like 10-15 minutes. I liked it. But I know some guys want to pick up a girl and leave and not interested in anything else.

I think often (not always) it's good to see if they seem like they might be receptive to you if you take them for sex. Doesn't always work. Then, there was the time in Patong, when the girl didn't even drink the damn thing and just upped an left after a few minutes. So, there's that too.

But, I thought in (many?) Jakarta places, you were required to buy them drinks (4?) if you wanted to take them to the room. I'm probably mixing up establishments here.

[BJtemp]

Hmm. Oh well. I mean, I don't mind paying for drink for a girl who sits and chats with you, with fondling and flirting. But that requires language skills. Doesn't seem most girls know how to speak English here and I couldn't say a word in Bahasa. Also, being mobbed is another different issue.

But, I do like a fun atmosphere with some dancing or some such activity. Then, I can linger around, etc. Like those Patong bars, but I understand Jakarta is different. I think I read previously that Malio Club was a lot of fun but it was a while ago. One should have something to do between sessions, right? .

I never figured out what you are supposed to get for buying the dancer drinks. I know you get to touch their boobs and butt, but for how long I don't know. Maybe some monger friends in the know can educate us on this.

My one experience with the dancer was, she forced herself upon me, then started to pick up drinks from the the trailing worker's tray (looks like liquor but likely just tea). Boom-Boom-Boom, 3 drinks, she asked for the number, sign the bill, and she was gone.

From beginning to end about 2 minutes. Not worth it.

I heard - but not 100% sure as I don't like to do things in the public - with 365K payment, the same money as going to room, you can elect to have a girl at the table for the full hour. But as you have indicated, if you don't speak bahasa and they don't speak English, it's hard to have fun sitting around.

[Maila]

You will get mobbed for drinks at Classic as well. I don't enjoy groping women in public, so this is not my thing. To avoid being hooked for payment, just firmly say no when the girl approaches, and don't touch the woman even if she tries to take your hands to put on her boobs; turn away if she tries to sit in your crotch. Once you touch her, it is grounds for paying. Yeah some dancers get pissed off for being rejected, but better they are pissed off then you are pissed off.

At Classic, different floors just means different clubs; but the operation is pretty much the same; girl quality is same as well. It's timing-based random luck whom you get to select. The dancer teams rotate among the different clubs.

Hmm. Oh well. I mean, I don't mind paying for drink for a girl who sits and chats with you, with fondling and flirting. But that requires language skills. Doesn't seem most girls know how to speak English here and I couldn't say a word in Bahasa. Also, being mobbed is another different issue.

But, I do like a fun atmosphere with some dancing or some such activity. Then, I can linger around, etc. Like those Patong bars, but I understand Jakarta is different. I think I read previously that Malio Club was a lot of fun but it was a while ago. One should have something to do between sessions, right? .

[BJtemp]

I'm getting to Jakarta tomorrow. Stuck in JOG today due to bad planning on my part. Haven't ever been before to Jakarta. I've read a bunch of reports, older and recent. I guess I'm going to check out Classic (and Travel?) and Emporium. I read previously that Malio club is where you get mobbed for drinks and Malioboro is a bit tamer. The variants and different floors are a bit confusing.

I was thinking of swapping out my Four Points reservation for Shangrila and stay there for 4 days. I definitely want to check out BATS.

You will get mobbed for drinks at Classic as well. I don't enjoy groping women in public, so this is not my thing. To avoid being hooked for payment, just firmly say no when the girl approaches, and don't touch the woman even if she tries to take your hands to put on her boobs; turn away if she tries to sit in your crotch. Once you touch her, it is grounds for paying. Yeah some dancers get pissed off for being rejected, but better they are pissed off then you are pissed off.

At Classic, different floors just means different clubs; but the operation is pretty much the same; girl quality is same as well. It's timing-based random luck whom you get to select. The dancer teams rotate among the different clubs.

[Marky1]

How much did you have to pay? Just a thought but are you sure this Tinder girl didn't know there was a road stop with her buddy cop working and drove you on that route purposely?

Stop the paranoia guys! Nothing has changed since I started going to Jakarta. We all know about the traffic cop scams. Happens in many SEA countries. On a daily basis where I am in Thailand. There used to be more police raids before a couple of years ago where major clubs were being shut down completely.

It would be quite an elaborate plan to conspire with police to have a roadblock set up. Wouldn't it be easier to just fuck him for money?

I've been a victim of a police checkpoint and they took hundreds of dollars from me.

[Maila]

I'm getting to Jakarta tomorrow. Stuck in JOG today due to bad planning on my part. Haven't ever been before to Jakarta. I've read a bunch of reports, older and recent. I guess I'm going to check out Classic (and Travel?) and Emporium. I read previously that Malio club is where you get mobbed for drinks and Malioboro is a bit tamer. The variants and different floors are a bit confusing.

I was thinking of swapping out my Four Points reservation for Shangrila and stay there for 4 days. I definitely want to check out BATS.

[Banana Boi]

Yeah I also got pulled over in Jakarta less than a month ago. I was being driven around by a 26 year old who I met on Tinder. The cop was a total asshole, fabricated some bullshit traffic violation and made me pay.

How much did you have to pay? Just a thought but are you sure this Tinder girl didn't know there was a road stop with her buddy cop working and drove you on that route purposely?

I'm starting to get the sense that Jakarta is becoming more hassle than it's worth. Be that the case, the governments plans are working out fine for them.

Stop the paranoia guys! Nothing has changed since I started going to Jakarta. We all know about the traffic cop scams. Happens in many SEA countries. On a daily basis where I am in Thailand. There used to be more police raids before a couple of years ago where major clubs were being shut down completely.

[BkkVistor77]

I'm starting to get the sense that Jakarta is becoming more hassle than it's worth. Be that the case, the governments plans are working out fine for them.

Yeah I also got pulled over in Jakarta less than a month ago. I was being driven around by a 26 year old who I met on Tinder. The cop was a total asshole, fabricated some bullshit traffic violation and made me pay. Basically he saw us coming a mile away and saw an easy quick buck, I would have loved to have smacked him as he was such a slimy little shit.

[Stykler]

I have never been caught in a raid inside Kings Cross, but the other night there was a fucking police road block just down the road from KC that I got stuck in. They pulled the "you must have your passport" scam and wanted money. I was so turned off by it that I didn't even go to King Cross, I just headed home for the night and called a girl to come to my place instead.

I'm starting to get the sense that Jakarta is becoming more hassle than it's worth. Be that the case, the governments plans are working out fine for them.