Jakarta

[Smoothy]

When do these ID shakedowns occur? Are they mostly late night / early morning affairs?

Normally around Midnight until 4 am and normally in areas where prostitution or drug use is prevalent. I was shaken down twice a few months ago. Once in Kelapa Gading and once near Taman Lawang (don't make any inappropriate assumptions.). Outside Stadium was a standard place to stop people in the past. But it's random. I've never been stopped in the same place twice. Many times they have a blockade but don't stop me. From my experience, it seems they let the Silver Birds pass more easily than the other taxis. But I've been stopped in Silver Birds as well.

If you haven't been stopped yet, your mongering habits probably aren't conducive to it ever happening.

[LA Guy 5]

It's odd but in the almost 12 years I have been in Jakarta I have never been shaken down by the peelers for ID.

Several times I have been stopped for a genuine traffic violation and have paid a bribe to get away with it, which suits me fine as I am an old-fashioned kinda guy who believes cops should be out chasing real criminals instead of harassing God-fearing, decent motorists who only want to get to the nearest red-light district in good time.

If occasionally we fine, upstanding motorists do infringe some minor traffic regulation then I am a firm supporter of the idea of a small contribution to the policeman's benevolent fund tucked inside the driver's licence as sufficient punishment, and given the alacrity with which the constabulary receive these contributions, holding up the traffic to allow me to go on my way with a crisp salute and a "mind how you go now sir", the police appear to agree. Or perhaps I over-pay, it wouldn't be the first time in this town but given that the difference between Rp 50,000 and Rp 100,000 is about 2. 50 in the Queen's money I can live with the shame.

When do these ID shakedowns occur? Are they mostly late night / early morning affairs?

They used to often set up check points on Jl. Gunung Sahari just north of the old Sheraton Media, where I used to stay (so had pretty good knowledge of this situation). At these checkpoints they pretty much stopped every car, although there were a fair number of "discretional" stops at other points in this general area. One such discretional stop point was on Pengaran Jayakarta where that street meets Mangga Dua Raya, the street that the Kota Train station is located on. But although that location previously had police there much of the time (starting mid-evening), I haven't seen any there recently (although don't go there as much these days), leading to my question about whether the traffic stops have generally diminished in number.

I also heard they had these stops in the area around the deceased Stadium, but I don't recall if I ever saw any there.

[MasBule]

I made a map of various points of interest if anyone is interested.

Let me know if anything is incorrect or I should add some other places.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?m...c.kAE4muqVsxzM

Hey good work bro. How do I contribute to this?

[Hilo77]

It's odd but in the almost 12 years I have been in Jakarta I have never been shaken down by the peelers for ID.

Several times I have been stopped for a genuine traffic violation and have paid a bribe to get away with it, which suits me fine as I am an old-fashioned kinda guy who believes cops should be out chasing real criminals instead of harassing God-fearing, decent motorists who only want to get to the nearest red-light district in good time.

If occasionally we fine, upstanding motorists do infringe some minor traffic regulation then I am a firm supporter of the idea of a small contribution to the policeman's benevolent fund tucked inside the driver's licence as sufficient punishment, and given the alacrity with which the constabulary receive these contributions, holding up the traffic to allow me to go on my way with a crisp salute and a "mind how you go now sir", the police appear to agree. Or perhaps I over-pay, it wouldn't be the first time in this town but given that the difference between Rp 50,000 and Rp 100,000 is about 2. 50 in the Queen's money I can live with the shame.

When do these ID shakedowns occur? Are they mostly late night / early morning affairs?

[Medellin Kuya]

I made a map of various points of interest if anyone is interested.

Let me know if anything is incorrect or I should add some other places.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?m...c.kAE4muqVsxzM

[Hung Man 1808]

Incidentally, I was in a Blue Bird taxi with a wingman, and there was no reason for the traffic stop other than that the police officer appeared to be there for the sole purpose of doing shakedowns. I reached this conclusion because on other occasions I walked by the exact same spot, and saw the same thing being done to others, but also saw that he (or another cop at the same location) was selective in who he stopped.

Which is why, when passing the police box at the start of Hayam Wuruk heading north at night (especially late at night) I tend to slip forward on the seat in the back of the taxi, so that only the top of my head (or less) is visible from the outside of the car.

Last time I got stopped, in that same area incidentally, all I remember is a door opening and a hand being stuck in, with the international sign of rubbing thumb and fingers together indicating it was time to depart with some cash. Doubt I would have been able to find the passport in the state I was in. If I had it!

[LA Guy 5]

So you had your passport with you and they let you go? You were lucky. Normally, it doesn't matter if you have your passport with you or not. They will still want a bribe and will just come up with some other BS excuse to ask for money. Their normal story is that you need to file with the police station when you arrive and they want to see the report that you filed with the station. But even my friends who live in Jakarta working for major companies with a legal kitas and carrying their passport have to pay the police bribes at those stop points on occasion. Carrying your passport does not guarantee that you will not be hassled. I personally think it's a very bad idea to carry your passport. I used to carry mine in Africa because the company I was working with asked me to. It ended up getting stolen from me one night in a bar when I was quite drunk. I haven't carried it with me since. I'd prefer to pay the 100 k rupiah (about 8 bucks usd) than risk any possible chance of losing or damaging my passport. I've been pulled over by the cops about 10 times in over 10 years. It's not that big of an issue. And I go out a lot.

Yes, the couple of times I got stopped and had my original passport with me they just looked at it and let me go. But I agree even having the original passport does not guarantee that there won't be another (concocted) reason for the police to solicit a bribe.

But getting back to another point, I have the impression, but not based on a lot of information, this police behavior has diminished a bit over the course of the last year or so. Does anyone else have this impression (or the contrary one that it hasn't diminished)?

[Smoothy]

Police stops in Bali are very common and frequent.

I find a police stop in Bali to be very different from a blockade type of stop in Jakarta. I've never once been asked to pay a bribe in Bali for not having my passport or for any other reason while I am in a taxi or rented car in Bali. In Bali, if the police have stopped a car I was in, they have always hassled the driver and left the passengers alone. In Jakarta, it's just the opposite. If they see a westerner in the car in Jakarta, they don't even worry about the driver, they go right for the westerner sitting in the back seat. I think in Bali they mainly hassle the people driving motorbikes or full time bali residents with their own car.

[Robert Long]

Would the cops accept a copy of the passport as I hate to carry original around as it could easily get lifted or stolen if mugged.

I know most countries needs an ID on the person but will usually accepts a copy of the passport.

I have always carried a copy of my passport and drivers license along with the International DL in Bali and they have always accepted that. Police stops in Bali are very common and frequent. And as a Bule I am a driving dollar / RP sign. As long as you have your shit together they back away.

You can always get out your HP and start to film the stop. Who knows what that will bring?

RL.

[Smoothy]

Fortunately, when this happened to me (a couple of times) I had my passport with me.

Jakarta is the only country I visit, and I visit a lot throughout the world, where I always have my original passport on me. Makes me nervous but I put it in a passport pouch that goes in my front pocket and ties to my belt loop.

So you had your passport with you and they let you go? You were lucky. Normally, it doesn't matter if you have your passport with you or not. They will still want a bribe and will just come up with some other BS excuse to ask for money. Their normal story is that you need to file with the police station when you arrive and they want to see the report that you filed with the station. But even my friends who live in Jakarta working for major companies with a legal kitas and carrying their passport have to pay the police bribes at those stop points on occasion. Carrying your passport does not guarantee that you will not be hassled. I personally think it's a very bad idea to carry your passport. I used to carry mine in Africa because the company I was working with asked me to. It ended up getting stolen from me one night in a bar when I was quite drunk. I haven't carried it with me since. I'd prefer to pay the 100 k rupiah (about 8 bucks usd) than risk any possible chance of losing or damaging my passport. I've been pulled over by the cops about 10 times in over 10 years. It's not that big of an issue. And I go out a lot.

[LA Guy 5]

Would the cops accept a copy of the passport as I hate to carry original around as it could easily get lifted or stolen if mugged.

I know most countries needs an ID on the person but will usually accepts a copy of the passport.

I was once stopped in North Jakarta near Komplek Kotah Indah and gave the police a copy of my passport and my original US-based drivers license. He said I needed the original passport, and if I did not pay him money he would bring me to the Police Station. He first wanted US $100, I laughed, and ended up paying him 100,000 rupiah. I have heard conflicting information about whether an original passport is necessary, but I didn't want to risk him following through on his threat to bring me to the police station. In Indonesia the law is often what the police officer (or governmental official) says it is irrespective of the written law. He probably wouldn't have taken me to the police station if I refused to pay (because it would have probably been more profitable for him to stay on the street soliciting bribes), but if the cop did decide to pursue this further it could have gotten rather ugly for me.

Incidentally, I was in a Blue Bird taxi with a wingman, and there was no reason for the traffic stop other than that the police officer appeared to be there for the sole purpose of doing shakedowns. I reached this conclusion because on other occasions I walked by the exact same spot, and saw the same thing being done to others, but also saw that he (or another cop at the same location) was selective in who he stopped.. There are other locations where the cops would stop everyone, and ask to see id. Fortunately, when this happened to me (a couple of times) I had my passport with me.

Jakarta is the only country I visit, and I visit a lot throughout the world, where I always have my original passport on me. Makes me nervous but I put it in a passport pouch that goes in my front pocket and ties to my belt loop.

[Freezone]

I don't know if the traffic stops by the police are still a problem, but at least a couple of years ago cars, and even more so taxis, were stopped for "checks" by the police, particularly in parts of North Jakarta. If you were foreign and in a taxi you would be at particular risk. If you didn't have your passport with you, you would in many instances have to give a bribe in the range of 50,000 - 100,000 rupiah. But the more troubling scenario, which I fortunately never experienced, would be one where they checked for drugs. Even if you weren't carrying, if your "friend" was there could be trouble for you from what I understand. Others here might have both better and more up to date information about whether this is something to be concerned about, but your post did raise the issue in my mind.

Would the cops accept a copy of the passport as I hate to carry original around as it could easily get lifted or stolen if mugged.

I know most countries needs an ID on the person but will usually accepts a copy of the passport.

[Pikefish]

Her photo has been posted on various facebook accounts recently giving condolences.

Could anyone post or direct us to her photo? All those girls use a few different names. Still, this is sad, sad news.

[LA Guy 5]

These traffic stops and drug checks aren't just in North Jakarta. It doesn't make a difference if you have a guest with you in the car. I've been stopped in places as far as Pondok Indah all the way to Kelapa Gading. Almost always the motivation is money and it's music to their ears if you tell them you haven't got identification on you.

I didn't suggest the traffic stops were only in North Jakarta nor did I say whether you had another person with you affected the likelihood you would be stopped. I did suggest that if one is looking to pick up someone with "E" (and assuming I am interpreting "E" correctly to mean ecstasy), the possibility of a traffic stop should be considered as being found with drugs (even if only your guest has them) could become much more serious than not having one's passport. Having said that I don't know if these traffic stops are still as active as they were a few years ago, given some of the anti-corruption moves, albeit not so effective, that have taken place. I know in my recent experience I have not seen the number I did maybe three or four years ago, but then again I tend to avoid the roads where I previously saw them regularly. .

[Member #4410]

Her photo has been posted on various facebook accounts recently giving condolences.

Those motorbikes are dangerous in Jakarta.

There will be a charity auction on April 24, proceeds going to the family.