Driving along Jakarta's roads, it is not uncommon for drivers and passengers to get pissed off at the sluggish traffic and, particularly, the angkot (public minivan).

Most can't resist the temptation to swear - Oh angkot @!*$%! (Please, feel free to translate that according to your own stock of swearwords).

The public minivan is incredibly ubiquitous.

A friend of mine says angkot are like bacteria; they are found everywhere. But unlike bacteria, which can only be seen under a microscope, angkot are far and wide and everywhere in between. They are proud and move confidently around. They maneuver fearlessly, alongside ordinary and luxury vehicles.

When you are behind the wheel, you feel your soul become detached as an angkot skims by so close that you feel like your car is getting an unwanted deadly kiss.

The angkot must get cursed at the most, compared to other forms of transportation around the city.

Is that so? Maybe not so much, maybe not all. It depends on whether you have ever tried to get one. (I know some people have never caught one before.) But some people are members of the angkot fan club. I happen to be a fan, not voluntarily, but out of necessity.

I use angkot to get to the office multiple times a day. I have enjoyed riding them for a long time. In between my grumbles - about how there are too many on the roads and the ignorance of drivers, among other things - I am thankful that we have angkot around.

It is fair to describe angkot as useful. Imagine living in Jakarta without a private car to take you to work, school or elsewhere. True, there are buses and now we have the busway, but their routes do not penetrate the corners of neighborhoods in the middle of the labyrinth that is Jakarta. The angkot becomes the savior.

Sometimes I laugh at myself for being ambivalent.

On the weekends, when I drive my car around, the angkot is an object to avoid so I don't become emotional as a result of its reckless movements. But on weekdays, when I need them most, I am happy to see one. Once inside, I hope it races, beating the traffic, so I can get to my office quickly.

These days, I think I love the angkot more. The financial crisis has erected hurdles, preventing me from doing my hobby, traveling. I usually rented a car to get around parts of Indonesia. I have now lowered my standards and use angkot instead. I travel to new places in Indonesia by using angkot.

Can you find a minivan in the cities of Malaysia and Singapore willing to take you to far-reaching corners? No way. In Sukabumi, West Java, for example, if you want to hike to Mount Pangrango or trek around Situ Gunung, the angkot will serve you well. And they are much cheaper than renting a car.

Of course they can be irritating when you are driving, as they wait for passengers at curbs. But they make my life easier. I don't have walk very far to a bus stop. Instead, I can wait anywhere and raise my fingers when I see one approaching.

Nevertheless, I wish the city provided a transportation system that could accommodate everyone's needs. That would be nice.

But for now, I have a love-hate relationship with the angkot. And that is fine, too.

-Widhyawati Ambara

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