U

nlike MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi who races on a circuit equipped with the best safety equipment, some youths in Greater Jakarta compete on main roads full of vehicles and often do not even wear a helmet.

In the early hours of the weekend, these boys race ' perhaps for pride, or money ' on their modified motorcycles, without a care for the trouble they cause to other motorists.

Their spectators position themselves ' hundreds of them ' on the road side and hog a good part of it. The crowd usually being to loiter around 11 p.m., while the 'main show' commences around 1 a.m.

Reza Aulia Ahmadi, 21, a resident of Bekasi, West Java, said the noise from the mufflers must surely
disturb locals.

'These so-called racers are ignorant and selfish. When people complain, a lot can happen because these people are usually under the influence of alcohol too,' he said, adding 'They can get mad, or maybe attack us, I don't know for sure. But people usually cannot do anything to stop them.'

He was complaining about the street races conducted on Jl. Chairil Anwar in Bekasi, in front of the city council building, which usually begin after midnight on weekends.

'That's why my friends and I are happy when the racer falls, so that they stop,' Reza said.

In contrast on Jl. Asia Afrika in South Jakarta, it is fancy car owners who race, usually on Saturday nights. Wildan Purnaditto, 24, who regularly passes the road at 'race times' said they obstruct his right of way.

'These cars are noisy and many of their friends park on the road side and cause road blocks,' he said.

According to what he witnessed, the police are seen roaming the area but seem to be negligent.

In March, two street racers died instantly after they nudged into each other during a 'race' on Jl. Taman Mini Raya in East Jakarta.

Another case, in April last year, two people died in Bogor, West Java, after their bikes crashed. Media reports showed that the victims' friends fled after the collision, fearing that police will come.

However, many of these street racers were not deterred by the deaths and many enjoy this dangerous activity. Suhendar, 50, a vendor on Jl. Pramuka said that street racings was now on the increase again.

'This is good for me, because the spectators park in front of my stall and buy things from me,' he said. 'When races are on, I can work until 4 a.m. It is good for business.'

Suhendar agreed that racing was dangerous and could result in death. He said he had witnessed the death of four people on Jl. Pramuka only a few years back.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto claimed that nowadays, the police would patrol areas prone to street racing and prevent them from happening rather than arresting the perpetrators after they had raced.

'Especially on weekends, police cars will already to prevent street racing, sometimes with help from the military,' he said. 'On weekdays, our personnel conduct regular patrols because the intensity is less.'

Other than those mentioned above, another road usually used for street racing is Jl. Benyamin Sueb in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.