Omang, a chauffeur, remained calm, even though a Transjakarta bus had just heavily scratched the right side of the Nissan Grand Livina he was driving on Wednesday.

The 63-year-old knew the risks: His employer might chastise him and would likely make him pay for it.

Omang said that although the incident was not his fault, he wanted to be responsible for the vehicle. He said that he then drove to Jl. Kramat Raya in Central Jakarta to find a mechanic whose magic could repair the damage in a matter of hours.

'Unlike those authorized or big auto shops, mechanics here can do their work in less than a day,' Omang said. 'My boss can still use her car and work undisturbed.'

Omang said that he always went to Jl. Kramat Raya to find a mechanic, instead of other garages that normally needed three to four days to finish their work. The street mechanics simply got the job done.

'The condition might not return to 100 percent, but it's very close. I think the people here are experienced and the price can drop to half to one-third that of authorized garages.'

Omang, who eventually told his boss about the incident, said he was told that the insurance company would cover the repairs the car.

However, Omang chose to use his own money ' which he said was part of his responsibility as an employee ' and went to the street instead. 'I assured her that it would only take two to three hours, better than spending all week to make an insurance claim.'

Meanwhile, Andrian, a college student, said that he went to Jl. Kramat Raya after a motorcyclist hit his car door on Monday. The painting experts had his father's car back in shape in two hours, the
23-year-old said.

Andrian was on hand on Wednesday for the finishing touches. 'If I go to a garage, my father will find out.'

All along Jl. Kramat Raya, mechanics specializing in painting, polishing and otherwise repairing dented cars can be seen waving to customers to offer their services. There is one group of mechanics about every 20 meters on the street.

The roadside mechanics do not have a proper place to work, doing their repairs virtually in the street. Their tools: putty and spray paint.

They only buy paint after a deal has been made, renting a paint gun from a vendor nearby for Rp 10,000 (US$1.02).

The mechanics skip a primer coat, favoring fast-drying paint, which makes the finished color a little dim, an effect locally referred to as cat duco.

Yudi, one of the mechanics on Jl. Kramat Raya, said he had been doing this kind of work for seven years. According to the 36-year-old, the business on the street has been going strong since Jakarta still had rail-buses in the 1960s.

'What we offer here is pretty much the same as what workshops offer, but with cheaper rates and faster service,' he said.

Yudi said he can fix up to four cars in a day at his best pace, earning about Rp 150,000 per vehicle.

Adin, a mechanic who has been on the job on Jl. Kramat Raya for 13 years, said that his peers were reliable.

'If you aren't satisfied, come back and we will fix it without any additional charge.'

The 58-year-old said that quality and trust were the basis of business for the mechanics.

Even luxury and high-end cars park here and rely on these men, Adin said, including the owners of Jaguars, Toyota Camrys and Alphards, and BMWs.

'Our customers can be anyone,' Adin said.

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