With all this talk about the Balinese ultra-casual attitude to time, putting up with waiting for things for hours-on-end and even dedicating an entire day and night every year to total peace and quiet, I’d forgive you for thinking that every thing they do is with the utmost patience. Not so! If you’ve ever driven or had to queue in Bali, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. In these situations it becomes apparent that there is such an urgency about things (I assume ‘time’) that all semblance of patience is suddenly discarded.
Let’s take waiting at traffic lights as a classic example. Most local drivers will sound their horn to get other drivers to move if they are not at the front of the queue. The disturbing thing is that their horns are invariably sounded before the light has even changed to green (à la ‘ready, set, go!’) At the sound of the cacophony of horns from behind, you will often see bewildered foreigners shaking their heads in disbelief at the impatience of other drivers.
Why do things like this happen? You have to realise that the concept of queuing is a fairly recent import to Bali. For us, it is such an integral part of our daily lives that we have forgotten that we too had to learn how to do it (and some still are!). Another reason is that a driver’s licence can still be ‘bought’ in Indonesia, meaning that there are a lot of people on the roads who don’t know the rules, let alone the finer points of road etiquette. However, many Balinese friends of mine confess that their impatient and reckless driving style is probably due to a combination of factors; they mentioned the oppressive heat, traffic jams, slow drivers, bumpy roads, and unexpected hazards (think animals and sellers) – sounds to me like a sure-fire recipe for frustration!
What I’m sure you’ll all agree on is that, as well as fair and sensible traffic policing, Bali desperately needs a cheap, safe and efficient transportation system – and quick!!!
