matsaleh

Super Moderator
May 26, 2004
2,471
145
63
Legian, Bali
We've been speaking of bribes and korupsi, and paying off the police. Borborigmus just wrote another of his entertaining blog posts about his dance with the police and here is his final paragraph:

"Today's score: Cop 1, Vyt 0. Oh well, at least the money goes to his family. Back home, traffic fines go to Consolidated Revenue for the government to waste on yet another useless exercise in social engineering. Here, it's just your standard Bali re-distribution of wealth. And it was an entertaining and compassionate way to cut me down to size. I'm comfortable with that."
You can read the whole post here.
Snap Pollyanna! I just posted a link to this article, as well. Sorry, I didn't see yours first.
 
Apr 26, 2011
93
0
6
really? so the court piece of paper they try to give you unless you pay isnt true???? they say at the court you pay 500.000 rp for fine when you could only pay 150.000 if you pay right now? true or not true????
 

pollyanna

Member
Feb 8, 2010
683
0
16
Ubud, Bali
really? so the court piece of paper they try to give you unless you pay isnt true???? they say at the court you pay 500.000 rp for fine when you could only pay 150.000 if you pay right now? true or not true????

I only know of one person who has gone to court over a traffic ticket. He didn't want to pay the bribe just because he doesn't like the korupsi. At his court appearance he was charged 50,000Rp.
I imagine the amount of the fine would depend on the type of infringement.
 
Apr 26, 2011
93
0
6
my advice would be to keep driving if the police follow you, thenkeep going till you get to a touristy place, or a bank... or temple! they don't dare follow you then! they drive away rather quickly!
 

EyeLESS

New Member
Apr 22, 2011
15
0
1
It seems so weird to me when people complain about being ripped off for not obeying the law. Are you guys living in some kind of fairy tale? In my home country if I drive without license or won't stop on red I'll be stopped by officer and get a ticket. And I know for sure that if I go to court my ass will be kicked so hard and I will have to pay a very-very unpleasant fine.

So what some of you are saying is that a very-very bad policeman is just doing his job, right? I guess in this case problem is not corruption! Problem is in such people who first misbehave and then complain when get punished being caught.

No offense to anyone! Just my point of view. I'm not protecting corruption. But if you do wrong, especially when you know that you're doing wrong, don't complain when busted. Get a ticket and go to court or pay the bribe. Up to you. Never saw a policeman with a gun against the head of poor tourist insisting on bribe.
 

Ronaldinbali

New Member
May 12, 2011
28
0
1
fine

Never been asked for money as I go by the rules. Gilbert are you telling me a policeman has checked you bike? Every policemans dream is a tourist without a license & helmet:icon_mrgreen:

Yes always take care of driver licens and stnk. Proper cloth, mirrors on the bike and ofcours helmet.

I am bold so they dont recognize the diference......:icon_rolleyes::icon_lol:

Lat time i pay for a missing mirror 50.000. IN some cases when you say no have money hey will take hat ou have.

Have 2 pockets with money, pocket with 20.000 and other pocket with the rest......Thats my advice hahahahahaha
 

Ronaldinbali

New Member
May 12, 2011
28
0
1
The Same rules in Bali as in your country. In here the police is more flexible because the police is not secure and consistent in that.
 

Fred2

Well-Known Member
Oct 13, 2010
1,182
83
48
Surabaya/Australia
"The Same rules in Bali as in your country. In here the police is more flexible because the police is not secure and consistent in that"
Strange in my country you give way to the cars on the right, you give way to cars already on a round about, you do not pull out onto the road without looking, you don't overtake on the left side of a car. My wife had to take her test at the DOT twice just to get her learners but in Surabaya she already had a license was never told about rules
I have never had a problem with police in Indonesia, I ride motor bikes, drive cars & trucks everyday.
So lets start again what are the road rules in Indonesia?????

You have to ride with lights on (I have been told that police are doing blitz on that at the moment)

Who ever is in front has right of way????????
 

motormouth

Member
Aug 29, 2009
213
0
16
Canggu
An American friend of mine asked at the police staion years ago when he arrived in Bali, do you have a book on the road rules for driving in Indonesia...The copper looked at him puzzled and said there isn't any such book available.
So my friend asked him how do people study the road rules... they don't ,was the reply.
 

Fred2

Well-Known Member
Oct 13, 2010
1,182
83
48
Surabaya/Australia
An American friend of mine asked at the police staion years ago when he arrived in Bali, do you have a book on the road rules for driving in Indonesia...The copper looked at him puzzled and said there isn't any such book available.
So my friend asked him how do people study the road rules... they don't ,was the reply.
I really think that is the case, I see the driving school blokes teaching them how to park but thats about it.
Gilbert you are right too as it seems that anybody in a 4X4 has right of way & the blokes on Harley's with flashing lights try & wave you out of the way. I always stick to the way I drive in Australia but a lot slower, I find the girls on bikes have some sort of death wish they don't care, just pull in front & then stop. Most people give me a wide berth (big white boy on bike):ghost:. My wife always hits me,:livid: I should be the one that gives way to everybody & when I ask her what the rules are, she has no idea but I should be more carefull.
 

gilbert de jong

Active Member
Jan 20, 2009
3,198
3
36
Panji, Singaraja.
An American friend of mine asked at the police staion years ago when he arrived in Bali, do you have a book on the road rules for driving in Indonesia...The copper looked at him puzzled and said there isn't any such book available.
So my friend asked him how do people study the road rules... they don't ,was the reply.

Don't know about the poilice not having a book these days, but my wife started to learn how to drive a car a week ago..
Ofcourse I accompanied here to the school to help choose what package would be most suitable for her. After choosing the lessons, I asked the guy what about theory-lessons, his answer 'well, she will learn that in the car whilest driving'...so I started laughing and said ok..but you must have some book with road-rules so she can learn at home? no, but it is not so hard to understand the rules on the road he answered. So I said, but then for sure the first few lessons in the car will be on some sort of big (empty) parking area, his answer 'ehm, no she will just go on the streets'.. Fortunately I already had given some basic lessons myself to my wife, else I wouldn't have agreed to this.
Oh and there was a package, price 1.6jt for 24 hours of lessons and after the 24 hours you get a certificate from the drivingschool and a drivinglicense.


@fred2...I have to plead guilty on both accounts, 4x4 and HD :highly_amused:
ow and yes, girls are worse then boys on bikes, till recently my wife would go on her bike like this...headset mp3 volume 8, helmet lossely strapped (hot she said), short pants and short-sleeve shirt and then zig-zagging with about 60 in between cars..now it's totally different, after she witnessed a friend of mine getting hit by a truck and not survive the accident, she stays left..no earplugs..helmet tight..and doing about 40. She said she never realised/thought about what could happen, pictures of people dying in traffic didn't have any effect on her..but now, she realises because we could have been lying there dead..
 

kiwi

Member
Nov 8, 2010
144
0
16
Brisbane
Small gives way to big, crazy gets there somehow

I was a motorcycle riding instructor for 14 years so 18 years ago on my first trip to Bali I was sure I would be able to work out the road rules. I stood at the main intersection with traffic lights in Sanur for an hour an observed "small gives way to big" simple and makes sense, "crazy gets there somehow". The amount of times I was holding my breath sure that some idiot was about to lose his life was too many to think about, so all in all it's just like Aussie and NZ except we have rules and no one takes any notice and in Bali there are no rules and everyone seems to take notice:icon_biggrin:
 

mastercaster

Member
Nov 10, 2010
49
0
6
Actually there are road laws here , like any other country .. it's just that no local has been or will be taught them .. :icon_rolleyes:
So yup ,
rule # 1 - the bigger vehicle wins (everywhere in the world it's the same)
rule # 2 - there are no rules - except rule # 1 !
 

sensibilita

Member
Sep 6, 2011
36
0
6
Bali, Europe, and Melbourne
Helmets

Yes, I agree ... wear a helmet .... in Koh Samui, the local hospital had no business until they introduced motor-bikes ... with many tourists not bothering to wear helmets.

There are times in Bali where I don't wear a helmet either, but that is rather rare. Police will settle for 20k-50k, depending on how you play it. Thank God Indonesia, for
all its weaknesses, hasn't swung to the other extreme: in the Nanny State called Australia, cyclists on the beach need to wear helmets .... preposterous ... but that's the
other side of the coin.
 

sensibilita

Member
Sep 6, 2011
36
0
6
Bali, Europe, and Melbourne
Helmets

... do consider buying a decent helmet, though ... most bike-shops have useless contraptions that are called helmets, but that offer practically no protection. If you ride often, make the effort to buy something of quality ... but not from a Chinese vendor .... look for quality, so buy German-made helmets, say, or anything that has a proper label and certification attached. It could save your life, if you're a regular rider!
 

mastercaster

Member
Nov 10, 2010
49
0
6
If you ride often, make the effort to buy something of quality ... but not from a Chinese vendor .... look for quality, so buy German-made helmets, say, or anything that has a proper label and certification attached. It could save your life, if you're a regular rider!

if your opposed to doing biz with the Chinese people .. better you find something in your country of origin ... as for proper labels and certification's :highly_amused:
 

sensibilita

Member
Sep 6, 2011
36
0
6
Bali, Europe, and Melbourne
AT mastercaster

—> mastercaster

Before you cast your die, read between the lines ... Chinese shops will, for the most part, sell you "safety gear" that checks out as trash! In other words, look for quality, not for "cheap as can be"!

Not need to feel offended: it is a simple factual statement: and I'm not talking about buying baby-milk that's toxic!!
 

BKT

Member
Apr 2, 2010
862
0
16
Auckland/Singaraja
—> mastercaster

Before you cast your die, read between the lines ... Chinese shops will, for the most part, sell you "safety gear" that checks out as trash! In other words, look for quality, not for "cheap as can be"!

Not need to feel offended: it is a simple factual statement: and I'm not talking about buying baby-milk that's toxic!!

Why single out the Chinese though? The Javanese and Balinese own these shops as well and sell the same helmets.

From my experience dealing with the Chinese you've a better chance of getting local prices.