Natalie Shobana Ambrose (16th July, 2009 - theSun)
Morning appointments at the heart of KL scare me. As soon as a 9am appointment is scheduled, alarm bells start to ring and feelings of panic, worry, anxiety, trepidation creep up. Maybe it’s just the whiner in me but I find myself in a Hamlet moment.
In times like these I wonder …“To ride or not to ride, to drive or not to drive, to taxi or not to taxi, to bus or not to bus?” That is the question.
I know it’s not a matter of living or dying like in Hamlet, but in some ways it is because the potential of death is quite real ... snatch theft, crazy drivers, scary taxi and bus experiences all have the risk of death as a common factor.
So I mull … what to do, what to do?
If I were to take the LRT to work, how would I get to the nearest station? I could wait for the feeder bus. After all there is a bus stop 50m away from my bed. But one can wait hours before the bus actually comes and it’s probably not the right bus.
I could wait but I’d probably have to get there a couple hours earlier to ensure a seat on the bus – if it actually comes. While I wait for the bus,
I’d be clutching my handbag and laptop bag tightly making it hard to pay the irate bus driver. So that would take over an hour. Then I’d get to the LRT station and join in the hustle and bustle of the morning work crowd.
Morning appointments at the heart of KL scare me. As soon as a 9am appointment is scheduled, alarm bells start to ring and feelings of panic, worry, anxiety, trepidation creep up. Maybe it’s just the whiner in me but I find myself in a Hamlet moment.
In times like these I wonder …“To ride or not to ride, to drive or not to drive, to taxi or not to taxi, to bus or not to bus?” That is the question.
I know it’s not a matter of living or dying like in Hamlet, but in some ways it is because the potential of death is quite real ... snatch theft, crazy drivers, scary taxi and bus experiences all have the risk of death as a common factor.
So I mull … what to do, what to do?
If I were to take the LRT to work, how would I get to the nearest station? I could wait for the feeder bus. After all there is a bus stop 50m away from my bed. But one can wait hours before the bus actually comes and it’s probably not the right bus.
I could wait but I’d probably have to get there a couple hours earlier to ensure a seat on the bus – if it actually comes. While I wait for the bus,
I’d be clutching my handbag and laptop bag tightly making it hard to pay the irate bus driver. So that would take over an hour. Then I’d get to the LRT station and join in the hustle and bustle of the morning work crowd.
Hopefully I don’t miss the train. It’s not just a seven-minute interval between trains, it’s a seven-minute difference of a more crowded train. Now to line up for a train only to be cramped like sardines.
I must be careful that my belongings are close to me and make sure I don’t answer the mobile phone if it rings, but hey, who am I kidding? I wouldn’t have any more hands to answer a phone because I’d be concentrating on my balance. Also I might have to stare down irky characters that try to brush up on unsuspecting passengers.
If I’ve not fainted from the lack of oxygen during that long hour’s ride, I’d rush out like everyone else at my stop. Swap trains and repeat. Now to get a taxi or a bus to my destination which is about a five-minute drive but not close enough to walk.
If I’ve not fainted from the lack of oxygen during that long hour’s ride, I’d rush out like everyone else at my stop. Swap trains and repeat. Now to get a taxi or a bus to my destination which is about a five-minute drive but not close enough to walk.
Another hour just to get a metered taxi only to join the massive traffic jam and pay a hefty fare. I’ll probably reach my destination haze-struck, drenched in sweat or wet from the rain due to the lack of covered pedestrian walking areas.
My mental state cluttered while I looked deranged from trying to protect my belongings and reeling from a derogatory whistle from a passer-by. All in all probably be wise to get a three-hour head start.
My mental state cluttered while I looked deranged from trying to protect my belongings and reeling from a derogatory whistle from a passer-by. All in all probably be wise to get a three-hour head start.
So maybe it’s better to drive to KL for my 9 o’clock.
I’d probably have to leave my home before 7am for a 30km drive into town. Morning traffic is a killer though. Also I think many road-users wake up on the wrong side of the bed and can be quite nasty on the road or maybe they too are half awake from battling traffic the day before.
So two hours in the car, paid some tolls and got into another jam. I’m hoping no one rams their car into mine or causes me to hit someone and most importantly, that I remain calm and don’t cause accidents myself.
Praying that there are no broken-down cars needing to be towed or that a container/ lorry has not gone through an area with height restrictions and caused a massive jam.And please, please let there not be a VIP motorcade, an accident on the opposite side of the road or an earth mover caterpillaring during rush hour traffic.
So two hours in the car, paid some tolls and got into another jam. I’m hoping no one rams their car into mine or causes me to hit someone and most importantly, that I remain calm and don’t cause accidents myself.
Praying that there are no broken-down cars needing to be towed or that a container/ lorry has not gone through an area with height restrictions and caused a massive jam.And please, please let there not be a VIP motorcade, an accident on the opposite side of the road or an earth mover caterpillaring during rush hour traffic.
Destination reached just over two hours of strategic-defensive driving, but where will I park? Parking rates are pretty steep in town and parking lots are far from my meeting venue.
Can’t triple park on the road unless it’s Friday, so RM10 an entry will have to do even after all that petrol wasted in the jam.Well, now to cross the road and get to that 9 o’clock. Clutch the bag, and let’s hope my heels don’t give way on the potholed roads. Where’s that pedestrian crossing?
A few hours later, I’m back in the office, physically fine, emotionally exhausted. Now to actually get some work done before the balik rumah jam and another day of Hamlet questions.
I wonder how everyone else copes…
Natalie might not feel the pain if she had a personal driver :) though on a serious note, the overall consensus is that transportation in KL is beyond dreadful.
Comment: letters@thesundaily.com
Can’t triple park on the road unless it’s Friday, so RM10 an entry will have to do even after all that petrol wasted in the jam.Well, now to cross the road and get to that 9 o’clock. Clutch the bag, and let’s hope my heels don’t give way on the potholed roads. Where’s that pedestrian crossing?
A few hours later, I’m back in the office, physically fine, emotionally exhausted. Now to actually get some work done before the balik rumah jam and another day of Hamlet questions.
I wonder how everyone else copes…
Natalie might not feel the pain if she had a personal driver :) though on a serious note, the overall consensus is that transportation in KL is beyond dreadful.
Comment: letters@thesundaily.com
