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There are few jobs more mysterious than the parking attendant. In Jakarta, a city with more than 6 million vehicles and no mass transit lines, owning or running a parking lot can be a really lucrative business. But how does it all work?It's important to explain here that Indonesian cities aren't like those in the West. Parking spaces, even on public streets, aren't really controlled by any government authority. Instead, according to popular culture at least, parking attendants work in this weird middle ground between the criminal underworld and the world of legit businesses. They control parking spots on public streets, and in front of nearly every building in the city. Their bosses are, at least imagined to be, some kind of preman, a catch-all term for the street-level gangsters who have their fingers in everything from debt collecting to construction. Parking is, according to popular belief, a mafia-controlled industry.But is Indonesia's parking industry really that mobbed up? And why are the attendants always MIA when we pull in, and then suddenly there with their hands out when we try to leave? Where's an attendant when you really need them?One night last week, I wandered down Jl. Senopati searching for a parking attendant willing to answer all my questions. That's where I found Nurkholis, a man who has been working in the industry for 15 years, mostly in and around the tony neighborhood of Kebayoran Baru, in South Jakarta. He agreed to talk to me, as long as I didn't say his exact location, so his "boss," doesn't find out he was spilling trade secrets to the press.VICE: Why is it that sometimes the parking attendant only seems to appear when we're about to leave the space?
Nurkholis: Yeah, I get what you mean. There was one time I was on the other side of the street when a car pulled into the parking lot. But I was there when it was about to leave and the driver complained 'Where were you? You weren't here before.' Sure sometimes it happens because, at least in my experience, because I was being inattentive. But other times it's because I was on the other side of the street. I don't just stay in one place. And even then, the space is so big that cars can still sometimes park without me noticing.I never understand how the fees work. Sometimes I feel like I am paying too little to park, and other times, I'm afraid that if I hand over too big a note, the guy won't have enough change and they will just pocket it.
The fees are set by the Jakarta Transportation Agency (Dishub). In 2015, Dishub said that cars pay Rp 5,000 ($0.35 USD) to park, and motorbikes Rp 2,000 ($0.14 USD). There are official receipts from Dishub but sometimes the fees aren't really flat. For example, if a car parks at a bank for like five minutes, then the driver won't pay Rp 5,000. In cases like that Rp 2,000 is fine by me. It's the humane choice.So where does all this money go?
We deposit it with Dishub, and our bosses get some too. The rest of it is for us. I really don't make all that much, usually around Rp 80,000 ($5.60 USD) to Rp 100,000 ($7 USD) a day. But I don't have an exact percentage or anything of how much I should deposit with Dishub. Usually what happens is I say, OK, there are ten receipts, and at the end of the day two fo those go to Dishub. It's not a not, usually around Rp 10,000 ($0.70 USD). I don't know who made these rules up, but that's how it goes.How do you split up the territory? Sometimes a street has a lot of parking attendants.
It really depends on who owns the territory. It's like a lot of transactions, there's a contract for such a thing. The person who buys the parking space is in charge of the territory. Let's call him the boss. The boss doesn't necessarily own the building, but he does own the parking space. This agreement has nothing to do with Dishub.Have you ever gotten into a fight with someone over a parking lot?
Back during the New Order era there were so many preman, so there used to be a lot more fights. Back then, the preman were in charge. Now it's more about money. If you have the money, you can buy a parking space and be a boss.How do people mark their territory?
Generally, the boss owns all the parking spaces from one red light to the next. But some also divide their territory based on lots, like this here, this is my lot. Like that. Others have different parking attendants, so it's almost like working as an employee. Some have assistants too.Where is Dishub in all of this? What do they do?
Well, we get our uniforms from Dishub. And the receipts too.Do you ever dream of owning your own parking lot?
Yeah, I do. but I don't have the money to buy a lot. A lot around here costs Rp 30 million ($2,100 USD). Back in the day, a preman could own every spot from one red light to the next. Nowadays, a boss might just own the parking spaces in front of three shops.Does anyone ever ask you for a receipt?
Sure. Sometimes. But not everyone. Sometimes there are chauffeurs who ask for a lot of receipts all at once.OK, last question. What kinds of skills do you need to be a parking attendant? Do you need to be a good driver?
Of course not. I can't drive a car. Ideally, I have to be able to drive and park a car so when someone isn't available, I can move his or her car. I think most parking attendants actually can drive. But it's not a condition of being hired or anything. You get hired because the boss wants to hire you. It's not Dishub who does the recruiting. At least, that's what I know. But there might be a whole other system and requirement out there as well.
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Nurkholis: Yeah, I get what you mean. There was one time I was on the other side of the street when a car pulled into the parking lot. But I was there when it was about to leave and the driver complained 'Where were you? You weren't here before.' Sure sometimes it happens because, at least in my experience, because I was being inattentive. But other times it's because I was on the other side of the street. I don't just stay in one place. And even then, the space is so big that cars can still sometimes park without me noticing.I never understand how the fees work. Sometimes I feel like I am paying too little to park, and other times, I'm afraid that if I hand over too big a note, the guy won't have enough change and they will just pocket it.
The fees are set by the Jakarta Transportation Agency (Dishub). In 2015, Dishub said that cars pay Rp 5,000 ($0.35 USD) to park, and motorbikes Rp 2,000 ($0.14 USD). There are official receipts from Dishub but sometimes the fees aren't really flat. For example, if a car parks at a bank for like five minutes, then the driver won't pay Rp 5,000. In cases like that Rp 2,000 is fine by me. It's the humane choice.
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We deposit it with Dishub, and our bosses get some too. The rest of it is for us. I really don't make all that much, usually around Rp 80,000 ($5.60 USD) to Rp 100,000 ($7 USD) a day. But I don't have an exact percentage or anything of how much I should deposit with Dishub. Usually what happens is I say, OK, there are ten receipts, and at the end of the day two fo those go to Dishub. It's not a not, usually around Rp 10,000 ($0.70 USD). I don't know who made these rules up, but that's how it goes.How do you split up the territory? Sometimes a street has a lot of parking attendants.
It really depends on who owns the territory. It's like a lot of transactions, there's a contract for such a thing. The person who buys the parking space is in charge of the territory. Let's call him the boss. The boss doesn't necessarily own the building, but he does own the parking space. This agreement has nothing to do with Dishub.Have you ever gotten into a fight with someone over a parking lot?
Back during the New Order era there were so many preman, so there used to be a lot more fights. Back then, the preman were in charge. Now it's more about money. If you have the money, you can buy a parking space and be a boss.How do people mark their territory?
Generally, the boss owns all the parking spaces from one red light to the next. But some also divide their territory based on lots, like this here, this is my lot. Like that. Others have different parking attendants, so it's almost like working as an employee. Some have assistants too.Where is Dishub in all of this? What do they do?
Well, we get our uniforms from Dishub. And the receipts too.Do you ever dream of owning your own parking lot?
Yeah, I do. but I don't have the money to buy a lot. A lot around here costs Rp 30 million ($2,100 USD). Back in the day, a preman could own every spot from one red light to the next. Nowadays, a boss might just own the parking spaces in front of three shops.Does anyone ever ask you for a receipt?
Sure. Sometimes. But not everyone. Sometimes there are chauffeurs who ask for a lot of receipts all at once.OK, last question. What kinds of skills do you need to be a parking attendant? Do you need to be a good driver?
Of course not. I can't drive a car. Ideally, I have to be able to drive and park a car so when someone isn't available, I can move his or her car. I think most parking attendants actually can drive. But it's not a condition of being hired or anything. You get hired because the boss wants to hire you. It's not Dishub who does the recruiting. At least, that's what I know. But there might be a whole other system and requirement out there as well.