Of Putting from The Rough

Everyday I go to the office using a commute called omprengan. We’ll venture more about omprengan in the coming days. Right now, I’d like to share with you a rather uncomfortable experience in my ride to the office these past few days.

Basically omprengan is a mini van type of car, like Suzuki Carry or Daihatsu Zebra. Two sit in front with the driver, four in the middle, and six in the back. I know, it’s totally crowded. People are bumper to bumper in the most inconvenient way possible. But it’s miles better than running for the buses from my place in Bekasi.

The six persons in the back are sitting face to face, knee to knee, if you please. In one fine day you’ll get a companion of some skinny and pretty ladies, so there’s room to spare. At worst you can end up with 6 rather large men like me with sweats pouring, as more often than not, the omprengan doesn’t have air-condition.

Anyway, there’s only a few cars operating to each direction, mine is Sudirman. So it’s inevitable you’d meet the same people over and over again.

There is this one particular guy, probably around 35, whose being friendly to me, sometimes in the threshold of being too friendly. Previously, we were just nodding to each other, sometimes chat a little bit about the driver being careless and what not.

I was beginning to be suspicious when his hands frequently touching my sitting knee. Too frequent and just landing there far too long for my liking. One time he tried as far as rubbing my thighs. I was in total shock and abruptly move my feet away from him. That was Wednesday.

On Thursday, I got up early and tried to change my habit, exchanging my usual favorite ride. Yet there he was again. This time his hand held my knee, and he tried to make conversation. I was being polite and immediately putting my iPod on to avoid any further contact.

People are stopping off in front of BRI and all of a sudden it was just me and him in the back. Now this is what makes me real mad. When I wanted to get off the car, as I bend there to drop my right foot, he spank me right in my ass. It was totally humiliating and I was just standing there speechless like an idiot.

What would any guy do in a moment like this?

I told my friends and they were just laughing their socks off. It’s not funny guys, well maybe a little bit, but they're not helping. I still don’t know what to do if next time he repeat his act.

I’m a very bashful person. Always trying to shun attention away. I’d be caught dead before I could make a scene, let alone inform a guy to get his hands off me.

Am I homophobic? I guess not. Being branded as a homophobic in these PC days, close many doors for you. But let’s just say this is not the first time for me. However we'll talk abut that some other time.