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I have been riding my motorcycle everywhere since June 2010. I have also been ranting and rambling and complaining about this city’s traffic on Twitter since June 2010. Bandung is a beautiful city but the traffic is seriously annoying. I have met a lot of ignorant people who don’t give a damn about their lives, let alone other people’s, by recklessly driving. I do believe that my ability to curse has been increasing for the past two years. Seriously.

However, last Sunday morning, I met an extraordinary man who successfully made me smile all my way to Arif’s place.

That Sunday, I had a meeting appointment with some people in Arif’s place. I went there by riding my motorcycle as usual. I was at a red light in Sukajadi, when a man riding his motorcycle with (seemingly) his wife stopped beside me. He looked at me and noticed that I was bringing an extra helmet. He then mocked me “Why do you have two helmets with you? I bet you told your mother that you were meeting a friend, when it really is a guy you are going to see.” And then he laughed. I looked at him, rather surprised since no stranger had ever talked to me at red lights; though I laughed anyway. But the light turned green right then and we had to drive off.

It was just a simple joke that you might find not funny at all, but it really made my day. I had always thought of the traffic as the ugliest side of the society, but this man had given me back a little hope for mankind.