We have a driver assigned to us here in Jakarta. It sounds fancy but it really isn't. The terrible traffic, the lack of a comprehensible road numbering system and the absolute lack of road signs coupled with cheap labour is the reason why every mother's son/daughter has a driver. Like everything else in life, having a driver has its pros and cons. You lose your privacy but you don't have to deal with the crazy traffic. Our driver is a nice man. Quiet, unassuming and really tries his best. The thing is, he's constantly lost. It's irony as its best. A 20-minute car ride can turn into a 2-hour nightmare because he doesn't have a clue where he's going, even after getting directions from the hotel conceirge, 3 random motorists and repeated calls to other fellow drivers. We'll be going around in circles and driving around in circles in Jakarta is like tempting fate. You'll eventually get stuck in traffic. And that's usually what happens when I muster enough courage and patience to venture out with the driver.
I've to eventually learn how to navigate and manage the traffic here because it'll be nice to drive myself to places instead of relying on my very nice but also very lost driver. But with the lack of proper road signage, it's difficult to navigate your way around. You either turn at the first broken wall or the second broken wall. Also it'll help to unlearn everything that you've learnt about road safety rules. For example it's alright to be driving against oncoming traffic whereas stopping when the lights turn red is not because you'll have angry motorists honking at you and wondering what you're thinking actually abidding by traffic rules.
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