London, 20 June 2006
Security check always create a long queue in any international airport that I’ve ever been. Including Heathrow where they really checked everybody today. But, it’s good because we spent hours in the airport to ensure everybody is ‘clean’ and when you go to the malls, offices, hotels and even to the ambassador house you don’t have to wasting some time for another security check procedures.
That’s right, back in Indonesia (especially in Jakarta where i lived) we have to be checked mostly everywhere. I think it’s not only wasting time but also not efficient because most of the place only use metal detector. Imagine, we are entering the hotel with our car and they check with detector… So it’s only a formality sake and pretend it’s already safe. “Basa basi” that’s the local words to explained these situation.
But hey, it’s not good only blaming the situation without given any real solutions. IMHO, I think the local government should work together with all the malls, offices, hotels and offices who already spend ‘some’ budget for the above security procedures and together invest on reputable foreign intelligent expert to avoid another bombing happened.
Let’s start maybe from Bali as pilot project. Anybody who have business in Bali should already experienced how much the revenue drop and causing big loss for the city. Imagine if all the ‘basa basi’ security procedure budget used to avoid the same tragedy by using some foreign expert.
(this article was made during my trip to UK for the International Young Creative Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 competition held by British Council)