Motorcycles in Medan

This week was pretty productive; we made several visits and taught various lessons.  Not all our activities lent themselves to photos, so Sister Porter decided to share part of her motorcycle photo collection.

On every trip to Indonesia, we are fascinated at how they use motorcycles (sepeda motor, or kereta here in Medan) as the usual form of transportation.  Sister Porter made a promise to not take pictures of people on motorcycles for the first year that we were here to avoid the distraction.

This first shot is a mom taking her three kids to school.  The kids do not have helmets.  It is a very common sight.  When Sister Porter sees a young family on a motorcycle like this, perhaps even with a baby, she often says a prayer for them.

Many of the motorcycles have baskets or racks to allow a lot of baggage. This one has three racks with foam that perfectly fit three large water bottles, like water cooler bottles in the U.S.  Since the tap water is not drinkable, replacing and lugging those bottles is a necessary part of life here.  We are fortunate to use our car for that task, but few people have that luxury.










The motorcycles on their own are impressive, but the real workhorse is a becak.  In Solo, central Java, a becak has seats for two people, an open front, and a bicycle pushing from behind.  In Jogja they have started using motorcycles but from behind.

On our island, the motorcycle is to one side.  Some becak have seats, and people use vinyl advertising banners, perhaps from an old election or sale, to repair their roof.

Others are a flat bed, designed for transporting equipment and goods.   Which doesn't stop people from using them for transport as well.  These are some church members heading home.

They can be used for moving furniture.  And really, this lemari or cabinet would not have fit in our car.  It was really an effective way to move it.

It is amazing how much stuff they can pile up on the becak.

This one filled with plants passed in front of our building last week, and really brightened the street.

This might actually be a portable flower shop that the driver will take to a street market.  People load an entire mini-restaurant onto their motorcycle or becak, because if you can operate out of your vehicle, you don't have to pay rent.

Here is a guy that rides around town with a bicycle-mounted sewing machine, offering to do repairs wherever.  Of course it is a treadle-operated vintage machine.  We've seen a LOT of them here, and they are still used.

People here may be different from USAmericans in the way they get around town, but they are all children of our Heavenly Parents and they share many of the same hopes and dreams for their lives and their children.