Airport

Airports in Indonesia have a lax security system. When I saw this the first time a couple of years ago I was worried. But I now understand why it is much more casual than in North America. 

Indonesians do not appear worried at all individually with this lax security system and regard airports no differently from other transportation terminals. They arrive with their big grins in their faces and tease each other - so much so that even my teenage son cannot fathom. The airline counter staff are much more relaxed as well. I was never asked to show my ID by most domestic airlines so long as I bring the e-ticket. That's all they care about: that I paid my ticket and show my willingness to fly.

At one of my domestic flights, my plane was 1-hour delayed and I could walk back past the security system to buy dinner. When I asked whether I could pass the security gate and come back later, the guard smiled at me and said "of course, you can." He understood there are delays - a lot of them - and allowed us to pass for meal. 

North Americans would be upset if they see that the airport security personnel act in a relaxed manner like that. Although they would complain with too much security, but in the end they obey the tighter security rules. Such tighter security rules will never stand in Indonesia. Indonesians here are just more trusting to each other.

Trusting each other does seem naive since Indonesia has had terrorist bomb attacks before, but Indonesians accept fate with more forbearance. I used to see this as ignorance, but I am not sure anymore since victims of such attacks are by definition randomly targeted. Wouldn't it be wiser to accept such fate with forgiving hearts? 

Bottom line: I am not worried with the lax security system in Indonesia. Because frankly Indonesia does not have international security concerns; it never has aggresive foreign policy. 

It is a valuable lesson when I understood the difference and it shows that the developing world has a different mentality and a set of ideas different from developed world.