One morning on the street of Jakarta

So we were at this Tomang junction, the light just turned red. The street corner was as usual full of beggars and ‘asongan’s (moving street sellers with small boxes of stuff: snacks, bottled water, or even kids’ toys). One beggar approached us. She was a 20-something woman -- without disability. She knocked on the window, and Aco quickly gave a no-sign, so she took off. Then came a man selling fried peanuts, wrapped in credit-card size of plastic bags. Aco scrolled down his window and bought five. I didn’t have time to warn him how unhealthy that food might be. Then, the light turned green.

When we arrived at Slipi traffic light, similar jam and crowd welcomed us. A little boy, maybe six or seven year old was approaching us. Aco scrolled down his window, calling the boy. Then, to my surprise, he gave him four bags of peanuts he just bought! He told him: “Sell these, kid, earn the money”. Then, the light turned green.

So I asked Aco, why he refused to give money to the young female beggar, bought something he didn’t consume from an asongan man, and gave it away to a beggar boy. He said, he refused to give money to those ‘strong enough to work’. “It’s a matter of principle”. He continued, “I’d rather give money to those who give me something in return, even if I don’t really need it”. Apparently that was his reason to buy the peanuts. But why then you gave them to that boy? “First, because I don’t want the peanuts. Second, because I don’t like to see that boy begging, I wanted to give him something he didn’t ask, but he could use to get money with”.

My office building, Wisma BNI, was right ahead, but I still have one more question left. “Why did you save one bag of peanut?”. Aco looked at me and said, “I’m gonna give it to a disabled, old man at Salemba junction”.