One man’s apparent pet peeve led to a violent incident at a TransJakarta bus stop in Jakarta today.
According to the police, at around 11:20am today, a 52-year-old man, identified by his initial S, stabbed a fellow commuter, identified as 29-year-old ES, in the leg with a knife over the way he sat at the BKN bus stop in Cawang, East Jakarta.
S told the police he had been harboring a grudge against people who sit in public facilities with their legs crossed.
“It was as if he felt insulted, so those feelings [of anger] surfaced,” Kramat Jati Police Chief Nurdin Ar Rahman told CNN Indonesia.
Speaking to Kompas, Nurdin said S may have harbored those grudges for a long time.
“He carried a knife everyday. He works as a consultant in Bogor. He appears healthy but slightly stressed and traumatized [by people who sit with their legs crossed],” he said.
Sitting with one’s legs crossed is generally not considered a public etiquette violation in Indonesia. But, like anywhere else, putting one’s feet up on seats is considered a faux pas in public facilities.
The extent of ES’ injury has not been revealed. S was arrested by police shortly after the random assault.
The police have yet to announce any charges against S, and whether or not he would have his mental health assessed.
