If I were a Zoo manager (from Dr Zeuss?)

This saturday, I went to Ragunan zoo, the most prominent zoo in Jakarta with my family. My first impressions about the zoo, since my last visit five years ago, have strucked me and remind me of a book by Dr Zeuss, if I am not mistaken, 'If I we a zoo manager' or something like that. I am so concerned why this zoo, may be the only place left in Jakarta where common people can still have recreation cheaply, haven't been managed properly. Why, why and why...that was the first question came to my mind. My high expectation on this place, as a place where family can have fun time safely in a city of jakarta where very limited safe and open public places available, has lost when the first time I put my first step into the gate.

My kids run crazily when they see a playground inside the zoo. Hmm, it is a good thing that this zoo provide playground for kids to play, it was my thought. In a city where most parts of the city are dedicated for the rich but not the common people; wide streets (without pedestrians way for pedestrians to walk safely) and toll roads for car owners but very very poor public transport system for common people, large malls full of branded and expensive stuffs for the rich shoppers in most part of the city (but very limited open, free places from children to play if not even talking about playgrounds as we have seen in all parts of melbourne city); seeing a playground inside a zoo created a warm feeling. especially I felt so happy to see that my own kids finally can get something they've really missed; a playground. But our happiness did not come long, as we get closer to the playground we could see how this playground is so old, rusted, dirty, with holes and broken slides, and nowhere for kids to play. I feel pity of my kids, and other kids coming later to the playground, who have wanted a very simple thing in their early childhood live that is a playground, could not get it just because of a failure of the adults who are responsible to manage this type of children facilities.

I lost my words to answer the children questions, 'why this playground is so dirty, and broken, and has a hole on the slide?' My answer is totally different, let's find somewhere else to play but first let's eat our breakfirst. Then we walked and tried to find nice place to put our mat on the grassy areas. But it was so hard to find a good place for picnic. because everywhere were full of rubbish. It was ashamed, that a very nice areas, if it was clean, are so dirty and disgusting. Was it too difficult for everyone to take their own rubbish to the bin, or if they can't find it just take it with the home? I don't think so. There are rubbish bin available in several places, although not so many. This is just we are, many (if not most) people living in this country, has been too lazy to think about other people. This people who live their rubbish everywhere just doesn't care about others. They only care about themselves, enjoy their meals and live the rubbish for others. Don't they think about the workers who have to work so hard since early morning to clean the rubbish, and hasn't finished yet until noon just because the lazy people who don't care about others?

I feel so upset. There must be something wrong about 'littering culture' in this country: is it a fault of zoo manager who doesn't provide enough bins in every strategic places? is it the street vendors fault who sell foods without providing bins for the rubbish? is it the parents or teachers fault who didn't teach their kids properly about moral aspect to be care about others when they do littering? Or is it religious leaders fault to teach about an important aspect of the religion: keeping clean environment is a part of our religious obligation? Or is it a failure of government not to inform the society?

This is certainly a common failure. We have to admit that we've failed as a society to make sure that all parts of society to respect each other. The mountain of rubbish in the zoo is only one example of the lost of respect to others, which many people has claimed to be a part of our culture. The same thing happened in almost many parts of our everyday life, more obvious especially in metropolitan city like jakarta. If this is a common failure, can we actually do something?

I am a positive person or at least I am trying to be positive and see the cup half full than see it half empty. But what I can do is think like Dr Zeuss, to see myself if I were a zoo manager, what I'll do? First, I will plan for cleaning system in the zoo which involve the visitors rather than rely on the cleaning persons. I will make a list of what to do to achieve the objectives, such as:
1. Put BIG SIGN in the gate: "Take your rubbish to the provided bins or take it home with you if you can't find one'.
2. I will provide training for the zoo workers in the loket, when people buy ticket, and also in the front gate, to say clearly 'No Littering anywhere in the zoo."
3. I will provide training for the vendors inside the zoo to provide proper bins, and give message to the consumers to put their rubbish in the bin or leave it with them to take care.
4. I will invest more on rubbish bins in every strategic places around the zoo, with very clear sign about where rubbish bins are available. If necessary I will invest for creative design to put on the bins to make it part of the zoo's attractions.
5. I will invest more on 'Rubbish Security' who are warm, nice and gentle but firm to say to the visitor: 'Please put your rubbish in the bins'.
6. And if course I will invest more for the zoo facilities maintenance: to keep the children zoo is interesting and warm for the children, to maintain the playground continuously to prevent from damage because of either weather or vandalism, and of course to take care of the animals which are the main attraction of the zoo.

Second, of course I will ask the government to support this public place, if money from tickets are not enough for keeping the zoo run appropriately, this is the government obligation to support it. I will try to convince the governor that he/she won't be elected in the next election if they don't support our program, as we will encourage pressure groups in the society who care about the zoo to campaign for appropriate funding and technical supports for the zoo.

If all of the plans failed, I can only go back to my original profession, a mum who want safe public places for my own children as well as other children in the country. But I am keep trying to voicing my concern as long as I can. I think more and more people will do the same. If not us who do it, who will? If not now, when?