JAKARTA • Popular Japanese tidying expert Marie Kondo would be proud of Slamet Gunaedi.
The 47-year-old security guard at the SMAN 4 South Tangerang state high school in Banten province has a knack for keeping things organised. And for him, organising motorcycles in the school's carpark is what sparks his joy the most.
Mr Slamet's impeccable tidying skills have won him the attention of netizens after social media posts showcasing the neat lines of motorcycles he organised went viral.
He has been arranging the hundreds of motorcycles owned by teachers and students according to their make, type and colour.
"I love order. Besides, (the arrangement) also helps the owners, for example, if someone is sick and needs to leave school. If the motorcycles are parked in a messy way, it will be difficult to get it out," he was quoted as saying by the Kompas.com news website.
He said he has been doing his job for the past 19 years, working from 5.30am to 5pm every school day. He chose to do all the work by himself after a negative experience working with someone he claimed was dishonest.
The person, he said, took belongings stored inside the motorcycles.
As a contract worker, his salary is often paid late. To help him make ends meet, he works as an online motorcycle taxi driver after work.
"I get my paycheck once every two or three months," he said, adding that his 1.25 million rupiah salary (S$120) was not sufficient to pay his monthly housing rent of 1.7 million rupiah and other expenses, including for his children's needs. "But thank God there is always a way."
His skills have also landed him an award from the South Tangerang police, who gave him a security guard innovation award on Friday.
South Tangerang deputy police chief commissioner Arman, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name, said the award aimed to honour Mr Slamet's innovation and his concern for the students.
"Usually, security guards only focus on security, but Slamet cares for the students," Mr Arman told Kompas.com.
Moreover, students can learn a lesson from Mr Slamet's actions. "Slamet teaches discipline and orderliness to students from the arrangement of the parked motorcycles," Mr Arman said.
THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
