The Commuter

A Stubborn Driver

2007-11-18T20:29:00.000-08:00

We are always pissed off when the jeep we are riding on would be flagged down by a cop especially early in the morning. That would mean we would be late!

This morning, we were halted by a cop because the driver picked up a passenger on a corner turn and he didn’t notice the cop in front of him. I just handed my fare so I muttered a soft curse because I could not just took my money back and look for another ride. Although there’s no one to blame but the driver himself, I pity him because for sure he would be robbed off of his money by the cop. I remained on my sit and observed what’s going to happen next.

The driver was fumbling on his driver’s license. I am waiting to see how he would insert a paper bill inside the plastic jacket of the driver’s license. This is old trick on how bribery and extortion occur in this particular situation. I could see some words spoken from the lips of both parties. The passenger on the driver’s seat was also looking closely. After a minute or two the driver turned the ignition on and took off.

There’s no extortion or bribery? That’s a miracle. It seems the driver made his way out from the cop without any scratch. That’s good for him. When reached the next block, the driver once again stopped the jeep to wait for a potential passenger on the left lane. This driver really refuses to learn from his mistake. This time I really wish some cop would give him the ticket.

There are really jeepney drivers who are naturally stubborn and foolish. They are undisciplined, uneducated and inconsiderate of their passengers. This kind of driver should really get into the seminar room again and should not be given any license without passing a legitimate examination. The public jeepney is the major transportation in the country. If drivers of these vehicles are like the one that I rode this morning, imagine how dangerous the streets would be to commuters.

Patience Little Ass

2007-11-07T06:09:00.001-08:00

I remembered a story a roommate told me when we were walking from Baclaran to Roxas Boulevard. I am relatively new to Manila and not even a runner yet. So during that time everything seems to be far. As we were walking, my roommate noticed that I am a little bit impatient because I keep on asking him “Aren’t we there yet?” So he decided to tell me a story. I thought the story would inspire me or would keep me awake or would somehow minimize the fatigue that was settling in my system.

The story starts with a little ass and his mother walking on a desert. The little ass was obviously tired and complaining. He is thirsty, hungry and tired. In each of his complain, the mother ass assured him always and told him to be patient. So the story went on and on until I get irritated and asked my friend, “Would this story never end?” Hearing that from me my roommate told me, “Patience little ass, patience.” We laughed hard and there goes a pound off of misery. That was a very clever punch line and as a matter of fact I feel silly to be an ass. But it put smile on my face.

I guess this story should be told to everyone in the metro. What we really need is patience especially when you are commuting during the busy hours in the morning.
When we are stuck in traffic, let us be patient. We could not do anything about it. Its flow is dictated by the volume of vehicles plying on the streets, by the traffic enforcers who seem not to know how to handle things, by the street vendors who obstruct the flow of commuters and/or by the people crowding the streets with different paces making the flow of people unbearable.

When we are on a bus, let us be patient. We could not do anything if we choose or doesn’t have a choice to ride a fully-packed bus because for sure we would be unintentionally rubbing our elbows, arms, butts, busts and crotches on a stranger. Let’s make our stomach strong for we could surely smell some aroma coming from others armpits, mouths or the bus poorly maintained interiors and mind-blowing air fresheners. Or when we encounter ill-mannered or foul-mouthed commuters let our eyes be blind and ears be deaf so that we’ll not lose our temper and be one of them.

Yes, commuting is a big sacrifice that we should practice the virtue of patience.

Pedestrian Crossing

2007-10-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

I got a car ride this morning from a good neighbor. This has been this way since Monday and I am a little relieved from the everyday hassle of taking a ride on a jeep and bus especially that this week seems to be a rainy week. So this is the convenience of having a car.

On our way to the office, we passed along the Global City in Fort Bonifacio. The area is really an upscale community. High rise condominiums, well-paved roads, well-kept greens and multi-cultural residents characterized the entire place. This is what posh living is. It’s around 6:45 AM and it’s a regular thing to see runners. We were passing by the Pacific Star building and 20 meters away I could see a foreign national clad in running gear talking over his mobile phone. He’s going to cross the street.

I could see that he was on a pedestrian lane and I know for a fact that vehicles should always give the pedestrian the right of way. Unfortunately the car ahead of us did not stop to wait for him to cross the lane and so was the car I am riding in. As we passed by him, I saw him gesturing that he was on a pedestrian lane but it was too late. We continued to move on.

I told my building mate what the foreign national was gesturing. “He’s so stupid. He could not decide whether to cross the street or not and he’s too busy with his call.” My building mate said. I fell silent.

I know that the pedestrian has always the right of way. If I were the driver I would have given the foreign national this right. I feel disappointed with my building mate for what he has done. However, he could have his own reason for not doing so. I just thought that maybe in that situation, the driver did just what is right because of the indecisiveness of the pedestrian.

This is always the dilemma concerning human rights. We know our freedoms but sometimes we fell short of understanding them. We used to exert them over others without realizing that we sometimes violated others rights also. I think it is not just knowing our rights but we must also know how to be responsible in exercising them.

The pedestrian could have well known his right of way but his indecisiveness because of the call he is making is very irresponsible. He is not only risking himself but also risking others too. He should have stopped on the side of the street and finish his call to avoid any doubts both from him and the driver.

Rights are not for individuals alone. They are for the collective since we live in a society or a community.

Ticket Switching

2007-10-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

My early morning ride would always be a fast one considering that it would only be from Boni Avenue to Guadalupe. There’s no traffic to reckon with and buses are usually less occupied. However, this is the time and situation that opportunistic bus conductors would try their wares to fool their passengers, and I am not ignorant to not be able to notice it.

The bus conductor of JoannaJesh gave us our tickets when we were about to get off. “Give me new tickets.” I asked the conductor. “Those are new.” He said. “How could these be new ones if these are folded already and you did not tear them off from your stub?” I told him. “Those are new. They were just returned by the passengers who got off.” He claimed. “That’s why I need new ones because these tickets have been used already.” I asserted. The conductor was already pissed off and so am I and the passengers who wanted to get off the bus.

“Give me the new tickets now!” I ordered to the bus conductor. He looked at me. He was very mad. I knew I have blown his modus operandi. He murmured and threw the old tickets and fumbled on the ticket stub and tore off two new tickets. I heard him curse. “Don’t curse! You’ve been doing this to your passengers. Do the right thing!” I told him.

I got off from the bus with the conductor still cursing. I just looked at him satisfied that I have somehow thwarted his attempt. I really don’t know how many bus conductors are doing this and how many passengers they fooled everyday. I have experienced this so many times already but this is the first time the conductor aggressively defended himself. I believe I was right in asserting myself.

How many times I let this pass but every time I did I feel awful. I feel that I have consented with the wrong doing. I know that this is just a small matter but I believe that all great things start from small ones. That thought "culture of corruption" always lingers on my mind whenever I experienced such situation in unexpected places of this country, and I hate it.