Yesterday I was doing my best not to be late for work. Fate was smiling at me. Commuting was a breeze. I immediately flagged down an almost empty Megamall FX and did not wait for a Quiapo jeepney just to be sure I will be able to get to work early. Since traffic was smooth we arrived at Tektite with 20 minutes to spare. I was debating whether to walk the distance from Tektite to our office (around 10 minutes walk) or stay in the FX as it wound its way around Megamall and getting off at Medical Plaze, which is nearer our office. I decided to walk because I was afraid that the FX would get caught in traffic somewhere along the route and I did not relish being the last to get off, which is often the case. When I got off the FX I looked at its plate number to see if I will encounter in my walk. Sure enough, when I got to Medical Plaza I saw it stop in front of me while a passenger got off. Waaahhh. I could have saved myself the trouble of walking, on the other hand, it was a much needed exercise. At least I was not late for work.
On my way home early this week, I paid the FX driver P20 and told him where I was getting off. I was not expecting any change so I already placed my wallet inside my bag. I was seated in front and I was the first passenger on board. I was happily surprised when the driver gave me P5 change. A few moments later the FX started filling up. I heard the other passengers telling the driver where they were getting off (a lot of them were getting off at the same place I was) and paying him. I noticed that the driver was charging them P20 instead of P15 that he charged me. Hmmm….it must pay to be the first passenger and paying early. Hehehe
My officemate and I were on our way home talking to each other inside the FX when the voice of the man at our back impinged on my subconscious. He was talking softly on his cellphone. I wasn’t really paying him any attention. The words, “I called you and texted you but you did not answer” just drifted through my awareness. I was kind of preoccupied already because it was almost time for me to get off and my conversation with my officemate was still on-going. I did not catch the next part of that one-sided conversation until I hear him say, “So you’re saying that you want to break up with me?” in a sad, resigned tone. Of course I could not hear what the person on the other end of the line was saying, much too low for my bionic ears. Hehehe. When I heard the words, it took all my self-restraint not to turn my head and look at the guy at my back. Half of my mind was on following his conversation while one fourth was on my companion and the other one fourth preparing to get off. Then I hear him say, “Alam mo di ko kaya. (You know I can’t do it.)” still in that soft and sad voice. My imagination was running wild with various interpretations, no he can’t break up with his other girlfriend, no he can’t leave his wife and their nine kids (hehehe, so nine kids are too much), no he can’t hang up his black cape (i said wild, didn’t I?) or simply, no he can’t do it if he has to be the one to say goodbye first (ohhh, how sweet…my foot :p) Then the conversation ended and I heard something like a sniffle. I really almost turned my head but then the FX stopped and after saying goodbye to my officemate, I got off the vehicle.
Who says you can’t hear anything interesting in public transportation? Certainly not me because I’ve heard plenty of interesting stories about strangers and even about friends from complete strangers who thought that only walls have ears but not their fellow passengers.
On our way to work, my mom and I rode the jeepney. I paid for the fare since she always pays for the more expensive tricycle ride but if we ride a taxi, she’s still the one to pay for the taxi. Hehehe. Anyway, when I received my change, I was disappointed that it was so little. I was expecting more but since the jeepney rates along our route are not as fixed as they should be I just let it go. However, a little while later, the driver gave me additional change. I was really surprised because I did not say anything to him. Maybe he saw my puzzled frown when I saw my change through the rearview mirror, or maybe his conscience kicked in, whatever the case, I was glad for the additional change.
Then in the afternoon on my way home in an FX, the driver just charged me P15. The fare is usually between P15-20 but drivers usually charge P20 especially during rush hour and if they make use of a barker. I was expecting the driver to charge me P20 because there was a barker calling for passengers when I rode the FX. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that my change was P5 more than I expected.
Life can really give you good surprises even if they come in small packages 
I was on my way home riding my usual public transportation, the FX, when a female passenger got in. And guess what! She bumped her head while she was getting in. Hehehe. I’ve come full circle in one day. I bumped my head in the morning on my way to work, then I saw a stranger bump her head when I was on my way home. It was really a very ordinary incident but a nice coincidence for me, not for her I’m sure, it would really be freaky if she saw what happened to me earlier. I just hope it’s not something symbolic, like I really need a bump in the head about one aspect in my life…Hmmm…should I look for another job? Hehehe
Last Monday on my way home, I was unfortunate enough to ride beside a man who can’t sit still. He kept wriggling and checking his wallet, which he placed at his back pocket, as most men are wont to do. The ride was already uncomfortable with us four passengers squeezed together in the middleseat without him wriggling about like a big fat worm. I don’t know why he kept checking his pockets, it’s not as if there were people inside the FX interested in his coins. Not content with wriggling, he had to squeeze himself in so that he can rest his back on the backrest. I was already hunched besided him. Some people are just so grrrr….
I was waiting for a jeepney to bring me to MRT Buendia station when I saw an FX bound for Megamall pass by. I quickly flagged it down even thougn I already had a single journey MRT card for Shaw that I bought earlier on my way to Buendia. I was in Makati for a meeting.
Every commuting experience is different from one another. Sure some are more memorable than others but it’s always a different experience. Take for example my earlier commuting story. It was like short story that had comedy, drama, and even a little bit of song thrown in (no dancing-impossible in the very tight space). So there I was settling in my seat at the middle. A short while later, two passengers (male and female) got in at the back. The radio was playing and both of them sang along softly. I thought, “Weird.” But I just shrugged my shoulders (mentally). To each her/his own. Besides, they just sang a few lines. Anyway, another passenger also got in. When she sat down she paid P10 right away. The driver asked where she would disembark. She replied, “Guadalupe.” The driver advised her that it would be best if she took a jeepney because the fare for the FX was fixed at P25 whether your destination was near or far. She was very obliging and got off the FX. Another passenger got in on the same seat vacated by the previous female passenger. She paid P25 and told the driver that she was getting off at Estrella, this was way nearer to Buendia than Guadalupe was but, what the heck, she was willing to pay. So there we were coasting along nicely until we got to EDSA. I think the driver forgot about the Estrella passenger because when we neared the Rockwell Flyover, he asked us where we were getting off to determine what route he will take. It was determined that the nearest disembarkation point was Robinsons Pioneer. The old man sitting in front told the driver he was getting off at Crossing. The driver told him that it was ok since Crossing was further than Rob P was. Then just to make sure, the driver asked the passengers again if they agreed that Rob P was the nearest drop off point for any of us. Nobody answered, signifying our assent. The old man again piped up, “Crossing ako.” No one paid him any mind.
Just as the driver manuevered the FX so that we entered the Rockwell Flyover, a passenger spoke up that she was getting off at Estrella. We were already about 30 meters inside the flyover. The driver immediately stopped and started backing out of the flyover. Good thing there were very few cars entering the flyover that time and there were no policemen in the vicinity or the driver would have been toast. As he aptly put it, “Di makakabili ng gatas yung pamasahe.” (The fare cannot buy milk). The driver of course was pissed off with the passenger and complained but it was an understandable and he wasn’t violent in his complaints or anything like that. He was trying to avoid traffic at EDSA but if she had spoken earlier, he wouldn’t have entered the flyover. Fortunately, the passenger just stayed silent.
All throughout the travel, the driver was commenting that with the heavy traffic, it was very hard to earn money from driving. Nobody was paying him much attention. The singing passengers interspersed their conversation with some singing when the tune playing from the radio was catchy, e.g. Hotel California. And when there were passengers that got off at Robinsons Pioneer, the old man again repeated to the driver, “Crossing ako.” I don’t know if it was his first time to go to Crossing and was afraid to get lost or he just wanted to remind the driver that he was getting off at Crossing in case the driver decided to veer away from EDSA. When we reached Crossing, traffic was quite heavy and the red light caught the FX a fair distance from the Shaw-EDSA intersection. The driver told the old man that if he wanted to alight, he should do so now because once the light turned green, the nearest stop would be Megamall. The old man got off in a huff because I’m sure he felt it was still some distance away. Good thing he alighted from the FX when he did because when the light turned green, all the vehicles, including the one we were in, were racing to cross the intersection before the light turned red. It would have been impossible to stop someplace before the intersection and it was a longer walk back to Shaw from Megamall.
If you’re in a hurry, never ever ride a public transportation that’s empty or nearly empty. You’ll just be late because nine out of ten times, the driver will stop for every passenger, possible passenger or by-stander along the way. It will even stop in corners to wait for other passengers. And have you noticed that whenever you’re running late, the driver almost always takes time to drop by a gasoline station for a refill of gasoline or water, or exchange big bills for smaller bills?
Earlier this evening on my way home, I was riding the FX (front seat) and traffic was quite heavy. I just finished eating my french fries (broke my vow not to eat inside public transpo,hehe) when I noticed the driver of a nearby FX hurriedly getting off his vehicle. He did not even take off his seatbelt all the way. He was still wearing it when he stood beside his FX, with his door open to shield him from view, then proceeded to PEE right there in the middle of a busy avenue. I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing (actually, I just saw his movements from the back). It was quite a long flow. And when he finished, he did the “shake that thingy” thing that guys do. Hehehe. Lucky he finished when he did because the vehicles started moving already. Our FX moved ahead that’s why I wasn’t able to see the marks on the road to verify if he really did what I thought he did.
In fairness to the man, he looked to be in his sixties. His hair was very white and he reminded me of the late House Speaker Ramon Mitra, Jr. I don’t know why he waited until he was already on the road before relieving himself. Maybe he has a problem controlling that bodily function and it just comes to him all of a sudden with no warning. Whatever the reason, he managed to provide me with another entry. As they say, don’t hold it back, let it flow. Hahaha
1. maniac men who get their kicks out of touching females (or other males) in jam-packed buses and trains
2. drivers who cheat on change – earlier this morning on my way to work, i paid the driver P20. i was supposed to have at least P2 change but he did not give it to me even though i reminded him 3x already. since his music was blasting so loudly and i was seated far from him, it was easy to ignore me. i did not relish losing my dignity by shouting at him for the sake of P2. he’ll get his comeuppance one way or another.
3. drivers and passengers who smoke
4. sleepy drivers – very scary
5. sleeping passengers whose continuous head banging and swaying invade your space
6. dust face powder coating and the “amoy araw” (sun smell?) you get when riding a jeepney or non-aircon bus
7. passengers who stop the vehicle to get off when the last passenger just got off a meter or two away. – filipinos hate walking. our motto is “why walk when you can ride” hehehe
8. passengers who occupy more space than they should, e.g. women passengers who sit sideways, and men who open their thighs wide when sitting
9. sweaty and/or smelly co-passengers – especially if your seating beside somebody whose sweating like a pig and your wearing sleeveless dress or blouse. yuuucckkk!
10. litterbug passengers – why can’t they just keep their junk until they can find a trash can?
