I remembered when we still lived in our previous neighborhood we had a neighbor who was a drug addict. Of course I did not see him use drugs or anything but you hear whispers and rumors. It’s so sad when people become addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. He was a nice person who fell in with a bad crowd. Maybe their family situation contributed something to it with a very strict father and very little money. I don’t know if addiction treatment would have helped him but I’m sure it was something their family could not afford. I remembered that he always paid my jeepney fare whenever we coincidentally rode the same jeepney together. Maybe it was because he was older that he thought he should be the one to pay. But I remember my aunt mentioning that he paid her fare also when he saw that they were in the same jeepney. There must have been something innately good in him that he was seldom able to express. As I grew older I seldom saw him in the neighborhood. When we moved away, his father died. My mom and I went to the wake but we were not able to attend the funeral. My best friend said that the guy was there but in handcuffs and escorted by the police. It’s so sad and such a tragic waste. I just hope that sometime soon he’d come to his senses and find a way to build a brighter future. It might be a cliché but as long as there is life there is chance to change for the better.
While in Cebu, I happened to ride a jeepney with a very lively conductor (a guy who collects the fare). I was on my way to my grandmother’s place. When I got in, I wasn’t quite sure if he really was a conductor or just a “sabit” or someone along for a free ride. He was not wearing a shirt, was very noisy and he was all over the outside of the jeepney. I saw one of the passengers give him the jeepney fare but I was still not convinced so I withheld paying until I was sure. He was calling passengers in a loud voice which he intercepted with his risque comments. A girl passenger got in and he said, “Gunit sa gahi na puthaw” with a sexual innuendo. (can be intrepreted to mean “Hold on to the hard rod/metal”). The girl did not hold on to the rail that’s why when the jeepney suddenly moved, she was almost thrown to the floor. The conductor commented, “Gi ingnan gunit sa gahi na puthaw.” (I told you to hold on to the hard metal) The passengers, including me, were laughing quietly at his antiques. Whenever the jeepney would stop for the red light, he would get off the jeepney and move around the area, calling for more passengers and reciting the places that the jeepney would pass through. One of his comments was, “Luag pa. Adlaw-adlaw gamiton” [There's still space (for more passengers).] He played on the word “luag” which can mean, “plenty of space” or “loose”. This second meaning goes well with the phrase “adlaw-adlaw gamiton” (“used everyday”). I’ll leave it to you to decipher what he meant. Hehehe
Jeepneys in Cebu are different from jeepneys in Manila in the front structure. There are only few jeepneys in Cebu with the “Sarao” look. Here are some pictures of Cebu jeepneys. The jeepney on the left side of the first pic is the one with what I consider the “Sarao” look typical of the jeepneys here in Manila. While the rest of the pictures depict the typical look of Cebu jeepneys.
The saying “you can never go back home” is true. When I went off to college, I remembered that there were very few malls, hotels, and places to hang-out, and no fly-overs in Cebu City. I even remember only one casino, which was located near what used to be Cebu Plaza. During that time, that location was already considered far from the city. Only very few jeepneys plied that route and I don’t think the patrons of the casino would get caught arriving in a jeepney.
Now, a lot of hotels with casinos have been built but still no self-respecting high roller would be caught arriving in jeepney. Casinos still remain the playground for the rich (and those feeling rich). However, with the advent of the Internet, gambling became more accessible to the rest of the populace. The proliferation of online casinos and other online gambling sites made it possible to gamble anytime and anywhere as long as there is Internet connection. With thousands of online casinos and a lot of games in each casino, a player would have hard time choosing where and what to play.
Online casino reviews greatly help in choosing the best casinos and casino games on line. With the right review site, choices are narrowed to the best choices. Not only that, you’ll be better informed on the advantages and disadvantages of each online casino and online game. Better information makes for a better online gambling experience. Now you can beat the house, without setting foot outside your house.
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?
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?
Something I came across while reviewing my emails…I hope the author does not mind my reposting it.
The JEEPney
By: BenignO (of GetRealPhilippines.com)
Leaf through any tourism promotional material released by Philippine tourism bodies – government or private – and chances are, you’ll come across at least one picture of the jeepney; that symbol of Filipino ingenuity, creativity, festivity, or whatever virtues we imagine ourselves to possess. Step onto any Manila street and you immediately witness the effects of the reign of the King of the Road.
No other icon of Philippine culture epitomises more the utter pompousness of the Filipino. For in trumpeting the jeepney as the symbol of our ingenuity, we not only provide insight to the dismal levels of our standards of ingenuity but also proclaim to the world that we find no reason to change for the better. If these machines are considered such priceless gems of Philippine culture, then why are they banned from Manila’s premier tourist showcase – the fragrant Roxas (formerly Dewey) Boulevard?
Their place as a novelty on the streets comes into question when one considers the amount of effort and expenditure that has gone into finding solutions to the traffic snarls and pollution that constantly plague Metro Manila and other major Philippine cities. While there is a general unwritten acknowledgment of the jeepney’s role in exacerbating these problems, there has been no known attempt (from people and organisations that could make a difference) to highlight it as a priority social and economic problem. To be sure, the MRT/LRT projects are pursued in the hope that these systems will expedite the demise of the jeepney as a primary means of public transport. However, the underlying government stance is that such transport infrastructure projects are, in fact, meant to augment “strained public transport facilitiesâ€. This stance implies that there will be no effort to phase out jeepneys beyond waiting for Metro Manila residents to make their choice of preferred means of commute. This is quite a disturbing prospect considering that train fare costs ten times more than jeepney fare.
Jeepneys defy systemic approaches to developing efficient mass transit in Philippine cities and have become eyesores wherever they turn empty lots and even streets into de facto terminals. A conscious effort on the part of jeepney drivers and owners to induce loud rumbling noises from their mufflers (or lack of them) whenever they rev their machines turns the metropolis into a seething cauldron that is an assault on the senses. And the persistence of a design dating back to the 40’s is a testament to an utter lack of innovation and progress in taste, practicality, and attitudes.
So while we wait for jeepneys to become uncompetitive (price wise – fat chance), millions of dollars are spent on massive infrastructure projects, private motorists bear the brunt of various vehicle reduction schemes, Manila’s air continues to increase in corrosiveness, and the average commuter remains short-changed in safety and comfort.
Earlier today on my way to work, I had the misfortune of seating beside a very sleepy man in a jam-packed jeepney. He kept nodding off. Aside from that, he was holding the rail at the ceiling of the jeepney with his left hand and since I was seated at his left, he was encroaching on my already miniscule place. I did not say or do anything because I can understand sleeping in public transportations. I have done it a few times in the past and I’m sure I’ll be doing it again in the future. I just ignored him and tried to be as comfortable as possible. Unfortunately, it came to a point where the guy was already in danger of sleeping on my shoulder. I was preparing to turn to give him the evil eye when I had a savior from an unexpected quarter. The lady on my other side spoke up and told him, “Lean your head (on the vertical window bar) so that you won’t keep nodding off and disturbing others.†The guy followed her suggestion, thus sparing me from further discomfort. Many thanks, Ma’am, whoever you are 
I think I was around 12 to 14 years old when I had my first run-in with a maniac in a jeepney. It was before 7 o’clock in the morning and I was on my way to school. I sat on the jeepney trying to keep my place with my backpack and my Coleman in my lap. It was a while before I noticed that a strange weight was on me and when I looked down, I saw that the guy beside me had his hand on my lap. I gingerley picked up his hand and returned it to him. But still he persisted in putting it back. His putting his hand on my lap and my returning it to him continued for a few times. What can I say, I was a little slow in recognizing his intent. When he still persisted, I suddenly shouted when I returned his hand for the nth time, “What are you doing!”. Every one in the jeepney turned to look at him. After that he stopped and when somebody got off the jeepney he moved away. I was so shaken and angry that when I got off the jeepney, I made sure that I stepped on his slippered foot.
saw on the t-shirt of the man in front of me in the jeepney:
NARCAR Racing
35th Grandfrix…
life has a way of making me laugh amidst the difficulty of commuting and the horrendous traffic, especially early this morning.
In a jam-packed jeepney I heard the child seated on her mother’s lap beside me ask her mother, “Mommy, ba’t di mo na ako kinukutuhan?”. Waaahhh my hair!!!!!!!!!!
