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Annoying things people do during public commute

We present a list of the most annoying things you’ll encounter during public commute.

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Every day, millions of Filipinos use public transport to get from point A to point B. In any city, public transport adds to the hustle and bustle of everyday life and gives color to it.  But here in our very own Metro Manila, this is the most convenient way to ruin one’s day, may it be on the trains, buses, jeeps, or shuttles – you name it! Just ask the workers and students who consider this as part of their daily routine; they may be used to it, but they probably don’t enjoy it.

We present a list of the most annoying things you’ll encounter during public commute.

 

At the LRT 1, LRT 2, and MRT 3

  • Blocking the doorway. When the train is packed, this is hard to avoid. This is especially annoying if you’re about to go down at your stop but then the people blocking your way won’t even move or go down for a while to let you pass. It’s like their feet are glued to the floor. If they do move, they move just a centimeter. Most of the time, you really have no choice but to push and shove your way out. Sometimes, profanities are said and wills are tested when the warning buzzer goes off.
  • Boarding the train without letting the other passengers alight first. Let’s just call them the “super excited sumakay” or “di makapaghintay.These are the people who barge into the train the moment the door opens. They don’t even care that they are bringing inconvenience to the other passengers. They just want to board the train, and that’s just what they’ll do. It’s even more annoying when they stand near the door and become the first people mentioned above. Double whammy.
  • Moving too much. Obviously, a packed train is very uncomfortable. But excessive moving makes it worse, not just for the person doing it, but for the other passengers as well. Seriously, being “malikot” won’t make the train less packed. Some even add to the intensity by talking or “gabbing” too much with their companions and neither helps with the mixing of sweat and skin on a hot day.
  • Trying too hard to hold on to the safety handrails. Yes, some passengers know that the word “safety” is there for a reason. However, considering the packed situation on the trains, it is not a good idea to insist on holding on to the handrails. If there’s a bunch of people between you and the handrails, don’t bother stretching far enough to reach it. You’ll not only inconvenience yourself, but the passengers you’re blocking as well. Besides, the train is probably so packed that there won’t be any space for you to fall on.
  • Saving seats. This is usually applicable for the first or last stations of the trains. Some people would sit on the scarce seats and save them for their slow-moving friends (even more annoying when done on the shorter seats). It’s acceptable if their friends are right beside them on the way in, but if not, it is very annoying. You just wasted the effort of someone else who tried their best to get to those seats, only to find out that you “saved” them for your companions that aren’t as agile or quick as other passengers.

 

In buses and shuttles

  • Unfazed passengers in aisle seats. Sometimes, a barrage of passengers just gets in the bus during unexpected times or rush hours. A passenger’s first instinct is to look for a seat that’s convenient and easy to locate, but the boarded passengers don’t give a single cent about that. Instead, the aisle seats are always occupied, making newly boarded passengers a target for eyes onboard and a potential victim of gravity and inertia.
  • Bags on passenger seats. Some people put their bags on bus seats not to irritate, but for their own convenience. Of course, they paid for the seat, but the main purpose of public utility vehicles is to give convenience to citizens paying for transport. Maybe, in the future, stacks of boxes will be billed for fares as well.
  • Sitting pretty. In some places, like in Buendia or in a terminal, seats on a shuttle are on a first come, first served basis. Of course, the seats near the door are destined for passengers who go off on a landmark located in the route. However, this “unspoken” rule is broken by passengers who do not want the hassle of going far inside the shuttle. Instead, they sit near the entrance to avoid handing out the fares to the driver. It’s a very common occurrence, one that isn’t necessarily bad, but is annoying to the majority of the passengers.

 

On jeepneys

  • Not moving slowly. The urgency of riding a jeepney is always exhilarating, for the rate of speed jeepney drivers use is always death-defying, especially in high-traffic areas like Manila, EDSA, or Makati. To the casual commuter, this is a good thing because the objective of using public transportation is to get to the destination as fast as possible. Unfortunately, gravity applies to jeepney rides, much like any other public utility vehicle, thereby subjecting passengers to an Inception-like thrust forward or sideways. Ergo, it seems that for PUV drivers, not moving slowly kind of means not getting fares.
  • Not passing fares. As a jeepney passenger, it is common courtesy to pass the fare of your fellow passenger who is farther from the driver. Some people would “text” or pretend not to hear you just to avoid passing fare. Similarly, on empty jeepneys, some lazy people would wait for other passengers to pass their fare for them. You may have experienced sitting down before immediately hearing someone from behind you say, “bayad po,” when you haven’t even gathered your own fare yet.
  • Squeezing to the middle. Unfortunately, another custom of other passengers is the tendency to squeeze the just-seated passenger because of the space inside the jeepney. To ride the jeepney is to disrupt the “order” of it, or so it would seem. Audacious passengers would scowl as you enter the jeepney and mark their territory with a sour face and a stoned expression. As a passenger who just entered, you have to immediately look for a seat lest you want to be thrown into the back. Like the annual Hunger Games, or the animal kingdom it may seem, if the quote is kill or be killed, the application here is be alert or be squeezed severely.
  • Sitting with their legs wide open.This not-so-admirable move is also applicable on trains, buses, and shuttles. Mostly done by men, these people do not care for the space of other people. This movement is highly questionable and will challenge the patience of some because they hog the space which could have been another person’s space or could have let the person beside him sit comfortably.
  • Waiting for other passengers too long.This may arguably be one of the most annoying things a jeepney driver does and what passengers tick off their “boiling point” list. They wait too long for passengers to fill up the jeep, and they sometimes hail passengers to ride on the vehicle for a faster “process.” Add the fact that they sometimes knock on the vehicle’s exterior to emphasize the need for passengers to “exhaust” every possible space, and you have just what a paying passenger needs: another pet peeve. Sometimes, this even doubles your travel time. Talk about not having regard for time (and people’s patience).

Alas, the journey to school and back again proves tedious for the unsuspecting Lasallian, and even, most Filipinos. The surprising thing is that while commuting could prove to be a very tedious and sometimes polarizing thing, it’s something that gives insights and helps people learn more about the quirks and tropes life likes to throw. (Plus, it teaches you to have patience. A LOT of patience.) Through the smog and smoke, hailing a bus or a jeepney can be frustrating, and you’ll even find yourself hurling profanities that you never thought would come out from you. At the end of the day, though, you’ll be proud of yourself for withstanding it all.

Daniel Ian Comandante

By Daniel Ian Comandante

Michi Dimaano

By Michi Dimaano

17 replies on “Annoying things people do during public commute”

One of the more annoying things a jeepney driver does is filling his gas tank during rush hours. You would expect that they do this before doing their trip.

How about people not lining up at the train station? I think that’s quite significant; people just shove their way into the packed “line” without even acknowledging the people who were there first.

Gusto ko lang i-point out itong mga ito:

“Blocking the doorway” — Minsan di nila kasalanan na hindi rin sila makagalaw. Kung packed ang train, san sila pupunta? Manunulak din sila ng iba?

“Most of the time, you really have no choice but to push and shove your way out” – Please wag. Mas naiirita ako dito dahil alam kong mas may choice sila kaysa sa mga taong “nagbloblock” ng daanan. Pwede pa ring maging gentle sa paglabas kahit na jampacked ang train kung 1 station before your destination, lumalapit ka na.

“Trying too hard to hold on to the safety handrails” – So paano malalaman kung “Trying too hard” na?

“Besides, the train is probably so packed that there won’t be any space for you to fall on.” -umm… pag biglang huminto ang train, sabay-sabay lang naman kayo malalaglag sa floor kasi walang humahawak. Ilang beses na ako nakakita ng ganito, buti na lang nakahawak ako sa handrail kaya di ako kasama sa nahulog. Plus, may mga taong mahilig isarili yung handrails. Niyayakap o sinasandalan pa minsan na parang sila lang may karapatan sa mga poste. I don’t care kung matamaan ko nang konti mga mukha nila. Mas maganda pa ring humawak sa safety handrails. Madali naman bitawan kapag may dadaan.

Di ko gets anong gusto sabihin ng author duon sa squeezing to the middle sa jeepney section. May may mga taong gusto mang-ipit ng ibang tao na bagong dating at apparently, culture pala ito? May marking of territory pa? Idk… matagal na ako sumasakay ng jeepeneys pero first time ko palang narinig na may ganyan pala. 🙂

Gusto ko lang i-point out itong mga ito:

“Blocking the doorway” — Minsan di nila kasalanan na hindi rin sila makagalaw. Kung packed ang train, san sila pupunta? Manunulak din sila ng iba?

“Most of the time, you really have no choice but to push and shove your way out” – Please wag. Mas naiirita ako dito dahil alam kong mas may choice sila kaysa sa mga taong “nagbloblock” ng daanan. Pwede pa ring maging gentle sa paglabas kahit na jampacked ang train kung 1 station before your destination, lumalapit ka na.

“Trying too hard to hold on to the safety handrails” – So paano malalaman kung “Trying too hard” na?

“Besides, the train is probably so packed that there won’t be any space for you to fall on.” -umm… pag biglang huminto ang train, sabay-sabay lang naman kayo malalaglag sa floor kasi walang humahawak. Ilang beses na ako nakakita ng ganito, buti na lang nakahawak ako sa handrail kaya di ako kasama sa nahulog. Plus, may mga taong mahilig isarili yung handrails. Niyayakap o sinasandalan pa minsan na parang sila lang may karapatan sa mga poste. I don’t care kung matamaan ko nang konti mga mukha nila. Mas maganda pa ring humawak sa safety handrails. Madali naman bitawan kapag may dadaan.

Simple lang yan. Pag nag LLRT ako para sunduin ang jowa ko sa makati noong araw.. Hindi ako tatanga tanga. Kung nasa malayo ako, at bababa ako ng Edsa station, buendia pa lang, medyo sumisiksik na ako palapit ng pinto. Pag dating ng edsa, gulong na palabas ng pinto. Simple. Maaasahan. Tried and tested method.

Pag papasok ako ng skwela. Dahil sa Eng gate ako bumababa.. Natutulog lang ako hanggang pag liko ng buendia.. dahil sharp turn yun, yun na ang pang gising ko. After that, chill chill lang mga papi. Pag dating ng vito cruz, bumababa na ang mga ibang lemmings, tatayo na ako at lalapit sa may bukana ng bus. Pag dating sa north gate, tatayo na ko at sasabihin sa driver “boss, dagonoy lang” at bigla nang hihinto sa tawiran sa eng gate. Simple. (saan ang dagonoy? eto: https://www.google.com.ph/maps/place/De+La+Salle+University/@14.5655921,120.9940355,19z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x8e8eae0957d17c38 )

Wag puro reklamo. Matutong mag survive.

Tama rin ang last part nito. Si Manong Pepe the Jeepney Driver ay kumikita lang ng mga dalawang daang piso hanggang sa limang daang piso (200 pesos to 500 pesos para sa inyong mga conyo) sa isang araw. Deputa, mga baon nyo lang yan mag rereklamo pa kayong nag hihintay ako ng pasahero.

Wag kang umambisyon na mula Rotonda hanggang Vito Cruz 5 mins ka lang. Oo 5 mins kung walang traffic, inutil. Kelangan ko kumita ng pera, kelangan ko mag bayad sa mga parak sa kalye. Mag buffer kayo mga ulol. Di porket 940 class mo aalis ka ng 930. Ano ka naka helicopter? Gago.

Ito yung mga dahilan na kapag inireklamo mo eh ang sasabihin sa iyo ng mga nakatatanda at mga regular na trabahador ay “ang dami mong reklamo, magtaxi ka na lang!”

Bakit nga hindi ka nalang mag taxi hijo. Nung panahon ko sa La Salle, walang mga katarantaduhang blog post na ganito. Tanginang puro kayo reklamo leche. Kung ayaw mo mag commute mag kotse ka inutil.

Kung “citizen empowerment” din ang peg mo, sumulat ka kay Mayor Erap. wag ka sa blog mag kalat ng reklamo. Do something about it. Less complaining, more action.

PS: nag bbus din ako nung panahon ko. Tas Trans (may libreng ipis ka pa) kaya alam ko rin ang mga kagaguhan na to.

The people standing in the aisle of the bus who just refuse to move even though the people in front are tuna-ed. No amount of “paki-usog lang po” will budge. They don’t even care if the driver can’t see the side mirror anymore. I mean really, would a few steps to the side kill them. Some may say that buses shouldn’t even let that many people in but let’s face it, there are a lot of people coming to and from manila. Some of them (including myself) want to be able to go home already after a long day of work/school; even if it means standing.

Matuto kang maniko ng tao gago. Dulo pa ko ng Tas Trans kaya palagi akong tulog at walang pake, pero mga kilalakong bumababa ng Baclaran.. sikuhan lang ang labanan. Matuto kang mag survive, wag puro reklamo gago. Conyo mo. Lumipat ka ng Katipunan.

On buses:

– Wag kayong sisigaw ng para from your seat. Pag alam mong malapit ka na sa bababaan mo, lumapit ka na sa door and tell the conductor/driver. You are in a bus, not a jeep.
– Move back. Wag kayo magsiksikan sa part near the door. “E malapit lang po babaan ko”. If you incline to do so, make way for those disciplined enough to move back. The bus driver and conductor will give you ample time na bumaba. And besides, pag tumatambay kayo sa part na yun, napapagkamalan kayong snatcher.

All in all, we all need some dicipline in our lives, and we need to stop thinking about ourselves.

What about those looking for a ride beside the “No Loading and Unloading” sign? Siyempre temptation sa mga public vehicle drivers ‘to na magkumpulan dun at maging dahilan ng traffic. The sign is there for a reason -.-

You summed up a lot of my daily frustration. I may sound ‘maarte’ or whatever, but one thing I hate is when someone is SUPER sweaty, as in sweating bullets, in the MRT and feel no shame in spreading your arms to reach over people to grab the railing. To make it worse, they insist of moving closer to people even when the train isn’t full without even bothering to wipe themselves even a bit. Of course we’re all sweaty and tired, but for me at least, I tend to avoid close contact with people as best I could if I’m a sweaty mess.

Sumasang ayon ako kay Manong Pepe. Wala na bang mas brilliant na maisip ang TLS kaya gumawa nalang ng listahan ng reklamo. Eh kung survival tips kaya ang i-research nyo. Annoying talaga yan pag kulang ka sa diskarte

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