A Bus Life

A Passenger Experience

Most likely, each and every one of us have used public utility vehicles. May it be bus, jeepney, cab, tricycle or airplane, we have been delivered to and from our destinations by these modes of transportation. Some of us enjoy riding these vehicles while others hate it.

In today's entry, I will be starting a series of sharing some of the observations and experiences I have riding these vehicles. I'm going to start this series with the long and large vehicles, the bus.

Going to work and going back home, my primary means of transportation is the bus. These vehicles are considered the "King of EDSA" for it is the primary vehicle in that avenue. It is also the preferred vehicle if you are going to far and near provinces here and the Philippines.

Buses started to come here in the country after World War II or maybe earlier. After a few years, the bus was the leading choice of transportation to and from provinces.

I, on the other hand, enjoyed riding these vehicles since I was a little kid. I always wanted to be beside the window to look and view the different places as the vehicle runs. As I grow old, I observed many things that make buses in the Philippines unique. Here are some of them...

As I have said earlier, buses are the "King of EDSA". They tend to load and unload in the most awkward places. They also cut other buses and vehicles just to get passengers.

Buses also tend to linger at bus stations just to get their passengers. They yell out their destinations. We joke all the time this happens, "Most likely, the driver or the conductor have many wives and family... hapet eh!"

A bus liner in Ortigas, tend to get their bus full even if its already a "standing room only". Its overloading! But passengers still load up those buses just to get themselves home early.

Tickets are still given for a proof that you already paid the fare. Some are already electronically based but some are still use the manual ticketing.

You'll notice a rubber thing worn by conductors on their thumb. It eases the tearing of the tickets whenever a passenger pays the fare. They also signal the driver with knocks of a coin to the railings to signal that somebody would load and unload the bus.

Most of the buses are air-conditioned. They are mostly the buses that lingers longer at every bus station in Edsa.

There are also ordinary buses that runs what we call "air-cool". These buses runs at almost 80-100 kph. I like riding these buses because I get to my destination faster. But I'll be gathering up all the pollution in Manila.

At the back of some buses seats are vandals of different kinds. Some are advertising their numbers for potential sex partner. Some are drawings of human genitals while others just make the seats dirty.

Vendors of different kinds load up the bus to sell their goods. They have this unusual yelp to get attention and offer their products. One time, a passenger thought the vendor was the conductor and instead of getting a ticket for the fare, he gets a juice drink.

These are just some of the things and experiences I remembered when riding a bus. But even though these PUVs are considered undisciplined, dirty and stinks, I still prefer to ride the bus. Its like riding an elephant. Just faster.

What are your experiences in riding the bus? Do you share the same observation and experiences I have with the "King of EDSA"? Share it!

Kapish!

Credits to the original uploader/s of the picture/s shown on this post.