Another One Bites the Dust

... And here we go again. Another person moves out of my life, in lieu of a better one. That's one of the saddest things about living in a third world country; after poverty, disease, corruption, and many other tragedies; the fact that since our economy is so fucked up, no one can get any decent jobs. Minimum wage here could just about rival the average American's pet food bill per month. It's twisted, it's unfair, it's downright degrading (the situation, not the pet food), but it is the common reality among third world countries.

Granted, our country's situation fares better than that of Somalia, Myanmar, or Syria, to name a few. But I for one, have never been comforted by thinking, "at least we're better off". I am not an activist, yet I am appalled by the scenario we seem to find ourselves in. The Philippines is rich in natural resources, and due to our Eastern and Western influences, have learned and adapted enough to become multi-talented in many different tasks. Many, except basketball. Haha! 

On a more serious note, it's such a shame that despite what talent we may have, and despite the resources we rightfully own, we still haven't quite learned how to tap it/them  correctly. That, in my opinion, is a tragedy in its own right.

It's a Job?

What is up with taxi drivers these days? They think they're doing you a favor by graciously allowing you to ride in their sweat-smelling (pun intended) rickety piece of metal junk. I think they skipped that day when their job description was explained.

What gets on my nerves even more is being greeted by a scratch to the head when you get in and announce your destination. This could lead to two things. One is an attempt at a sheepish look and the words, "Pasensiya na Ma'am, Makati lang po ako", or any place you happen to be in at that moment. It's almost as if they have a 10 minute rule: If we can't get to your destination in 10 minutes, you're out! Now if they put a sticker of that inside the cab, we could save tons of energy by avoiding getting in and promptly, back out. Plus, nobody's time would be wasted.

The second possible scenario is silence, an engine rev, and a few random "tsk tsks" every single time there's a bit of traffic or a red stoplight, all the way to your destination. The only thing missing is for the driver to turn behind and say, "hassle!" In this case, there should be a sticker that says, "Please practice cleanliness and hostility while inside the taxi". Then we wouldn't feel guilty or offended because hey, he's just following the rules.

Another thing that bothers me about taxis these days is their inability to trust in their own meters. Meters were created so that we can pay appropriately, based on the distance the taxi had to travel to get to where you wanted to go. But they insist on creating their own travel fees and fares, perhaps depending on how much they think it'll cost to get there. What is it with their complete lack of faith in their metering systems? Do they think they're being cheated by that little digital box?

In this day and age of Manila, taxicabs have become not only the kings, but the high priests of the road. They make important decisions like who should get home early today, how much do they think a certain person should pay, and which private car driver to irk, among many others. 

*photo is my own, taken while stuck in traffic along Ayala Avenue.