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> Mama, Sukli Ko?
Author: aLmich
I always find it awkward to ask for the small amount of change [read: 50 centavos-5 pesos] in jeepneys or buses. If it’s been 20 minutes since I handed the
driver the fare. There something in me that says that I should let the driver “keep the change”. However, is the driver worth it?
Dishonest drivers are all around the metro. One of the most common would be the kunwari-di-alam-ang-lugar-iikot-ng-iikot-para-dagdag-metro taxi drivers. If they sense that you don’t know much about the place you’re heading to, then they’ll take shorcuts and alternate routes which, aside from additional pay, takes time. I’ve been there when I was too scared a cat to reprimand a driver to take a certain route which I’m more familiar with. Under normal traffic condition, the normal P150 ride from this place to that would now amount to P180 or more.
Overpricing FX/jeepney drivers would be another common headache. Just like yesterday, I rode the FX at St. Francis Square to Pureza Sta. Mesa and that should cost P25, flat. I gave the driver a 50 peso bill and he gave me 20 saying he’ll give the 5 later. Since I am on a total cost cutting, I needed the change. I was expecting that he would give me the P5 before we I had to unload his vehicle but, sadly, he didn’t. I just had to let it go since I was really tired to argue any longer. It wasn’t the first time I experienced that, though.
In jeepneys, they would often not give the change until you asked it. They would not give you the student discount until you tell them you’re a student. Our change should be given right away; we don’t have to ask for it. Sometimes, it happens that they would not give your change still after so many times you’ve asked for it and until by the time you unload, you’ve already forgotten about it.
Did you know that it’s your right not to pay drivers if you weren’t able to sit comfortably in public transportation? Yet, drivers would try and squeeze your fat ass to a space as big as your pointing finger to earn more. One fourth of your ass enjoys the ride but you pay the normal fare.
Although, we can’t blame our drivers for wanting more. With the surmounting amount of diesel in the market, it can’t be possible that what they earn in a day is enough for their family. However, it doesn’t follow that the commuters have to suffer for the consequences of poor oil regulation in our country. We too want the best for them because in not matter what way we look at it, drivers and commuters are interdependent. I think at the end of the day, it’s a question of where your loyalty lies—to your family or to your passengers. You can have it both ways by the way.
