Jeepney. They’re loud, bulky, smoky engines of wheel and painted metal. They’re considered the king of Philippine roads. We call them PUJ (Public utility jeepneys), jeepney, or “jeep” for the love of short shortcuts.
They roamed our streets for years, ah no, decades. I’ve learned to take my first jeepney ride when I was still a second grader. Before that, my pa would take us at school through his bicycle and then eventually, his red motorcycle. How was my first jeepney ride? I thought it was, well… I was nervous, the case for first-timers. Then jeepney rides had been my kind of fare since elementary, high school, college, and office.
For a short trip, these rides are nothing but fleeting. Except, of course, if you were taking a turtle-pace ride, which was the case for old, careful drivers. It could be worse if the driver was the (greedy or persistent?) sort who would stop at every jeepney stop to wait for passengers (even if no one’s actually waving them down). For such rides, I could still amuse myself by counting the passing trees or posts. 😉
Bus rides. Buses are huge, ad-schmoozing vehicles. At the capital (Luzon region), buses stand as a serious rival for loud-honking jeepneys. In our city, buses are reserved for trips to the Northern or Southern provinces. Here in Singapore, buses roll to fit in a combination of races.
As courtesy to old folks, you have to prepare to give your seat to them. The same goes for mothers totting babies. This practice is alive and teeming at this country; in fact, even foreigners do it! One time, my sister (a.k.a. tour guide) did offer her seat. The grandma was seated near the window; I was at the other side, When it was time to board down, this grandma took my hand, squeeze it and gave me one sweet smile.
Now, that’s what I call a souvenir! 😀
Train. Cebu doesn’t sport any train on its tracks. Singapore does have mmm… lots of it. My sister and I frequently took the green line.
Now, how was it? It makes me dizzy. After such train rides, my knees would feel wobbly. Even if we were already out in the road, my legs would feel shaky, bouncy even. People who were used to taking trains could stand without holding any provided rails. They’ve got that balance that makes me really, really envious.
Which one’s the best ride? I love jeepney and bus rides. I enjoy rides that give me visual options. I love to observe passengers; other times, I’d rather look at the sprawling vegetation or people outside who looked small and draw dotted lines in my vision.
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This post has been inspired by kelzbelzphotography‘s “Bus”.
nobody knows jan 