THIS MUST have been one of those pesky things cooking in the back of my mind for so long that I could’ve sworn something was burning. I am sure commuters are well aware of what I’m going to say. Public utility drivers have this warped sense of logic when it comes to the concept of empty space. Not the science-y outer space mind you, but the seating capacity-sort-of-space in passenger vans and jeeps.
To everyone’s dismay, these present-day drivers (and conductors) become wannabe Einsteins whenever they insist on their idea of what’s a filled vehicle. If their transports seat eight or nine people on each side, then it doesn’t matter what sizes the passengers are, all should squeeze and fit in easily! The worst thing is whenever riding passengers complain there’s no more room, they’d be met with a probing what-do-you-know kind of look plus a verbal shot of irritation, accompanied by a sneer or worse, a snarl.
I’ve brought this up with some drivers whom I know in our neighborhood and sadly, most of them have the same opinion; passengers are an entitled lot. They, on the other hand, have to bear the brunt of oil price hikes, and strict traffic penalties among others. With this kind of narcissistic reasoning, their victim card might as well be attached to their ID tags.
Don’t get me wrong, I empathize with these drivers and fully understand their plight. The thing is, though indirectly, commuters are also affected by all these. Another thing that’s important, they also have to realize theirs is akin to a duty, a form of public service compensated by every paying passenger and mostly taxpayers at that. They’re not doing us a favor when we ride their vehicles because we pay for their services. Still, they persist, and the drama is always repeated every time one rides a public vehicle to go somewhere. As it is, the riding public is always prey to their whims and in this case, Doc Albert’s Theory of Relativity is re-formulated as: everything is relative to the driver’s perspective. Commuters, just pay up.
The case of tricycles is likewise another relativity theory but with anarchic proportions. Here, it is often the drivers themselves who peg how much you should pay, even though a regular fee mandated by law, already exists. I have noticed this in other cities and often, it’s much worse. A case in point is if the fare is ten pesos in Davao City for a certain distance, the amount is three times over in places like General Santos. Drivers even ask first how much one is willing to pay to get someplace. “Pila ang imong hatag?”, is always the starting query. The weird logic and their math totally escape me.
The case of a senior’s special rate or discount is another matter altogether. Even though at times, I do not avail of these when traveling only a short distance, I still hear a few grumbles here and there whenever a senior hands in his fare.
True, all hardworking drivers deserve all that is due them by law but it’s the same with the elderly. The most-often tag I hear from drivers is ‘entitled’, even as some question and do not respect the discounted fare afforded senior citizens. I’ve even heard one say old people are just too spoiled because they could afford the two or three-peso discount. What’s two pesos nowadays, they quip.
So, whenever you find yourself riding a jeep or van next time and you hear the driver harp about all these, it’s best not to argue and be mum instead. Do as I do. Being no Einstein myself, I’ve decided there’s no point in arguing with their odd science and math any further. For one, I barely passed these subjects myself.
