Public Transportation

Okay so I wrote this on 5-20-07 and thought I had posted it but obviously I did not. So here it is using the public transportation system. There are photo's in my photo's section.

Yesterday I rode my first trike and boy was it an experience! Rekah and I were in the little cab attached to the motorcycle and our language facilitator, Laura was on the back of the bike. Lisa and Rachel rode in another trike. We all went to the next town, Luacan over for a language lesson.

The trikes ride in the road with all the other traffic. The traffic beats to their own drum and vehicles will pass even on double yellow lines and even when there is on coming traffic. A larger or faster vehicle will honk at the slower vehicle to let them know that they need to move over or at least inform the trike he is being passed. Trikes are used for short distances and run about 30 pesos a ride. We use them to take us to Luacan or even Dinulupihan which is on the other side of Luacan and has the market.

The trike's cab is like a little egg that you have to bend into and has a bench seat. I have seen a mother and up to 4 children take a trike. One child sits on the back of the motorcycle and the mother and three children in the cab. But the craziest site was two men on the back of the bike behind the driver and three men in the cab with one looking like he might fall out yet the trike just kept going. Filipino people are small but not that small. Actually, today myself, Ati Melody (ati is said before the elders name as a sign of respect), her daughter Nicole (who was on my lap) and my two host brothers Noey and Ram all went to the market in/on 1 trike. It was crazy. I don't think the trikes go more than 35 mph but with a load like ours they probably topped out at 25 mph. Other vehicles zoom around us and all we collect is their exhaust. I have started wearing my sunglasses even though I have always been inside the cab that is covered stuff still flies in your face and into your eyes.

There is no road rage here like in the States but people are purposeful about their destination. But as I backtrack on what I said there is a problem with public transportation workers or lorry drivers driving drunk or tired (falling asleep at the wheel).

On our way from the drop off point on 5-18-07 to our host family we rode in a jeepney and the lorry in front made a sharp stop and our driver had to slam on his breaks and even drive on the side of the road in order to avoid a collision. I do believe our driver was driving to close but he was intending to pass the lorry. While he drove off the main road he almost hit a pedestrian.

Jeepney's have the jeep look from the front but they are wider than the average jeep. They extend much further than a jeep, they are public transportation for longer distances and in and around the town. In Manila they are used in the city as a commuter vehicle like a bus and in the provinces they transport people between people at further distances. The trikes take care of the short commute in the rural areas. Jeepney's are highly decorated with a variety of styles and many colors. Many have some catholic symbol intertwined in the motif. I saw one with Batman and his crew decorated on the side. Many have caribou horns on the front attached to the hood of the vehicle. Inside the back each side of the Jeepney is lined with a bench seat and people will sit next to each other. In Manila someone will hold onto the back and collect the fair from those getting on and off the Jeepney.

The US Embasy has recommendation and the Peace Corps has standards regarding the use of public transportation. We should only use taxi's (ones that say they have air conditioning) but realistically they are only in the bigger towns or cities and far to expensive for our Peace Corps monthly allowance. What I have done to come to terms with this situation is to believe nothing is going to happen to me while in a vehicle and if the driver appears to be shady pick another driver. It is very exciting to use the public transportation because every trip is so different and you never know what is going to happen.