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I'll be posting my three best essays in English 1 for the next few days. Since I'm supposed to encode them, why not also post them? Hehehehe. Seriously now, I'll be submitting these essays as a final project so please feel free to point out any mistakes in spelling, grammar, and common sense. Violent reactions and brutal comments will be most appreciated.
Confessions of a Commuter
I want a car. No, I need a car. How I wish that I could get from Point A to Point B with minimal effort, like the lucky souls who have their own cars, instead of having to contend with the chaotic public transportation system. As a commuter, not only do I have to live with barely controlled chaos, I also have to compete with other commuters. I am also witness to one of the fiercest battles of our time. I see it nearly every day, even on those rare occasions when I'm lucky enough to ride in my dad's car.
This battle is between two of what can arguably be called the most Pinoy of our public utility vehicles (PUVs): the jeepney and the FX taxi. These two are certainly unique to our country, and they are the most prolific PUVs on our streets. They are also locked in an inevitable conflict over the one resource which drives a PUV: passengers. The question then is, who is winning the battle? Will the iconic jeepney eventually triumph over the FX, or will the upstart FX sweep away the jeepney? I think that it's a bit of a stalemate, but see and judge for yourselves as I take you along on one of my days as a commuter.
I encounter three types of PUVs every time I step out of the house: short-, medium-, and long-range PUVs. Usually, I just walk to the main road, so I dispense with the short-range PUVs; the foot powered pedicabs and the more advanced tricycles. A normal day won't have me going to Makati or Paranaque, so I won't need a long-range PUV; either a bus or the Metro Rail Transit (MRT). A normal day would definitely have me using medium-range PUVs; the jeepneys and the FX taxis. I won't count the normal taxi cabs here, as I simply can't afford them.
A normal day would have me walking to the terminal at the top of the main road, where I will have the choice of taking a jeepney or an FX taxi. I usually queue up for an FX taxi, as it is (usually) the first to leave the terminal. Another reason why I prefer the FX taxi is that it its fast.
The FX taxi was originally supposed to be a high-capacity cab, but it has since evolved into a mini-jeepney capable of carrying 10 passengers. It is fast, but its speed is not of the Formula 1 variety. Travel by FX is usually quicker because the drivers follow a defined but flexible route. They tend to go for the shortest way possible, utilizing shortcuts and back roads which they also use to go around traffic-prone areas. My daily commute -from home to Katipunan Avenue- is about 11 kilometers. Travelling that 11 kilometer stretch by FX takes only about 15 minutes.
A trip on a jeepney would take twice the time, since jeepneys are confined to a fixed route. In my case, the jeepney route from home to Katipunan is more circuitous than that taken by the FX, adding some 10-15 minutes to the travel time. In terms of travel speed, the FX taxi beats the jeepney.
The jeepney was born at the end of World War 2, fashioned out of surplus American utility vehicles. Since then, it has become an icon of Philippine society and culture and, some say, has become an art form. Indeed, with all the ornamentation and colors of the jeepney, you would feel like travelling in a mobile art gallery. However, the beauty of the jeepney is only skin deep, for past the ornate decorations and paintings is an old and oftentimes broken-down body.
The jeepney has been with us for decades, and it shows. The interior of most jeepneys these days are dirty at best, corroded at worst. The floors are often rusted and littered with food wrappers and dirt, the seats are torn and frayed, and the engines are an environmentalist's nightmare. I have had an experience wherein cockroaches were quite literally crawling out of the woodwork. Mosquitoes are also present in many jeepneys. 60 years is such a long time, yet the only innovation in the jeepney's design which has been adopted nearly everywhere is the string in the ceiling which switches on a light that signals the driver to stop.
An FX on the other hand, does not have intricate statuettes on its hood. No paintings adorn its sides. However, it is air conditioned. Its seats are soft and cushy, which is a huge improvement from the sometimes hard and even wooden seats of a jeepney. The interior of an FX is so comfortable that I always take the opportunity to sneak in a few minutes of shut-eye. Most FXs are also well-maintained, and some come with air fresheners or even fresh sampaguita which really does a lot to lighten one's mood.Yes, the jeepney is a work of art on the outside, but the FX is a work of art where it counts.
The FX taxi is still a bit of a puzzle though. All FX taxis have LTFRB- or LTO-registered fare meters, but these are never used. Instead, passengers are charged flat fees. 10 pesos is the minimum while 25 pesos is the maximum, depending on the destination. This is where the jeepney trumps the FX. A jeepney charges a minimum fare of 7 pesos which increases with distance, and students and senior citizens can even avail of a discount which lowers the minimum fare to 6 pesos. Travelling by jeepney is so cheap that -all things being equal- I would rather take a jeepney than take an FX. All other things are not equal, however, so the relief you give to your wallet will cost you quality of service. To cash-strapped individuals though the savings would be more welcome than the few minutes in an air conditioned FX. The jeepney clearly takes this round.
So far, we have looked at the major qualities of the jeepney and the FX taxi. The FX provides faster and more efficient service and is a more comfortable ride than the jeepney. The jeepney, on the other hand, is more affordable. Now, let's look at how they affect their surroundings.
Not a day passes wherein I don't mutter a curse directed at a PUV driver, be it a tricycle, bus, taxi, jeepney, or FX driver. I'm a stickler for rules, and it's a fact of life that Filipino public utility vehicles have little or no regard for traffic rules and regulations. They swerve and overtake carelessly. They stop and disgorge passengers at areas clearly designated as "no loading and unloading" zones. They clog up roads by stopping and waiting for passengers in the middle of traffic. Traffic grinds to a halt as enterprising drivers try to turn 2-lane roads into 6-lane highways in a mad race to be first; instead of lining up in an orderly fashion these drivers persist in exploiting every gap in traffic, at the expense of other drivers and even of road safety.
Of course there are exceptions, but they are few and far between. I have seen FX drivers blatantly ignoring traffic enforcers who flag them down. I have been in a jeepney whose driver had ambitions of joining the Air Force; he kept swerving and banking the jeepney at such high speeds that we were clinging on to anything which would keep us from flying out onto the street. I could go on and on, but that would require another essay. Suffice to say, both the FX and the jeepney fail in this round.
The FX taxi clearly beats the jeepney 2 to 1. Both negatively impact their surroundings with their effect on traffic and their contribution to problems with road order and safety.
However, I still think that this battle will end in a stalemate. Why? Even though the FX taxi provides better service, its relatively high cost still ensures demand for the jeepney. Not everyone can afford to ride an FX, especially the masses who have come to depend so much on the jeepney for getting around. No clear winner can emerge, as those who can afford it would pick the FX over the jeepney. Of course, this assessment is based on my own experience, so you are free to agree or disagree and form your own judgement.
For better or for worse, both the jeepney and the FX taxi are here to stay.
