When I was college student, going home during the weekends usually means riding "SRO" buses. Back then I was so used to it that finally having a place to sit after a few minutes, or even an hour or so, of standing isn't such a big deal. And it's not a Cubao to Ayala kind of trip. It's actually Laguna to Batangas.
Last Sunday, I was waiting for a ride from Laguna, going back to Manila, and was so disappointed that the second bus to arrive is also full. The conductor said that I'll never get an unfilled bus that time of day, when everyone's travelling back to the city. Knowing that might be true, I braved the odds and stood in the middle of the bus, hoping that some seats would soon be available. It turned out that I have to wait for more than an hour before I finally got to rest my legs. I was so annoyed because at first, there were only about five of us standing, but before long the entire space in the middle was filled. Even so, the driver will stop at every sight of a passenger and the conductor would yell, "Paki-usod lang po sa dulo para magkasya tayo lahat!" [Please move toward the back so everyone will get to ride]. At that point, I was thinking how unfair would it be if someone who has just gotten in the bus will get to sit before me just because I was forced to move to an area where no one is going to alight anytime soon. As I watch one, two, then three people take seats, I silently swore and regretted the system of transportation in this country. The only thing that appeased me is seeing familiar places and establishments when we reached Los Baños, a place that I've come to love like my own hometown.
And so it was that I finally was able to take a seat when we reached Calamba, just before the South Luzon expressway. It probably wouldn't be such a bad experience if I wasn't in heels and wearing a skirt.
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