Hats off to our everyday heroes

Many things run through my mind whenever I take a cab. Is it safe? Am I going to be safe? Will the cab driver be courteous? Will he drive carefully? I always have my doubts because you never know what can happen. Times are hard and sometimes people are forced to do things they don’t normally do.

I consider myself lucky because the times I’ve taken a cab ride, the drivers have always been courteous.

Last week, I had to take a cab because we have one driver and he had to pick up the children and I had to be elsewhere at the same time. I was in Don Antonio Heights and was ready to go home. I could have waited for the driver but he would get to me at a later time and so I decided to just take a cab.

After about five minutes, I was able to hail a cab. The driver looked like he was in his late thirties. Very neat. I said, "Manong, sa may Tomas Morato po." After a couple of minutes, he said in Filipino, "Ma’am, you look familiar." I replied, "Really?" He continued, "Are you the one lifting the bed in that TV commercial?" I answered, "Yes, that’s me. Don’t worry, I’m not going to lift your taxi!" We both laughed.

Then he said, "Ma’am, don’t you drive," I told him I do but I was a nervous driver. He asked why I had to take a cab so I told him the reason why.

I already knew then that I had no reason to worry. I felt good about this cab driver. He was courteous. After a while, you will sense if a person has a good heart.

He asked about my children and I asked about his. He has a 14-year-old daughter, then three boys aged 12, nine and four years old. He used to be a family driver but has been driving cabs for two years now.

He said, "Ma’am, life is really hard now." I agreed. "At least," I said, "You have a job. Many people don’t." He has also said his wife has a small business at home and that helped a lot, too.

I felt for him because I know how hard it is to make ends meet. He has children who all go to school and times are hard. Prices of everything continually go up. And yet, I admire him because he never loses hope.

The important thing is that he is working and doing something to fend for his family.

We always hear horror stories about cab drivers who rob passengers and even rape them and it makes us think twice about riding cabs. I thank God though that I always have encounters with the kind- hearted ones. The ones who value their work, who are service-oriented, who have good road manners, the ones with dignity and good hearts–there still are a lot.

But we have to do our share too. Let us also conduct ourselves well. Let us be courteous. Let us be patient. Huwag tayong maging masungit o mainipin sa traffic. Be respectful so you will be respected.

I thank all those cab drivers who have taken good care of me on the road. I salute you and all other ones who do their jobs well and treat their customers with respect.

To Paul Torres who drove me from Don Antonio until Tomas Morato, thank you, and to others like you.

We are all worthy of respect but we have to give it to receive it as well. Let us always try to remember that no one is above us, only God. We all have our roles to play in this world, big or small. Let us play it well and value each other. Never undermine people or their work. We each have our geniuses and one would not survive without the other.

Cab drivers, bus drivers, teachers, actors, actresses, presidents–we are all equal in God’s eyes. Let us treat each other well. God does.

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(E-mail me at babyjackster@yahoo.com)