MANILA, Philippines - Rampant and all too aggravating---words that best describe the disappointing sights at the MRT station. The long queue stretching from the station to the highway is not an all too unfamiliar scene to all the Filipino commuters, especially to those who are actually traveling via the MRT every day.
Last February, MRT-3 has extended its operating hours from 4:30 am to 10:00 pm to mitigate the worsening traffic situation (particularly in EDSA). With MRT-3 extending the operating hours, the population of the MRT riders boomed, which resulted to a much more chaotic scene. Former MRT-3 General Manager Al Vitangcol himself had admitted that the MRT system has not anticipated the possibility of achieving maximum limits when it comes to ridership.
As the MRT is not fit to accommodate the population of the riders, we are experiencing what we call the “Traffic Armageddon."
With a number of officials getting involved in extortion and scams, the question of when the public transport system in the Philippines will be resolved seems to be a rhetorical question. But never minding the politics behind the MRT madness, here are the things, which MRT passengers can simply relate to. Leave all your baggage of stress for a minute or two and read this list of five people that you would most definitely meet at the MRT station.
- The pusher – Imagine getting on and off a train with a line of rushing people behind you. As soon as the train doors slide open, the passengers are instantaneously pushed by an onslaught of rushing people. The “pushers” are the those who are always in a hurry to get into the train. This definitely comprises most of the populace at the MRT station. Because pushers are everywhere, you have got to have a bucket full of patience to make it to your destination.
- The artist – For most of the girls, dressing up takes a lot of time. But, as we all know, there is no better way to beat the morning rush than arriving early at the train station. So instead of painting their faces at their houses, which normally takes 15 to 30 minutes, the “artists” use their time at the train to do so. This is not an easy task, especially when you are squeezed into a bunch of people. The artists have mastered the art of balancing their weight on a moving train, so if you cannot keep your feet balanced, never try this at the train.
- The gossip machine – After a long day at the office, don’t you just want to have a peaceful ride to home? Unfortunately, you cannot have that if you are an MRT rider. The “gossip machines” are the people who just could not shut their mouths. So if you are the type of a person who is not a fan of boisterous mouths, I suggest that you put on your iPods and turn it up to max volume.
- The traveling hand – The traveling hand group has two divisions. The hands that travel to the bags and pockets and the hands that travel to the shirt and skirts. Fortunately, a separate train for women and the elderly is allotted, but for those who could not manage to squeeze in to the privileged train, I am pretty sure that you know what I am talking about.
- The repellent – With the humid Manila climate, expect a revolting smell every time you step into the train. When someone who smells like he has not showered in months stands beside you in a packed train, get your handkerchief or if you are unlucky to not have this essential fabric, do not breathe.
To everyone who happens to meet these people every day, and to those people who (admit it or not) belong to any of these categories, there are two things that we can all do to lessen the stress that each rider is experiencing: DON’T BE TOO SENSITIVE, because given that the MRT is crowded, it is unavoidable that feet get stepped on, knees bumped with each other, and so on; that does not mean that it was intently done and DON’T BE TOO AGGRESSIVE, these people go through the same hassle every day like you; do not act like savages, having a little bit of manners would not kill the human population.