July 1999
on LocalVibe.com
In the life
of an EDSA-to-Makati commuter, there is that Holy Grail which one awaits
everyday: the lightning-fast Ilalim-Cubao/Ilalim-Crossing bus that can
get you to (or from) Makati in 45 minutes. I rode it once. Then never
again. It was a
bright red MasTransit bus with a VHS player onboard, regaling homeward-bound
passengers with Jacky Chan’s comedy Rush Hour. I took it the day
I unofficially started work at my new full-time job in Pasong Tamo Extension.
And I deluded myself into thinking: “Yes, it only takes 45 minutes
to get home!” Poor victim,
I. Never to find a bus that fast again. These last
two weeks at my job have made me remember why I quit my last Makati advertising
job. Let’s see… it was 1994, and I was already complaining about
EDSA traffic going to Pasay Road. The commute simply took too long (not
much changes, eh?) By the time you get where you’re going, you’re
bushed. Even if you’ve slept. I remember I used to bring a book,
a walkman, text to edit--- stuff to do during the interminable traffic.
These days, I just lean my head back and doze off. The hell with using
the time wisely. I’m usually too bushed to think anyway. And an hour
and a half of slumber, no matter how light, is still rest of SOME sort. While sleeping
on a bus may seem like the easiest thing in the world, and certainly something
you’d hardly need advice on, there are some things I have picked
up over the years that just might be useful. (And if it’s not, go
read someone else’s column.)
OF HOLY GRAILS & BUS SLEEPERS
(1.) SEATS
WITH HIGH BACKS
If you have the luxury of choosing your bus, opt for one with seats that
have high backs. It’s impossible to sleep comfortably in a bus with
low backrests. Leaning your head back is the preferred sleeping method
here unless you have the window seat-- but more on that later. You can
see whether the seats have high backs thru the windows of the bus, before
boarding.
(2.) BRING
THE JACKET
On rainy days, always, and I mean ALWAYS have some sort of jacket in your
bag with you. Buses get antarctic-cold in this weather, thermostats hardly
work, and those little vents above your head usually leak. If you don’t
want to freeze your butt off, you better have some sort of protective
jacket, (hopefully with a hood) to keep you warm. Of course, this can
be solved by taking a regular bus… but rainy season means closed
windows, means stuffy air. Besides, said jacket can also serve as a pillow,
to rest your neck on.
(3.) USE
THE WINDOW
If you have the window seat, you can opt to lean on the glass window or
on the window ledge if there is one. Just remember: the window area is
where all the resident cockroaches crawl around. If you’re squeamish,
stick to leaning back on your seat.
(4.) DROWN
OUT THE SOUND
If you’re partial to sound, bring a walkman. A tape of soothing music
(Bach is good, but then again, so is GusGus and the Orb) to counter the
irritating tinny whine of FM radio on bus tweeters is highly recommended.
Then again, if sound is of no import, why burden your bag? Let your busmates
contend with your snoring.
(5.) BRING
FOOD
Bring food. Something small that fits in a bag, like crackers. Hard candies
are good for easily nauseous passengers. Anything that can ease your stomach-grumbling.
(6.) DON'T
OVERSHOOT
And
finally, most importantly… remember that if you sleep, you CAN overshoot
your destination. If you’re particularly exhausted or drunk, tell
the bus conductor to wake you. And for safety’s sake, program yourself:
before sleeping, tell your mind that you will awaken at your destination.
It works.
While I may
sound like I’ve got the sleeping part down pat, I still think commuting
to Makati SUCKS. I am an urban commuter by circumstance instead of by
choice. If I had my way, I’d force fast-rising companies to relocate
to Quezon City. Or I’d look for a pad to rent in Makati itself, but
then… what would be left of my salary? And besides, if that happened,
I’d have less to whine about. And I love whining.
+ + +
<Authors
bio>
Lionel lives to complain. Now that he’s back to being a Makati yuppie
(young urban pest), he’s got whole new chips on his shoulder: his
8-to-5 work hours and the commute. But hey, at least, he’s got plenty
to write about in this column.