First published:
April, 1999
on LocalVibe.com
HOLDAP! Commuting
is a never-ending adventure. I swear, every time you get out of the house,
you are opening yourself up to a destiny that's never under your control.
Just the
other day at noon, I got on a bus in Cubao headed for Makati. There were
around 8 people onboard. A policeman rode. Three shifty-eyed youths disembarked
together soon after. The driver started saying: "Buti na lang sumakay
si sir (policeman). Kanina pa akong nagdududa sa tatlong iyan." Apparently
they looked suspicious to the driver--- too antsy and nervous to be merely
commuters. Hold-uppers, was more like it. At which point the remaining
commuters started speaking up in dismay and horror. We were ALMOST robbed.
And most of us didn’t notice a single thing. Still, we
were better off than my officemate who lost his bag and P17,000 Tag Heuer
watch to a bunch of young hold-uppers on a fairly empty Fairview bus at
10 pm. The thieves were even apologetic about their work as they wielded
their knives. "Pasensya na po kayo, trabaho lang ito." Are we supposed
to sit idly by as pimply teenagers rob us of our hard-earned goods and
cash????!!! Well.... yes! The truth of the matter is and i know this may
sound wimpy to you black-belters out there) you can always earn back whatever
was taken. Buy a new watch. Get a new bag. You can't buy yourself a new
life if the robbers decide you're too much trouble and slit your throat.
Which is
why I offer you these
Urban Commuter Survival Tips on "How To Survive A Holdap!"
1) Don't
carry around big amounts of money when commuting. If this can't be
helped, get a cab. And for cripe's sake, don't cling to
it your bag like it contains millions. If you notice secretaries who just
come out of the bank, they clutch their purses (obviously containing the
company's salaries) with a look on their faces which proclaims, "Don't
bother me, I'm carrying money!"
2) Which is why you've got to look nonchalant about the money you
are holding, or on the opposite end, look tough. You know,
the squinty-eyed "I can eat you alive" look.
3)Always leave a small amount of cash---just enough
for you to get home with--- in a small hidden pocket. If thieves get your
wallet or purse, you're not stranded.
4) Don't argue with hold-uppers. Give them what
they want: cash, bag,jewelry, sunglasses, rubber shoes, etc.
5) Choose what you wear. Expensive, attention-grabbing
clothes are bait. It may be fine on a rush hour to and from work, but
on off-hours like at noon and late at night, you shine like a beacon to
knife-wielding thugs.
6) Trust your intuition. If it says there’s
something fishy going on, trust it and get the hell away from wherever
you are.
+
Take this time I was climbing the pedestrian overpass to Farmer’s Plaza in Cubao. As is usual on a weekend, the overpass was crowded. I felt kind of strange, like something was about to happen. And true enough as I ascended the stairs, I felt a very slight brush of fingers against my back pocket. I immediately turned and grunted loudly. Whoever did it was quick. No sign of the hand anywhere. Good thing my wallet was in my front jeans pocket. Same thing happened to me not two weeks later in the communion line at church: fingers brushing my empty back pocket. Ever since, my wallet’s been either up front or in my ratty backpack.
Here are
some tips on spotting the pickpockets/bandits among fellow commuters,
as retold to me by one taxi driver who survived an attack from 4 hold-uppers
(and gained several stitches in the process):
+ They operate in groups.
+ If they look like they’re a group and they’re too silent/fidgety/nervous
to look like a normal barkada taking a ride--- watch out.
+ They have to scan their victims before pouncing. So keep a look-out
for excessively curious people eyeing you or your purse.
One thing I hate hearing is spoiled women proclaiming how dangerous it
is to commute... right before heading home on their chaffeur-driven Explorers
or Rav4s. They'll go on and on about crime and robbery and pickpockets,
and I go, "Yeah? Ever been robbed?" He heh. Still,, if you know
what to look out for, commuting can be a hassle-free adventure instead
of merely a tedious daily brush with the underbelly of society. It really
depends on your perspective.