For those who have been intrigued by that uniquely Filipino mode of public transportation, the
jeepney, here's what it's like riding in one. It has two long bench-like seats at the sides where passengers sit thigh-to-thigh and elbow-to-elbow when the jeepney is full. There are no seat belts, just bars on the ceiling to hang on to so you don't slip and slide on the seat (especially when the driver makes sudden turns or stops). You pay the driver directly and to do so, you either have to scoot on over beside him (if the jeepney is empty) or the money gets passed from passenger to passenger until it's handed to him (or to you, if you have change). Because he also collects the fare, the driver has to keep track of which passenger has paid and who has not, aside from trying to keep his eye on the road, of course.
Read my title again. I mean it.
I'm not against jeepneys for public transportation. They are very convenient—they can travel routes that big buses cannot because the roads are narrow, and which
tricycles cannot because they're too far. But I really think it's high time that they get a complete redesign.
