The Common-people's Limo

With the continually rising gas prices and the increase in fare for most public transportation, a lot of people are turning to the common-people's stretch limo, a.k.a. the MRT/LRT.

I myself travel almost the entire stretch of EDSA everyday to get to and from work, and I may say it's still quite a blessing to have MRT as a means of travel besides the regular four-wheeled public transports. I ride from Quezon Avenue station (which is 2nd from the QC end of MRT), all the way to Ayala Station (which is 3rd from the Manila side of MRT) - a total of eight (8) stations in between. I just figure out how to get to and from those MRT stations from my home and from my work. Also, the current fare for MRT is still lower than if you take the bus or the FX -- plus, you get to skip the usual EDSA traffic.

However, riding the MRT is still not a walk in the park, unless of course you are speaking about a ballpark overflowing with football fans just waiting to explode into a riot. Especially lately, it is apparent that there are now a lot more people taking the MRT to their destinations. For example, there was this one evening that I was stunned to see the entire Ayala MRT station full of people just waiting to get into the actual station itself (past the turnstiles, that is). There were far more passengers than I have ever seen Ayala station during rush hour. I heard, there have been an increase of around 500,000 passengers of the MRT station a day, since the gas prices and fares have started going up.

Nonetheless, I still choose to take the MRT. You just have to get used to the mob of people, and find little ways to make the commute a little more bearable. Here are some adaptations I have discovered so far:

- Buy a G-pass. I still believe its better than the stored-value card. It is a proximity pass (prox-card, like in Singapore!), and it is reloadable. The reloading window is separate from the actual MRT ticket counters, and there is hardly any queue for it. Another secret is that in some turnstiles, you can still get through it even if it has the red X mark, as long as it has the prox-card reader.

- The first coach. Thank God for it. I know how it was when there was not a dedicated coach for the women (and children, and elders). Now there's that coach, where you wouldn't really mind being stuck sardine-type inside, because I don't need to be wary about men who could try to take advantage (or be wary of men who stink - cause some of them really do).

- Stand on the side. While waiting to ride the MRT, it's a better idea to stand on the side of the crowd than at the back -- there's a better chance of you getting in from the sides. Also, it gives you the leeway to shift to the other door if it seems easier to get through that.

- Get in the middle. Once you get into the coach, proceed to the middle if at all possible, especially if you're going to ride all the way to the last three stations. This way, you wouldn't need to be bothered much by people getting on and off the train. But if you're only riding the MRT through 2 to 4 stations, it's best to stand near the doors so that you wouldn't have too much trouble getting out.

But, irregardless of whatever precautions or adaptations you make, always bear in mind that MRT is and will always be a battlefield. You always have to be ready for any inconvenience you can encounter. You will always have to wait, one way or another. There may be times you may be implored to be nice to some people (I gave a tissue once to this little girl who was all sticky, eating a piece of watermelon while waiting for the train. There was another time I had to keep myself from getting mad at another passenger who almost fell during the ride but ended up stepping (quite painfully) on my foot). But most times you will need to be as selfish as possible (like during times you need to know the difference between a real queue from that which you can skip, ignoring the dismay of the people around you). At the end of the day, the MRT ride will always be each man for himself (or each woman for herself).