"Ma'am sakay na po kayo.", "Ma'am saan po kayo pupunta?", "Ma'am may kasama po ba kayo?"
Those are the words that I always heared everytime when I am outside and when I am passing by in many public vehicles. Many drivers are always in front of me, asking if I need a ride to go to my destination place(s).
Waving our hand as a gesture of refusing them sometimes we feel broken as How they look like begging us to ride even though, the place where you go is not that far. But we can't do anything because we don't need to. It's sad to think of it as they are just doing a one of the hardest job just to earn money for giving their Family some food and providing their needs.
Sweats are falling down from their forehead to their chin due to hot weather. They still continue working and driving even though, they haven't eat their lunch yet because they are afraid of losing passengers.
Knees and parts of their body everytime that they go home, they need a massage because of how tired they are standing in the whole time, looking for 'pasahero(s)' to earn a little centiments and or coins in the morning and paper money in the afternoon.
'Barya lamang po sa umaga,
Papel po sa Gabi.'
Ten, twenty, thirty those are not a numbers--it is the amount if How much the fare costs. Speaking of Fare, their income is not big especially right now that we are still facing a big crisis. The costs of the gasoline raised after the war between the two country which is the Russia and Ukraine.
It's glad that, that was happened after when the pandemic came, Social distancing and striction of transportation. The sit are just limited reason why, it's hard for the buses especially the jeepneys' to earn a lot because they can't make their vehicle full of passengers and another thing is, they just travel two times in a day (back and forth).
But now, they can able to do that again especially the Jeepneys' as we are now a Covid-Free in our country. They are starting again to invite a lot of passengers even though, it's full already.
When the gasoline prices raised, The Drivers of public vehicles are not the only one who was affected. We as a Passengers are affected too;
- Students who are going in the Universities and workers going in their works need to save some money because their allowances are not enough.
- Housewife just going in the market for grocery once or twice in a month only.
And some people need to adjust theirselves by buying bicycle as their vehicle because they can use it everyday going out without filling a gas and so, they can able to save some money.
Basic Guidelines if How you travel in the Philippines using Public vehicles:
1."Para po Manong!"
Here in the Philippines we often say, 'Para po.' we say that when we already see the sign of the place of our destination.
You can also use the words like: "Dito na po manong."
2."Paki abot nga po yung bayad, Salamat."
Helping each other passing our fare to the driver especially in the Jeepney vehicle is one of what we get used of doing in our country because we can't able to reach the hand of the driver so we need the other passengers hand to give it to them.
And the most important is,
3.They only accept coin fare in the morning and paper money in the evening
We are not like in the other countries that even in a simple public transpo vehicles, they are accepting cards as an payment for their fares.
They always put a small sticker and or small banner in front to remind their passenger to give the right amount of fare in coins in the morning and paper money in the evening.
Why coins in the morning?
So that they can have some coins to use for a changed in the afternoon and evening.
Traveling here in our country may be hard due to small spaces and hot weather. However, in our country, experience like this is fun. It may be annoying sometimes because of the ways are just narrow and the drivers are not following in the law and rules but as a person who is not going out always, this is an achievement already.
I mean, traveling in my own is one of my the thing that i would like to experience because i never experience to travel alone going in the far places just in a short km away in our house.
Anyways, this is my entry for #Biyahero writing contest organized by 
Written and Published by: @Xanreow
Photo edited by: @Xanreow App: Canva