Joy Ride
The jeepney is my favorite mode of public transportation. Forget the fact that you'll be ingesting more than your average share of CO2 emissions. Forget the fact that in the middle of the day & heavy traffic, it's so sweltering hot inside that you can't help but make a slight shudder as your bare shoulder inevitably comes in contact with your seatmate's sweat-drenched shirt. Riding the jeepney is a lot like going to the movies. You are the spectator and the movie is real life as it happens before your eyes.Yesterday, I got slapped for no reason at all. It was a classic drama scene- no words were said and the slighted one who had no chance to retaliate seethed with a controlled temper. What happened was this: I was in a contemplative mood then, looking out of the jeep's window when I suddenly felt the sting of a dozen whip lashes across my face. In an effort to stop the hair from billowing not only in the wind but on my face, I called my antagonist's attention. This made her whirl around to face me, hair and all, sending one semi-solid slap to my already stinging face.
A lot of things are shared in the jeepney-- music, reading materials, conversations, smiles, text messages, glances and sneezes. It doesn't take a lot to get to know the person beside you, especially if you're stuck in traffic (classic first line: "Hay, ang traffic naman.." which is not directed to anyone but more or less warrants a response), lost and need directions (in this case, after providing help, the person you've talked to goes "Bakit, anong gagawin mo dun?") or if it's the aftermath of a snatching incident (wherein everyone becomes fast friends- the first person to talk usually starts with, "Grabe, kanina...").
I'm still trying to decide which is better, to have a really cute person sit across you or beside you. In the first case, you can surreptitiously watch him from under hooded eyes and there's the opportunity of making it possible for him to check you out. In the latter case however, you are given the privilege of strategically throwing yourself against him when jeep makes sudden stops (which can be qute often). Then, you get to catch his eye and deliver your best and cutest sheepish smile which you hope will win him over. Sorry to disappoint the reader but this particular scenario is just based on personal observation and hyperactive imagination and not on personal experience or flirting style.. Well, if you're lucky enough, the cute guy just might smell good and this, along with the nice feeling of having his shoulder brush yours from time to time can make travel time shorter than expected.
When I'm not too much in a hurry, I make it a point to ride the jeep. I find myself enjoying the whole experience-- even if it just means evaluating people's shoes and clothes when bored, drowning out conversations that you don't want to listen to but understand nevertheless and watching sleepy people borrow their seatmate's shoulder without permission. I don't mind if I'm not in an airconditioned fx. It doesn't matter if the jeep makes a lot of stops even when the targeted passengers do not need a ride. All I know is that there are countless interesting details and situations that can be experienced in a loaded jeepney and that things will never be the same if this mode of transportation will be phased out.
Tomorrow, I'm riding a jeep again.
posted by lovefool @ 1:30 AM
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