BUS-TSD!
(the life and misunderstading of a commuter)
Minus the rant, I just want to describe what EDSA is during the rush hour. Long before I made my first entry in my blog ,I had already imagined what it look like to publish what I witness everyday in this historical boulevard in metro manila.
The GEOMETRY and PHYSICS of BUS STOPS
I bet, manila will rank first when it comes to bus stops. Taking for example the bus route from monumento to baclaran, there are nearly at least ten bus stops, can you bear it? I almost peed in my pants because of these dilemna when the aircon bus I rode into from magallanes to ortigas. The bus picked up passengers from ayala for 30 minutes, another 15 minutes in buendia station, estrella gas station, Guadalupe, pioneer Robinsons, then boni station (which is less than 50 meters apart!), crossing (the unbearable 30 minutes of SAGALA), megamall (building B,then building A) and at last, ortigas . hay apo.
In the long stretch of EDSA you will see the innovative and DISKARTE of the buses for them to get passengers. Even a fence with the large signage of WALANG SAKAYAN DITO …(with a threat of NAKAKAMATAY..) did not escape from the passengers just to catch the bus.
Only in the Philippines that you will see the parking of buses aside from parallel parking. Kulang na lang they will attempt to park perpendicular to the either sides. Matindi to pare. You could either choose to park your buses for possible passengers by the following angles : 30. 60, 120, 160 degrees. You name it. You can do it as long as you are in EDSA. Buses can even park nose to nose with other buses. How clever.
TRAFFIC ADVISORIES
Radio and TV advocates the traffic situation in Manila by feeding updated information to motorists. I find it helpful even for a commuter like me. I can choose what route to take going to office based on the reports. But as House will tell you, its not the cure for the illness. There is still traffic problems no matter how accurate and updated the info is. I have proven this when the Ayala mishap had immobilized the traffic flow in the southbound area .
(to be continued)