after eleven months of silently enduring the sidewalks, traffic and smell of manila, i got assigned back to my original office in makati. which is ok – actually, more than ok. but one week into my relocation, i realized there is one definite advantage that the manila post offered me, and it concerns – surprise, surprise – the LRT.
i started going on the LRT because it solved the time warp problem. like, you think traffic is moving albeit slowly, but you look at your watch and realize you’re running late? initially, i started with the homeward journey because the LRT is way more convenient than riding a jeep. then i eventually rode the LRT in the mornings as well, when i discovered that i was wasting too much time going to work. hence, the trip both ways takes me under 15 minutes (barring delays between stations, or waiting out for less full coaches). getting to the bus terminal before 6 pm has become rather common.
now, i’m lucky if i get there before 6.30. and that’s because i took a cab. public transport, particularly the buendia route, has become a nightmare. i was very surprised at how i can’t seem to get a ride to LRT-buendia after 15 minutes of waiting. it’s like getting a fluke every time i managed the feat. and i was dumbfounded because the situation changed so drastically in just eleven months. did the escalating gas prices force many jeepney drivers into taking shorter trips, or none at all? is there now a shortage in jeepneys because driving them just isn’t feasible any more?
i idly asked my aunt (who is my daily trip companion) why the jeeps are all full and it seems more difficult to get on public transport nowadays. and her answer was so simple i can’t believe i never thought about it: the gas prices forced more people to commute to work. where my previous theory indicated a lower supply, it was actually more of an increased demand that caused the shortage. ohhhhhhh.
