A couple of Grab Taxis already cancelled my booking because they cannot come to where I stood at SM Aura in Taguig due to traffic. The guard suggested I use the taxi lane, meaning, I will be taking a regular taxi.
I told the driver to go to a certain subdivision in Paranaque, and mentioned the street.
"Saan tayo dadaan, Maam," he asked.
"Di ba Kuya kayo ang driver?" I asked back glancing at Google Maps on my phone.
"Di ko po kabisado papunta doon."
"Ganon ba. Ilang taon na po ba kayong drayber?" I told him which road to take.
"Di ko po kabisado yang lugar na yan, Maam eh."
He heard my phone giving directions.
"Mag GPS na lang tayo, Maam."
Hell yeah, I thought.
"Mas mabuti pa kuya palit tayo. Ako mag drayb ikaw maupo dito."
Silence.
The roads the map told us to take were clear, but we have no way of knowing which one is two-way or one way. We had to go back. Traffic was slow; and the driver was already expressing exasperation, to put it mildly.
"Galit ka kuya?"
He mumbled things like lugi ang byahe, mahal gasolina, ek ek bodbod.
"Nag drayber pa kayo."
Silence for a few meters.
Grumbling again.
"Buti di ka pinagkakainteresan ng pasahero mo nyan Kuya. Kung nasa Davao ka lang baka di ka na makakauwi sa pamilya mo hanggat di ka umayos."
Long silence.
"Taga-Davao pala kayo, Maam?"
I didn't answer.
"Gusto ko si Duterte maging presidente eh."
"Ah ganon ba Kuya? Magpakabait ka para di ka mareport kay Duterte. Huwag kang balasubas sa pasahero."
We found my destination and I paid what was in the meter and asked for a receipt.
Date. Check. Time. Check. Number of kilometers. Check. Time picked up and time dropped off. Check. Clear printout. Check.
"Pasensya na Maam ha. Minsan inaabutan din tayo ng init ng ulo dahil sa trapik."
"Ok lang Kuya. Magbago din ang bansa natin."
And this was yet August.
* * * * * *
Metro Manila
8 August 2015
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