Sunday, January 1, 2017

Commute in the Philippines: The Jungle Animals

Hi there,

Happy new year! I't's the start of a new year, which means (I'm assuming) you are planning your next vacation in the Philippines. I'm sure you're frantically googling how to commute around. But before I let you run in our great jungle, you need to know the kinds of animals that rule the streets. Allow me to give you a run down:


JEEPNEY

Jeep drawing. Visit kidcommutermnl.blogspot.com



What is it?
Jeepneys are 16 to 24 seater, non-airconditioned PUVs. These are originally made from recycled Jeeps which are left by American troops during the World War.

Who’s it for?
Commuters who need to travel short distances; or as I would say, commuters who do not want to walk from one kanto to another.

What you should really know?
Be prepared to sit with only half your butt. Drivers will squeeze in as many commuters as they can. It can also get really hot during summer.


MRT/LRT



LRT drawing. Visit kidcommutermnl.blogspot.com



What is it?
An alien spaceship. This is Metro Manila’s train system. Currently, it is composed of three lines: LRT 1   (Roosevelt to Baclaran), LRT 2 (Santolan to Recto), and MRT 3 (North Ave. to EDSA-Taft).

Who’s it for?
Commuters who don’t mind getting their internal organs mushed, and who need to fly and avoid traffic.

What you should really know?
Fast but you need to fall in line for a long time, especially during rush hours. Do not keep your valuables in your pockets; this is the Disneyland of pick-pockets.

BUS

Bus drawing. Visit kidcommutermnl.blogspot.com



What is it?
A bus. Do I need to explain some more? Fine. A huge, Air-conditioned (AC) or non-AC PUV with capacity of 80+ commuters.

Who’s it for?
Commuters who need to travel long distances and don’t mind traveling a little slow.

What you should really know?
Be most careful when you’re standing at the aisle near the door. It is where most pick-pockets take place. For EDSA plying buses, mind the Bus Letters—you can be dropped off at certain stops in EDSA, depending on the bus letter.

  UV EXPRESS

UV Express FX drawing. Visit kidcommutermnl.blogspot.com



What is it?
Sometimes referred to as an FX, this is an AUV with AC which can accommodate 10 commuters. They also come in the form of passenger vans which can sit 18 commuters.

Who’s it for?
Commuters who need to travel longer distances and need to get there fast.

What you should really know?
Beware of commuters sitting in the middle row. They will ignore and not reach for your bayad until you’re forced to say: “Manong, catch!”


TRICYCLE/PEDICAB

Tricycle drawing. Visit kidcommutermnl.blogspot.com



What is it?
Motorcycles with side cars a.k.a. "trike". A spin-off is a pedicab: instead of a motorcycle, bicycles are attached to the side car.

Who’s it for?
Commuters who need to go inside villages or areas with small roads, and who need to cross the flooded streets of Taft avenue (or any other street during typhoon season).

What you should really know?
Most trikes offer special trips, which is a non-shared ride. But in certain areas, especially in the provinces and busy city areas, trikes can be shared and accommodate 4-8 commuters, depending on how daredevil-y the crowd is.

TAXI

Taxi drawing. Visit kidcommutermnl.blogspot.com



What is it?
A car for hire for a non-shared ride that runs on a meter.

Who’s it for?
Commuters who want to ride comfortably, want a car that’s kinda their own, and who does not have an Uber or Grab app in their phones.

What you should really know?
Drivers are extremely picky when it comes to routes. They’d either charge you high or not take you at all. Careful with scams; remember, it’s just you and the driver in the vehicle (or that’s what you think).


UBER/GRAB

Car drawing. Visit kidcommutermnl.blogspot.com



What is it?
An app-based, car for hire that has a predetermined price that is calculated based on the distance and travel time estimate. It has a shared or non-shared ride option.

Who’s it for?
Commuters who want to ride comfortably, want a car that’s kinda their own, and who have an Uber or Grab apps in their phones.

What you should really know?
Drivers are usually nice because they own the cars. Mutual respect and decency are necessary. Mind the high prices during rush hours but take advantage of promos and discount codes.


I'll give you specific pro-tips for some of these animals at my next posts; When they're done, I'll make sure the images are clickable. Just give me a few minutes days weeks. ðŸ˜Š

Choose your seat. Hop on.

Kid Commuter MNL

You may re-use my photos. Just make sure you link back to my blog if you're using them for your website or keep coming back to my blog if you're using them elsewhere.

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