~* FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN FX HELL *~

I don't drive my own car but, whenever I can, I hitch a ride with my dad to get to my office. On my way home, I commute via those white L300's or Nissan Urvans. I also move around via buses, FXs, jeepneys and tricycles. I've been commuting since I've been going to college and now that I'm working, I have encountered a loooot of memorable co-passengers from (probably) all walks of life. And as you may have guessed, the memorable ones are the kind that either annoyed or grossed me out. Let me focus on the ones I usually encounter inside the FX/bus and L300's/vans since I share my seat and oxygen with them for about an hour or so, five times a week.

THE WORLD IS THEIR LIVING ROOM
"Really. Do I really have to see and hear the shrilly-voiced girl in the video playing on your celfone?!?"

Just last night, I was peacefully co-existing with my fellow passengers in the van when I heard an annoying shrilly, crackly voice and laughter coupled with the blinding bluish white light coming from this guy's celfone. It appeared that the guy is letting his friend view the supposedly amusing/funny video. But take note, I was listening to my iPod when I heard it so imagine how freaking loud the volume of the video must be. People! The van isn't your living room! Turn up the volume all you want when you are inside the confines of your own home sweet home. Or get yourself an iPod Video. Earphones, people. Earphones! There's a reason why they were invented!

THE REVOLTING SMELL
"Oh, come on!" *imaginary throwing of arms in the air, rolling of eyeballs*actual holding of breath*

I've smelled it all. Careless whispers of fart. Morning breath yawnings. Shawarma breaths. Garlic longganisa burps. Potent Kili-kili power. Stinky burgers. Kid barf. You name it, I've probably smelt it! I had no way to defend my poor myself but to hold my breath. It kills me softly when someone with BO sits beside me and then holds the rail in the middle (when I ride the L300) such that the aircon is blowing past his/her armpits and then onto my breathing space. *pseudo-faints*

Now regarding kid barf, whenever a passenger toting a toddler sits beside me, I get nervous. I just say a little prayer: "Please God, don't let the kid vomit on my clothes and shoes."


DUDE, YOUR SWEATING ON MY CLOTHES
"Ewwww."

I am a fairly petite/medium built so when a burly sweaty guy sits beside me, his armpits tend to be ensconced on my shoulders/forearms. And in bad days of summer when it's superhot outside and the aircon is not blowing nicely, I dread finding my clothes a bit moist with the sweat of my seatmate. Really yucky. And it's extra annoying when it happens in the morning when I am on my way to work.

THE ETERNAL WHINERS
"The heavy traffic will not magically disappear even if you tsk-tsk yourself to death."

I hope that people will just keep quiet when it's traffic. I know that being late for an appointment while stewing powerless in the midst of heavy traffic jam is stressful in itself. Hearing a pissed "tsk-tsk" and whiny mutterings on my left and right ear like surround-sound theater IS royally annoying to the nth level. Let's just keep mum, people. Hearing you whine is just upping my stress level.

UNWELCOMED VIBRATIONS
"Stop it, will ya?!"

Remember that the seats in public transport are communal. We are sharing the same shabby PUV seat. So when you flip-flop your butt around, fidget or makes kuyakoy with your leg, I can friggin' feel it. It's really annoying when I'm trying to rest during the travel and then I suddenly feel like I'm off-road driving. Stay put and sit properly, people!


When you think about it, there are really more than five kinds of annoying co-passengers. There are also those loud talkers, off-key earphone singers, PDA'ers, ringtone-happy people, burpers who don't excuse themselves, gals whose long shampoo-commercial kind of hair is flapping onto your face... the list goes on. It will take one helluva long blog post to tackle them all.

~ by the quiet iPod-toting commuter