1.8MM People Getting Around Manila

Tricycles in Pateros

I took my first ride on a tricycle, which in the Philippines is a motorcycle with a sidecar. There appears to be a lack of designated lanes amid the chaos of people crossing the streets. I was having too much fun to worry whether I was safe or not. I'm fooling myself to think I was in a steel cage similar to the Volvo safety feature. The sidecar is teeny tiny and I wondered how three can fit inside, when my hips hardly fit. There are about 4.5MM tricycles in the Philippines, while the estimated licensed number of jeepneys is 250K. Jeepneys are leftover army transports from WWII, and hold about 24 passengers, inside and out. The fare runs about 8- 10 pesos (16-20 cents). The person riding next to me commented I was so tall, and I noticed my knees did extend further than most. It's not easy for me to get out of the jeepney, and I felt I tumbled out rather than gracefully exited as some young girls did, in miniskirts no less. I have ridden the water taxi, bus, metro, and ferry in Manila also. I found it resourceful that on the bus, passengers are allowed to sit on the back steps for easy exit. When I arrived in Manila, a taxi cab driver told me, "You don't want to take the metro. You are like sardines." Sure enough, we were packed in when I rode it, and you won't necessarily get onto the first train that comes along because it is already full. The first three cars are reserved for women only. All others are coed. The only reason a man can be in the first three cars is if he is accompanying his pregnant wife. I witnessed a boy get called out by a woman on the platform. He was accompanying his girlfriend, who was in a high school uniform and thin as a bamboo. She said she was pregnant. The station attendant asked for papers as proof. They sheepishly exited. Grab is the Asian version of Uber. A couple times I tried to use Grab and the app gave me a message that no vehicles were available in my area. As I experienced in the taxi cab line at the airport (where I waited over an hour for a taxi), the demand far exceeds the supply. You just need to be patient. Traffic is another long story. Let’s just say, a nine mile car ride during rush hour can turn into a two and a half hour journey. The lesson to remember here, and to paraphrase one of Jack Nicholson's rules from The Bucket List, - never pass up an opportunity to use a restroom.

(On the water taxi there are contrasting views, from boys swimming to the Presidential Malacañang Palace, which is a no photo zone)