5 Passengers You’ll Meet on a Philippine Jeepney

Thousands of Filipino public commuters partake in a quest to catch the best possible way to reach their destinations every single day. Every day, the big cities that were snoozed quiet in the night are enveloped in clouds of allergy-inducing dust particles and smoke emissions from the variety of vehicles that congest the lanes in the morning. It’s why it is recommended to check the car or vehicle first to make sure everything is in good condition, like the U-bolt in the Philippines to ensure safety during the travel.

The stress levels may rise up due to traffic and all but if there is one thing that stands out from the daily sea of transport disorder, it’s none other than the iconic Philippine jeepney. The Philippines’ King of the Road mirror the lives of many Filipinos – simple, troubled at times but definitely colorful. Speaking of commuters, have you ever noticed the different kinds of passengers you’ve taken a ride with? If not, take a look at the list below and see if one or more are familiar to you:

The PDA Couple

Ah, love is in the air. These are the passengers who can’t get their hands off each other, acting as if they’re in a private room and not in a public utility vehicle. Though there really is nothing wrong with a little PDA, don’t you feel uncomfortable if you see them?

The “Long Hair, Don’t Care”

This is the passenger who lets his or her hair down and let the wind do the rest of the job. First off, no one wants to receive a slap on the face with hair no matter how long, soft and shiny it is. It’s annoying and the hair sometimes gets in the mouth, nose and eyes. Sometimes they’d even sneer at you if you politely tell them off. Next time, try to bring a pair of toy scissors and casually play with it then see what the reaction of the “long hair, don’t care”.

The Wide Reader

This type of passenger loves to watch you flip the pages of your textbooks, or worse, your inbox. They peek over your shoulder so they can see how you click and swipe your mobile device. Don’t be surprised if one day the person beside you suddenly said “Wait lang, ‘di pa ako tapos magbasa” (Wait, I haven’t finished reading yet) while you are studying or scrolling through your social media account.

The Sleepyhead

These are the passengers who suffer from lack of sleep like the workaholics, evening gamers and insomniacs. They just can’t resist dozing off which is totally fine…until they slowly (oftentimes unintentionally) lean their head on your shoulder. Instant pillow for them, extreme awkwardness for you. Be careful though, because some of them unconsciously slide down onto your chest and onto your lap. Another version of the sleepyhead is the one who loses grip of the hand bar, falls of and tries to recover by clinging onto an imaginary bar.

Mr. and Ms. Chairman

They are the masters of the seats/ they act like they own the entire jeepney with the way they sit. They are the type who paid for one seat but the space they occupied is more than enough for two people. Either they sit slightly sideways or with their legs wide open, which can be a pain especially if you are the poor, unfortunate passenger sitting beside this person.

Do any of these sound familiar to you? These are more out there and the only thing you can do when you encounter them is to lengthen your patience and just laugh about it when you get off the jeep.