It still surprised me why the taxi driver gave me back my money. It happened last week when I was acting as a babysitter for my sister on her way to ballet class. We rode a taxi and the meter read P72.50. I gave P75.00 but the driver promptly gave back to me P5.00 because, apparently, he didn't have loose change with him. The fact only dawned on me by the time the taxi sped off:
I was in Davao City after all.
Back in Manila, riding a taxi meant going into psychological warfare. If you happened to be in the wrong place (like I always was), you had to wait for 48 years before a taxi magically appears. On the other hand, if you were in the right place like the malls, you had to contend with falling in line along with other passengers. Nothing bad with this really, except that it could waste 30 minutes to 1 hour of your life. So, even before you can ride the taxi, you had to be emotionally ready for the whole ordeal.
And when the taxi comes, you also have to steel yourself for likely rejection. You have to voice out your destination with the right words so it won't appear that far or that deserted. And you also have to learn how to slam the front door just right and frown with seething eyes when the driver denies you.
And when you're already riding a taxi, you have to be extremely vigilant lest the driver veers you off the wrong way. Also, when it's time to pay, you have to pay big time. Manila taxi drivers are notorious for asking extra. If you are a cheapskate, you need not worry but if you are someone who wants to avoid trouble, you can find yourself digging deeper into your wallet.
That's Manila for you. But I was already in Davao City and I had to remind myself time and again that these humble taxi drivers are the good guys; that they would never fail to give me my exact change or sacrifice a measly P2.50 if they don't have any; that they would never reject any passenger and would probably even tell me where a particular place is if I didn't know.
Still, I would find myself tensing up a bit every now and then while riding a taxi. Maybe my Manila experience isn't that easy to shake off.
That's also why I don't like pompous Manila people who come here and pay our taxi drivers extra because they are doing a "good job". For crying out loud, these people are justifying additional monetary compensation because these drivers are doing the right thing which is comparable to giving, say, a postman some money for delivering your mail. I don't know about the side of our taxi drivers (They probably like tourists very much), but this practice is quite nonsensical and can be self-defeating if permitted to persist.
Why do I say so? Well, I'm just worried that our taxi drivers might get used to the idea that they "deserve" tips. And if that happens, then it's Manila once again, with taxi drivers withholding spare change or, even worse, demanding additional payment. Even now, I shudder at the thought.
Actually, I started writing this post last June but delayed publishing because I didn't know how to end it. Until now, I still don't. But who cares, anyway?
I was in Davao City after all.
Back in Manila, riding a taxi meant going into psychological warfare. If you happened to be in the wrong place (like I always was), you had to wait for 48 years before a taxi magically appears. On the other hand, if you were in the right place like the malls, you had to contend with falling in line along with other passengers. Nothing bad with this really, except that it could waste 30 minutes to 1 hour of your life. So, even before you can ride the taxi, you had to be emotionally ready for the whole ordeal.
And when the taxi comes, you also have to steel yourself for likely rejection. You have to voice out your destination with the right words so it won't appear that far or that deserted. And you also have to learn how to slam the front door just right and frown with seething eyes when the driver denies you.
And when you're already riding a taxi, you have to be extremely vigilant lest the driver veers you off the wrong way. Also, when it's time to pay, you have to pay big time. Manila taxi drivers are notorious for asking extra. If you are a cheapskate, you need not worry but if you are someone who wants to avoid trouble, you can find yourself digging deeper into your wallet.
That's Manila for you. But I was already in Davao City and I had to remind myself time and again that these humble taxi drivers are the good guys; that they would never fail to give me my exact change or sacrifice a measly P2.50 if they don't have any; that they would never reject any passenger and would probably even tell me where a particular place is if I didn't know.
Still, I would find myself tensing up a bit every now and then while riding a taxi. Maybe my Manila experience isn't that easy to shake off.
That's also why I don't like pompous Manila people who come here and pay our taxi drivers extra because they are doing a "good job". For crying out loud, these people are justifying additional monetary compensation because these drivers are doing the right thing which is comparable to giving, say, a postman some money for delivering your mail. I don't know about the side of our taxi drivers (They probably like tourists very much), but this practice is quite nonsensical and can be self-defeating if permitted to persist.
Why do I say so? Well, I'm just worried that our taxi drivers might get used to the idea that they "deserve" tips. And if that happens, then it's Manila once again, with taxi drivers withholding spare change or, even worse, demanding additional payment. Even now, I shudder at the thought.
Actually, I started writing this post last June but delayed publishing because I didn't know how to end it. Until now, I still don't. But who cares, anyway?
1 comment:
there is nothing wrong with being generous to the provincial taxi drivers.
i am willing to give an extra tip if i am happy with the service a driver or waiter or who ever is he that is giving me the service that i want...
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