“The daily activity that contributes most to happiness is having dinner with friends. The daily activity that detracts most from happiness is commuting. Eat more. Commute less” –David Brooks
If you have lived in the
Philippines for a significant amount of time, you probably heard about the
horror stories as regards the Manila traffic where commuting is said to be the
worst.
Unfortunately, the
traffic is something most locals need to content with every single day. Most
employees would already be stressed out even before they make it to the office
owing to the horrible commuting conditions. It does not matter where you work
as there are various chokepoints all over Metro Manila that make it such a
hassle for your average commuter to get through. It does not matter whether you
are driving or taking a public utility vehicle either, the amount of stress
will be just about the same and negotiating with traffic will always be a
cumbersome aspect of every Manileño's life.
The stress of this
everyday occurrence could have been mitigated had it been for better commuting
conditions. Unfortunately, as every commuting passenger in the metropolis
knows, the horrible commuting conditions are Metro Manila further aggravates
that already terrible traffic gridlocks. Whether you are traveling from Makatito BGC or even just learning how to commute to BGC, you will quickly realize
just how bad the commuting conditions are.
Given that one of the
public transportation benefits is mitigating your local travel expenses, it
seems like the conditions you will inevitably subject yourself under on your
commute vastly outweighs the advantages. Sure, there might be things you can doto entertain yourself in traffic but that in no way alleviates the seemingly
taxing routine we do daily to get to work. In any case, here are some of the
things that make commuting in Metro Manila so terrible insomuch that at times
it is better to stay at home than waste your time and energy in the process:
Bumper-to-bumper traffic
This scenario is already
a given and a common occurrence in the Philippines' capital. At its very worse,
it can take you anywhere between three to four hours to reach your destination.
Just imagine what you can do with that time. Traffic has gotten so bad insomuch
that even waking up early to make it to your work on time is no longer a
feasible option for most. Instead, all you can do is hope that your client or
your boss is stuck in traffic as well.
Long queues
Even if you are not the
type to drive, you are still not excluded from the daily commute stress either.
Sure, you might want to give your cars a rest today and board the local train.
Unfortunately, you are not the only one with this idea. Do not be surprised to
see a long queue when you reach the MRT or LRT station as there are a lot of
motorists waiting their turn to board as well. On rush hours, you can expect
queues to be even longer.
Lack of public restrooms
Apart from the shortage
of functional public restrooms have, it seems like most public restrooms in
commuting stations are under unsanitary conditions. It makes it even more
difficult for the average commuter as they cannot be picky about where to go
lest they want to delay relieving themselves for another couple of hours or so
(which can seem impossible).
Picky taxi drivers
Boarding taxis does not
exempt you from Metro Manila's heavy traffic and dire commuting conditions
especially since taxi drivers are so picky about their passengers nowadays.
Despite having a direct competition with ride-hailing applications and
services, some taxi drivers will still adamantly select only those passengers
at their comfort and convenience. Even worse, they would ask you for an extra
fee on top of what they are already charging you.
Pollution
A direct consequence of Metro
Manila's perpetual Carmageddon is the worsening conditions of the city. Metro
Manila's pollution has gotten progressively worse over the days that it's highly recommended for commuters to wear
masks as they make their way around the city. The pollution has gotten so bad
that you would often feel the urge to take a bath every hour after leaving the
house to go on your daily commute.
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