Tales of a Bus Commuter

October 17, 2008

In capricious times like the past two years, the only thing in my life that has always been constant is my taking the bus from home to work and vice versa at least four times a week. I’m a bus commuter, and good Lord, it’s much better than the alternative, don’t you think? See, I even bothered trawling the ‘net for blog posts (like this and this) from other authors just to prove my point that the bus is much better than MRT!

 

You’re less likely to get herpes here than at MRT. Photo courtesy of this flickr guy. 

 

Speaking of buses - or at least the ones from this country - I have my laundry list of gripes about them, and we’ll get into that very soon. Before that, though, I must say that I don’t hate taking the bus. The ones that are clean and are maintained well are most certain to give me the most comfortable journey (or sleep?) home.

 

Anyway, I really hate how noisy our buses are especially since it’s rare for them not to have TV’s. I get elated in the rare cases when the bus I take only has a radio; I’d much rather hear the ultra-tacky Love Radio than watch all the unoriginal trashy shows on GMA TV. It’s always shows from that bloody TV station, as though all bus drivers were required to sign terms of agreement to play only GMA TV’s shows because I can’t imagine why anyone would want to watch them since they stink in otherworldly proportions! Heck, why not do short reviews: Asero is a Terminator + James Bond ripoff with its title role played by Richard Gutierrez, the most stone-faced actor of the world. Its sole redeeming factor is watching Heart Evangelista belly-dance, in that one episode. Joaquin Bordado is for watching oily-chest Robin Padilla ham it up with the most tough-as-nails facial expressions! Jackie Chan Adventures is the cartoon version of the tritest Jackie Chan movies, where there are secret artifacts and where Jackie makes funny faces while fighting – I’m quite sick of the latter. Dyesebel is some kind of story inspired by The Little Mermaid, except with the melodrama ratcheted up by 10-thousand kilowatts (and it forgets its mermaidly roots as the plot progresses). I could go on and on. Not even their news show 24 Oras is spared of corniness, what with the bombastic orchestra music, plus the “bad-ass” descending from platform Mike Enriquez does whenever the Alerto 24 segment starts. The only GMA TV’s shows that I don’t mind watching are the game shows like Gobingo and Family Feud.

 

…but let’s go back to buses. I am fairly tolerable to certain lack of cleanliness - I don’t raise commotions when I see soot behind the chair in front of me - but I have limits too, and I mostly blame passengers for buses becoming dirty. I just can’t stand the general un-thoughtfulness most passengers are: they dispose their bubblegum by throwing them on the floor; they take too many spaces in their seats; they litter their trashes; they just really make buses filthy. Some buses are just so filthy they’ve become the shelters of roaches. There are buses that house so many roaches I can smell pungent scents even when I’m outside!

 

Yeah, I have observed this much, but I’m still not so choosy about buses. I am choosy about my choice of seatmates though, and by choosy I don’t mean I go away when certain type of people take the seat next to me; I merely skew to a less favorable disposition when I’m beside someone apparently unlikable. Since I often take my seat earlier than other passengers, I often am the one waiting to have the seats filled. Whenever anyone comes into the bus, I always make mental commentaries, and if you could dive into my mind and hear what I’m thinking, you’d probably get something like this:

 

Greasy-faced middle age guy: sit elsewhere!

That guy better not sit next to me! 

 

Big Momma with carrying too many shopping bags: sit elsewhere!

 

Yuppie with a boy-scout look: sit as far away as possible coz I don’t wanna hear your mobile phone conversations where you speak “faux Yankee” call-center English!

 

Hipster with a Kim Jong Il haircut: you look like a nut so please get out of here.

 

Couple looking so lovey-dovey (a.k.a. horny): oh dear, I’m not a voyeur. Get away from the seat next to me and go find a bedroom!

 

Nubile girls with hot legs: sweetie, this throne is yours for the taking!

For you, I’ll make sure the next seat is sparkling! 

 

I like pretty girls to sit beside me because their smell and their shoulders are always more conducive to sleeping. I swear that’s the only reason I prefer them!


Posted by nightdreamer at 1:27 pm | permalink

Previous Comments

there’s so much more stories in a bus than in an LRT/MRT i guess. i used to be a regular bus rider too. i thought you ride the G Liner, we might bump into each other one day if that’s the bus you’re taking. :p

Posted by aajao at October 18, 2008, 7:14 am

Yep, there are so much stories there indeed and intend to give this post a sequel. I ride G Liner, so yeah, we might bump into each other (if you can recognize me that is).

Posted by nightdreamer at October 19, 2008, 12:42 am

hahaha… i hate gma7 shows too… =p

Posted by deo at October 20, 2008, 1:39 pm

Like I said, I can’t imagine anyone liking them.

Posted by nightdreamer at October 20, 2008, 1:41 pm

I giggled at “mermaidly” and cracked up at “the “bad-ass” descending from platform”.

I like buses too. As long as they’re clean. And if they’re brand spanking new and have AC that actually works, even better! I can’t stand neither the TV shows nor the radio programs they play on buses. But that’s when I take out my ear plugs and stuff ‘em in. One time I rode a bus that was playing Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury - that was the best.

Posted by Aurus at October 21, 2008, 4:27 pm

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. I watch 24 Oras daily, partly for the news, and partly for Mel Tiangco. She always has the worst outfits ever and we’re eager to see what disaster she’ll put on next.

Posted by Aurus at October 21, 2008, 4:30 pm

I should’ve used “mermaidenly”. How about Mike Enriquez’s “HINDI KITA TATANTANAN” in his imbestigador segment, pretending to be so hard-boiled? Or the tendency for 24 Oras to play out Mel Tiangco’s image of being “the quintessential heartily everyday women”?

You were lucky you saw Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury. I once rode a bus that was playing Son of the Mask. That one sucked so bad!

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