Wednesday, August 20, 2008 Calinao: 'Taxicab-toughies' By Nick Prill Calinao Free and Easy
THE numerous taxicabs in Baguio City seem to not only add up to the traffic congestion in the locality. Some of these public utility vehicles (PUVs) are also considered as a source of irritation and inconvenience for many.
As I was sipping steaming native brew with a few buddies over the weekend, one of my lady colleagues from an office where I do part-time work shared irritating experiences. She talked about the times she had to stretch her patience with taxicab drivers in the city.
In her narration, my lady colleague recalled incidents when she was "victimized" by abusive and rude cab drivers she dubbed as "taxicab-toughies."
For a clearer picture, here are a few excerpts from her "tales of irritation:"
From the market one evening she recalled, "I was carrying four bags filled with meat, vegetables, and fruit; I was waiting for a cabbie to take me home that rainy evening. It was around 7:00 p.m., so I had to wait for what seemed to be eons before I was able finally flag down one."
Instead of being relieved however, she wanted "like hell" to kick the taxicab's fender to a dent, and rip off the remaining hair from the cab driver's balding head. "Kahit na medyo kinakalbo na 'yung driver ay talagang gusto kong sabunutan noong mga sandaling iyon."
The reason for her ire was simple. After she boarded the cab with all her bags and told the driver of her destination, the driver ordered her out of his cab because her destination was somewhere in the outskirts of the city.
Another incident she recalled happened late one night after doing overtime work at the office. She flagged down a "cab" to ferry her home. The "cabbie" was more generous this time. Yes, he agreed to take his passenger to her destination. Unfortunately, my colleague opted not to take the cab.
According to her, the cab driver was negotiating for an amount more than three times the regular taxi fare to their place. Man!!! Talk about highway robbery. "Ang suwapang mo naman, humina sana pasado mo," she told the driver and alighted from the vehicle. She was able to flag down another "cabbie" shortly after only to be faced with the same situation.
In the end, she had no choice but to give in and pay the "exorbitant" negotiated fare rate.
The narrative of my colleague triggered my memory. I remember having been similarly "victimized" by "opportunistic" cab drivers for more than a couple of times in the past.
The most recent incident happened last Tuesday night. It was past 11:00 p.m. when I flagged down a cab to take me home. With my residence about eight kilometers from the business district, the cab driver declined to take me as a passenger even after I offered to pay double the metered-fare rate. Man!!! He was probably expecting me to pay or offer much more.
To the driver of that FX-taxi cab with plate number A__N 641, perhaps it would be more prudent for you to visit the LTFRB one of these days to be reminded on the scope of your covered area of operation.
I am quite sure there are more commuters who have suffered similar fates under "opportunistic" and "arrogant" taxi drivers. What is amusing however is that drivers who decline passengers due to distance, and those who negotiate for higher or even "exorbitant" fare rates have YET to be penalized.
For these "taxicab-toughies" who not only take advantage of commuters, but also put other honest and sincere cab drivers and operators in a "bad light," I have but two lines; one in English and one in the local vernacular: "Perhaps it would be better off for you to change occupation or business if you are not willing to abide with all the guidelines for public utility vehicles." And: "mabuti pa siguro na huwag nalang kayong mamasada kung ganyan din lang na pagsasamantalahan niyo ang mga pasahero, at kung hindi niyo rin pala susundin ang lahat ng mga itinakdang gabay para sa pamamasada."
