Davao 4 Expats . com

Once, an Australian friend of mine and I were in SM City Mall when he had a “great” idea. He thought that it was time for him (after four days’ stay here in the Philippines) to take the definitive Filipino practice: ride a jeepney. It was a mark of my hospitality that I – even when I thought the idea rather silly and pointless – readily okayed. Unfortunately, the only jeepneys that would go by where we were going were multicabs, which, being scaled for the average-sized Filipino commuter, only made my 6-foot-3 friend look like Gandalf in a Hobbit’s hut. It was with a sense of adventure that we boarded our ride.

The jeepney we hopped on was packed. We were sat near the front and, because my friend obviously had the longest reach, it became his unofficial duty to pass the other passengers’ fare to the driver (as well as hand them their change back) – a proxy konduktor (see below for the meaning). I first thought that he might find the task bothersome, and it was quite a surprise to see that he actually enjoyed doing it – and this while he still had to make sure his head doesn’t keep bopping on the roof.

This had me wondering what makes jeepney riding — despite its obvious discomforts — a tolerable, if not quite pleasant, activity. And, for the benefit of anybody else who might be wondering — may you be a foreigner or a local — here are three of my observations:

Jeepney-riding is a practice on common courtesy

Apparently, Filipinos view public space as other people’s personal space — if only evidenced by how we always excuse ourselves when passing in the jeepney’s aisle — and the better of us act in a jeepney as we would in other people’s homes. Politeness is observed, perhaps best exemplified by how we pay our fare: although all passengers have the communal obligation of passing each other’s fare to the driver / konduktor, we still act as though this is not obligatory and we give our thanks when we find assistance. (As a sidenote: it might be interpreted that when a passenger asks for his fare to be passed, he implies giving his trust – that the other passengers won’t cheat him – as well as “declaring” that he has come under the favor of strangers.) Other courtesies are also performed: assisting the elderly, helping our co-passengers with their baggage, and looking after the younger passengers.

The jeepney offers a chance to show our pakibagay or “fellow-feeling”

To ride a jeepney is to enter a social contract; along the ride, one is expected to be observant and considerate of one’s fellow passengers. This is why, in a packed ride, the chief rule is: occupy as small space as possible. This is not only for the financial gains of the driver, but more so for whatever amount of comfort one can give to one’s seatmate from giving those precious inches of sitting space.

However, ironically, little attention is paid to the intimacy of the situation (bodies may bump on each other, arms and thighs may rub). Once inside the jeepney, the passengers are — as much as can be helped — just sexless, anonymous bodies.

A jeepney ride offers a rest even while in transit

With twenty-plus years of commuting, even I still find it quite a wonder how we Filipinos can sleep in a moving jeepney. For locals, it might seem like a usual thing to do, but consider the facts: jeepneys travel at 30 – 45 kph (with sudden stops and starts), most drivers blow their horns liberally, we constantly move in our seats because of the shifting number of passengers, and we only have a beam of metal attached to the roof to hold to keep ourselves steady. Yet, it seems so easy to sleep inside the jeepney.

The only explanation I can find for this is, simply, we are just not bothered by these conditions. (I might even go as far as to say we’re fine with it.) This only shows, I suppose, not only our faith in our motorists’ obedience to traffic rules but also our feeling of easiness with the little communities that we get to form within the span of our travel.

Many good things have been said about the jeepney – mostly about it being the typified Filipino vehicle, the best example of our “ingenuity and resiliency” – but my honest opinion on the vehicle, per se, is that it isn’t really much to brag about. The wonder of jeepney-riding lies not in the contraption itself, but rather in what it carries. The jeepney do not only transport passengers, it transmits common decency and understanding: it is a showcase of Filipino culture.

Foreigners perhaps try riding the jeepney for its novelty. But, as my Australian friend and I have found out, it could also be an economical chance to participate in a wonderful, albeit strange, cultural activity.

~~~

There is more to riding a jeepney than just getting from one location to another. In this article, Gabriel Milado also reveals something about Filipino Values and Courtesies observed by Filipinos even in routine and trivial activities like riding the King of the Road: The Jeepney.

Davao 4 Expats Notes:

Sakay-sakay means taking a ride.
Kundoktor is Jeepney driver’s sidekick; he or she is the one who handles the passengers’ fare and is the overall in-charge of the passengers. If the driver is the pilot, this guy is the steward.

Click here to read the complete article online.

Rip-Off Defined: A rip-off happens when you, the foreigner, buy something from a vendor at a much higher price than when locals buy it from the same vendor.

Has this even happened to you? If you have not been very careful, it sure did.

There is something in foreigners (especially Westerners) that makes the locals think their wallets are thick with cash ready to be handed down to man in exchange for the stuff he is selling, which is supposedly of interest to the foreigner.

The thing is, rip-off can be hard to detect if you are not aware of the local marketplace. They key word is the marketplace. Foreigners are usually drawn into buying goods they find cheaper here than when the same goods are bought from their mother country. The difficult part is knowing the price differences from one place to the other. It’s time consuming and the knowledge that you gain is not worth the effort. Or so it seems until you discover you are being taken advantage of.

But knowing that you are being taken advantage of in term of price is another story. Luckily, there are ways to avoid being victimized or to at least contain the intellectual insult. Here are some tips:

1. Compare prices

To make sure that you get the best value out of your money, try to look for the best deals you could possibly get. Some shops offer lower prices than the others and vice-versa. Shop around, take time to dig up information from different stores that offer the products or services that you need. Again this is time consuming, but for luxury items, it pays to do it.

2. Turn down a deal, if you must

Don’t hesitate to turn down offers that are suspicious. Inquiring does not give you the obligation to patronize. There are many ways to say “No”, but the best one is done with a smile. Turn down an offer with a smile on your face. Remember: you hail from a country which is supposed to be more civilized than the one you are currently landing on.

3. Ask for discounts

Here is your power of negotiation comes into play. Don’t just use it in peace talks with the rebels — climbing up that mountain is tough, even just that thought of it.

You have every right to negotiate with the local vendors, too. Try to insist on the price you have in mind and see how the deal goes.

There are shops or companies that give discounts to their customers especially when they avail of bulk services or they buy products at wholesale. Don’t hesitate to ask if you could avail of some discount. After all, you would have nothing to loose in asking.

4. Choose Credible Shops or Stores

There would be a lesser chance of being charged higher if you choose shops or companies that already offer fixed prices or packages. At least this gives you the peace of mind. You can go to the malls where the prices are really those shown on the price tag. Choose the stores that issue official receipts or invoice to make sure that you are paying the right price and you can exchange it if you find something wrong with the product. You can also be assured of the quality of the service offered by these shops/companies than those that don’t issue receipts.

5. Don’t Enter Into One-On-One Deals

As much as possible, do not enter into a one-on-one deal with a person especially with people you are not personally acquainted with. Ripping offs usually happen in this situation. Use a Pinoy or Pinay to make the deal. Have a Filipino friend, girlfriend, wife, employee join you in shopping. Just make sure they are the ones you can really trust to the bone. Ask for their advice and suggestions. They most probably are more aware of the way services are being charged around here. They may also have recommendations of where you could get quality services and products in lower prices.

6. Do it yourself

If you feel like you can do the simple fixing, why not do it on your own? Some tasks, like simple fixings in the cabinet, cleaning the keyboard, and other stuff are doable on your part. Don’t waste money for hiring outside help when you can actually do it yourself while at the same time you enjoy doing it.

7. Remember The Godfather

No, this is not about religion or something. It’s the movie the Godfather. At one point, Don Corleone, the main man, said something like, “I’m gonna make him an offer he cannot refuse.”

Do something similar. Make an offer he cannot refuse. A rip-off may not really be an act of exploitation. Behind a rip-off is the motivation to make a bigger profit in an instant, usually a one-time deal. You can appeal to the guy’s self-interest in gaining more profit. The guy could just be experimenting with his own version of Capitalism!

However you want to do it is entirely up to you. Surprise yourself on how creative you can be.

Knowledge Is Power

Above all, it is knowledge that will give you the best aid in transactions within the Philippines. (Or who knows anywhere else on earth.) The Internet or Travel Guides can help you a lot in gathering information from the locals. Take time to learn first hand information on how things are being run in the locality. Ask questions if it needs be and be sure you get good answers. Being friendly brings a lot of advantages, since you will learn more from new acquaintances while enjoying your stay.

Remember, it pays to know.

~~~

How To Avoid Being Ripped Off is written by Matt Regis.