Work demands and old officemates

On my way to the office this morning, I over heard two passengers sharing some thoughts about their respective offices.

I sat in the middle seat of the public utility transport. Behind my section are four other passengers, two on each side facing the other two. The persons talking are in that rear section. One is behind me facing her friend who is seated behind the person at the opposite end of the four-seater middle section that is facing forward where I am seated.

One girl shared that "if you do what needs to be done, they won't bother you" and "it (workload)will all depend on the client. One client has lots of branches (sic) they have a lot to do."

The other agreed and shared "one of our clients pulled out."

I cannot really discern from which offices they work for but it appears to me they are account executives.

One of them later added "he is old and we call him grandpa. He is nearing retirement and he said he will work on his garden when he retires" and ended with "there are a lot of old people in our office."

Her friend behind me shared "it seems that your office is full of senior employees nearing retirement."

They did not mean anything negative about their senior co-workers but they might be wondering if they will feel the same when they get to that age.

Caring driver

Public AUVs in our country's capital are equipped with radios allowing them to chat with their buddies - primarily to warn them of the presence of any traffic enforcement officers in their route.

On our way home this evening from a day out, we overheard the driver call on his buddy asking where he is. I thought may be they have something planned for the night. When the other guy responded, our driver asked him if he has a specific passenger on-board. Some lady he describes based on where she gets off and what she was wearing that day.

When his friend gave the affirmative, has requested the guy to give his "hello" to the girl who in turn responded with a "see you tomorrow" through that driver.

It did not end there.

The other driver cautioned our driver that he might get caught by his "alpha." Our driver assured his friend that his "alpha" is leaving for the US probably to work.

Since wives are called with a word starting with a letter A in our country, we surmised that he must be referring to this wife.

We have a sort of a slogan in our country that says "drivers are sweet lovers." And our caring driver has so much love and care to give that he is willing to share it with his regular passenger.

Solutions to rising fuel cost

On my way home one night, I got to ride shotgun with the jeepney driver. I found out that the driver is not merely a hired help but the son of the owner of the jeepney. The vehicle we are riding is their source of income. And it helped finance the college study of the boy.

The topic of our discussion went around the prospect of father and son to minimize overhead cost that is fuel. At that time, diesel prices were running at about 55 to 56 pesos per liter.

A leading means of coping with rising fuel prices is conversion of vehicle engines to liquefied petroleum gas burning ones. Since that solution only works for lighter vehicles with lighter loads like taxis, the key to saving on fuel for this family is converting their diesel engine so it can run on biodiesel.

I learned from the driver that the government is actually offering jeepney owners a P450,000 loan to have their engines replaces with custom biodiesel consuming engines. The amount also includes components like specialized fuel tanks and pipes and other engine parts.

Another option is a much cheaper refit costing only P50,000 pesos.

As a graduate of marine engineering, the driver knows some of the advantages and disadvantages of having a new set of engines and doing a simple refit.

While I forgot all about the pros and cons of the solutions, I was able to remember the thoughts of the driver on his father's plan to buy a new jeepney instead.

To him, a refit or a new engine beats buying a new jeep. First among his considerations is the cost. He thought they can save hundreds of thousands with a new engine and some minor repairs on the chassis and the body.

The move of the government to assist owners of public utility vehicles is, at best, a noble one. But I believe, the government can do better. With all the minds, skills, and experiences at its disposal, they could have come up with a better solution.

Sure, fuel cost is affected by rising world oil prices and fluctuations of the dollar but a solution will always present itself. The govern should just take a closer look at things and have an open mind. What they should keep closed are their thoughts to having prospective campaign sponsors from big oil companies whose reservoir of black gold is almost drained.

Expense or convenience

Just last week, the construction of the C-5 U-turn flyover has concluded. Now vehicles coming from Makati and Quezon City can use the flyover to get to Pasig or Pateros via Buting.



In the past, commuters and drivers alike need to go further to get to Buting after the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority implemented the no left turn rule in C-5. They will either turn right to Kalayaan and make a U-turn near Fort Bonifacio's Gate or drive ahead and around Market! Market! to be in Pateros. Some opted to use the new bridge in Sta. Rosa, Pasig.



This new u-turn flyover has come as a convenience to these travelers.

But just how many need this flyover? Will this prove to be the convenience people need or be just like the flyover in Meralco Avenue that crosses Julia Vargas where only a trickle of the daily rush hour travel fly through? We'll soon see.

Of work and play

During the commute home, I had nothing to do but worry about an unpaid service rendered to our office. While in my stressful and distressing thoughts, I overheard four people talk about work and play.

There were two males and two females. One of the females is obviously the most senior employee since they address her as ma'am.

When they boarded the jeep, they began their discussion about a sports event where they came from. The two girls must have played in that game since they were both wearing uniforms. The two boys were probably just spectators because they were in the usual friday outfit of collared shirts and jeans.

After a few moments of teasing the "players" at how they fared in the game, their discussion shifted to things that happended in the office. They were laughing about how one of the guys was surprised by their boss with a question and gave an answer that is not in any way related to what was asked.

After a few minutes of office talk on the subject of questions and answers, they shifted back to the game that afternoon. This time, they talked about their other officemates and how they played.

The senior gal got off at her stop leaving the three others continue the journey with me.

Since the remaining three seems to be going to the same area, they changed topics to who lives where and who lives near to whoever. They even discussed who the town mayor of the last girl is.

In a minute or two, all three got off at the same stop to take another ride to where they are going.

And that ends their talk of work and play.

Most unfortunate

This morning I arrived at the PUV terminal at around 8:20 hoping to get on board soon and be on my way to the before 9:00. But what greeted me is a very long line of fellow commuters waiting for their turn to get on board.

I was debating with myself if I will go and wait in line or if I should take another way to the office. I chose to wait in line.

By experience, if I take a jeepney to Pasig City, then take another FX to the office, it will probably take me more than an hour to get to the office.

I asked the dispatcher why the line grew longer than usual. He said that there is an on-going boat race along the Pasig River and most roads used by the drivers on their return trip is closed. the boat race is part of the celebrations for Araw ng Pasig.

I had no choice but to just wait. And it is past 9:00 already.

Waiting it out, I was able to get on board after 30 minutes and be in the office in another 15. What a way to start the month...

Right turning vehicles keep right

As far as I know, the rule in a highway without a traffic light is that vehicles that will turn right must stay on the right lane and those crossing will keep the middle or left most lane wherever applicable. This however, does not hold true in C-5.

Everyday that I commute from home to the office, when we get to the corner leading to Valle Verde Subdivision, our PUV always has a hard time turning right on that corner. Well, the traffic is usually heavy in the part of the highway but it is not the volume of moving vehicles that gives us a problem turning right. It is those educated and mostly professionals who drive their cars along the right lane even if they are not turning right.

It always amuses me to see these driver in nice cars, wearing nice clothes looking all educated. And yet the education seem to have been placed on the backseat just to be on the lane where the vehicles move faster.

And what's bad about it is that if you get to cut them off so you can turn right, they'll get upset.

As the expression in one of the jokes I received through email says: the nerd of this people!

New facade

Mayor Fred Lim of Manila making putting his own make-over of the Pasig river shores. I chanced upon a project being undertaken under the Quezon Bridge near Quiapo market.

On my way home from a meeting at the Presidential Management Staff Building in Malacanang, I took a jeep plying the Pasig-Quiapo Echague route from Arlegui to Quiapo's Quinta Market. At the back of Quinta Market right beside the bridge is the Quiapo Terminal of the Pasig River Ferry.

Between the passenger waiting area and the pontoon dock is a beautification project being undertaken by the Manila City government.



The wide area about a quarter of a kilometer long is being paved with red and off-white stones. This walkway stretches from the edge of Quinta market bordering FEATI university up to the point where the river is met by another stream.

I don't know yet how this will look like when the project is done with all the displaced settlers under the bridge and beside Quinta market. And how will this sort of a promenade be accessible to the public without compromising the security of the ferry terminal.

An update is forthcoming!

Those who are first become last

There are times that you feel unfortunate to at the end of a long queue of people trying to get a ride to the office. And there are times that you feel very lucky to be first in the line or in the first group to board and leave.

An of course, there are times that even though you were the first one to leave, the driver of the vehicle that is last to leave drives a lot faster than yours.

Just this morning, I was lucky enough to leave before 8 that will assure me that I will arrive at the office right before nine. While we were on the highway (C-5) just past the u-turn slot near Valle Verde when suddenly, an FX AUV tried to bump us. It turns out that the "rammer" is a coleague of our driver. They both belong to the same transport association. And this second AUV is supposed to have left about 10 minutes after we were on our way.

Lo and behold, a third AUV was also there and overtook us.

In the end, our AUV, that left around 7.45am was the last to reach my stop. And I thought I was lucky to be in the group that went out first.

And so, the first, became last. Haaay...