At the back please

They cramp near the door despite the wide inner space. They sit near the exit even if their destination is the farthest. I am talking about people I rub elbows with in the metro’s public transport utilities. My experience with them is rarely delightful, oftentimes disgustful for reflecting one reprehensible Filipino psychology – lack of self-sacrifice.

Passengers who “cordon” the entry and exit points are probably proactive. In case of emergency, their position is a guarantee of an easiest way out. Probably, they are able to avoid the hassle of squeezing in a throng of Filipinos, not to mention the hassle of “stench” that is given off by bodies pummeled by a humid day’s hard work. Unfortunately, these types of Filipinos are not the minority. A lot of them think alike, thus, clogging what could have been a smooth traffic of people.

A sigh is my initial reaction coupled with a fast panning of the head from left to right. I want to shout, “Please give way!” but I fear a mob of tired individuals whose linear thinking is to go home the soonest time possible for rest.

What if I am an indigent senior citizen who has to travel through the jeepney? It means bending my body forward regardless of osteoporosis, rheumatism, and other ailments common among the elderly!

Then you have Filipinos who – yes! – sit behind the driver who should, by tradition, hand the fare on the driver. But they snub you despite the increased volume and intensity of “Bayad, pakisuyo po!” You have those who scornfully stare at you when you bump them by sheer accident due to the dense pack of passengers. Had I not been educated, I wanted to tell these women: “Miss, magtaxi or limousine ka kaya!”

I envy the Aussies. I saw their outlook about “other people.” When they board the bus, they usually take the backseats to give way to those who will get off the bus first. I envy the people of Hong Kong: at least they have a very good transport system, enough to accommodate taxpayers who deserve efficient services from the government.

I think Filipino passengers need a reversal of attitude. It has been a Filipino way of life: Ayaw nating palamangan kahit nakakaapekto na tayo sa iba. The scene in public utilities is a microcosm of how a significant number of Filipinos behave. You go to the legislative houses you can see grandstanding politicians who race to grab the microphone in anticipation of a mass media mileage. You hear about Filipinos who throw their garbage anywhere just so they can get rid of the waste in their immediate environs.

Our sense of community has taken the backseat because we refuse to make the lives of others convenient unless we have copped our own convenience first. Of course it is a natural inclination to prioritize personal satisfaction but this does not have to be divorced from the satisfaction of others. We can co-exist more harmoniously, not a toleration of the inconveniences caused by others.

The next time you hop on any mass transport vehicle, please proceed to the inner space lest receive the ire of impatient others. We are educated to have a greater social responsibility. In our own little and slow way, let us rekindle a sense of community. Remember, finally, that being the first or being in front does not always mean being the best.