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What’s wrong with this picture?

Whoops. I sure hope his driving is much better than his spelling!

Painted on the trunk of every cab in the metro are the lines: “How’s My Driving? Call or Text LTFRB Hotline 0921-4487777. Or call Operater Tel. No. XXX-XXXX.” Have you ever called them though?

I’ve had my share of horrible cab encounters. There are cabs that refuse to take me as a passenger because my destination is too far or because there’s too much of a traffic jam for them to handle. There are cab drivers that refuse to let me into the vehicle unless we negotiate on a flat rate — usually two times more than the supposed metered fare. There are cab drivers whose meters go way too fast. These are illegal, but they still happen anyway. There are cab drivers who incessantly complain about the traffic jam while shooting dagger looks at me, making it appear it was my fault we were stuck in a jam. Terrible.

But then there are also the good ones. There are cab drivers who get a feel of their passenger’s mood before going into storytelling. I met a cab driver whose storytelling was so wonderfully engaging I was disappointed when I had arrived at my destination! There are cab drivers who are pleasant and drive smoothly, without complaint. There are cab drivers who suggest various routes in case you have any preferred way of getting to your destination. There are cab drivers who do not pout when you give them the exact meter fare.

Getting a cab around Manila is just like choosing from Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates. “You never know what you’re gonna get.” Well, I know for sure that I smile when I see this cab! How the cab driver is though, ah, I can’t realy tell. I just hope his driving will be as pleasant as the pup on his cab.

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