I seldom read tabloid news online about Philippine but since today is the inauguration of our newly elected President Benigno “Noynoy or P-noy” Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay I went online to read Abante, but what caught my attention it is not the news about the President and Vice President but Abante’s Opinion column by Ellen Tordesillas on the titled subject "Galit sa mandurugas na airport taxi".
Yeah I know you already knew what I mean!
Well for me as an OFW who arrive back home after a year or two working away to some foreign land upon our arrival is it always a good feeling to be a Filipino again on our own land plus to see familiar faces, smiles and the Tagalog language to be heard again. This is why we OFW never thought that going outside the airport and on the first service render will we encounter unscrupulous people who think that arriving OFW have sack of gold on their baggage.
The airport management along with the Philippine tourism department promotes to available the airport service since they are regulated. They even put on their advertisements the rates for every kilometer for the airport taxi service. If you will compare the flag down rate with the regular taxi it is much higher but their advice is that the airport taxi service is hustle free and in the long run will cost almost the same as regular taxi. If you’re a new arrived and with no fetch to pick you up adding a little fare is ok.
For me, adding a little fare to ease the hustle is fine; the additional fee for a valued service is priceless. I know you agree with me and I know you will also agree if the scenario is not what you expect like not metering the trip and asking for an over the ceiling fare.
Now here is the part that I will blab about what I experienced.
No, I won’t but I will share the drivers’ reason for not metering the trip. His reason is that he was on a long queue for almost two hours before this first trip with us and that he fuel going back to the airport to fall in line again is not worth if the meter if flag down. Plus some added reason about how small his take home pay doing his job blah blah. He totally lowered his self with what he said. A pity and petty reason of an extortionist, as the old Filipino saying goes: “Walang manloloko kung walang magpapaloko”. But where are the pride, dignity and joy of earning a decent living why Filipino now a days want to everything the fast way even by taking advantage of gullible OFWs like me. : )
Hope that the joy of earnin equally and fairly still remain in the heart of each one of us. Mabuhay ka Filipino.
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