I am not sure how much I have talked about Jeepney’s, but I am going to indulge you a bit now that the novelty of riding in one has run out, I was ready to observe some of the intricacies of the auto-transport:
A Jeepney is a bus with a Jeep Wrangler-like front. It is loud and old, but it is not short on character. Every Jeepney has it’s own flair on it. Many of them possess the symbol of their favorite NBA team or NBA teams (it is better to cover all of your bases) and there are colors galore coating the outside, but all done in a coordinated fasion… greens, purples, reds, oranges, oh my. The inside is decorated by various accessories, including “God Bless Us” signs, wood-paneling and, the main decoration, people. The most people I have seen on one is about 35. It is impressive, because the Jeepney probably comfortably seats 15 or so.
There are people crawling all over the thing… sometimes on the hood, but always on the roof. I should have known what I was getting myself into when the person sitting across from me made the “sign of the cross” when they sat down. Also, the person sitting next to me fell asleep on my back while I was riding… it was pretty funny. I felt a bit flattered that she felt that comfortable next to me (she was older, probably 50). One person actually got on the bus and their was not a seat for her to sit in… that didn’t stop her… she sat on a strangers lap… I would assume this is not an infrequent occurance… as neither of them seemed to be phased whatsoever.
I was wondering how this form of transportation was possible and how there wasn’t massive corruption in collections on the Jeepney runs. I was under the assumption that a Jeepney was a Provincial operation and was governed like the operations in the United States. Not that I was really concerned with the issue of collection, but my worries were put to rest when I was told that Jeepney’s are entirely a private operation. My main concern was due to the fact that the “conductor” (person that collects the money) is very far removed from the driver (I would assume that these positions are interchangeable, unlike the railroad)… the conductor hangs off of the back of the Jeepney for the entire ride and looks to confiscate money from potential free-riders. Speaking of which, free-riders have the most dangerous con in all the game. The free riders wait for a bus to come to a stop at their stop and then as the bus is ready to go, the Jeepney accelerates and the free-rider jumps off the top of the Jeepney and lands in a casual gate as if they are just a passer by… I have seen it a couple times… the most classic was the most recent when a kid (probably 15) jumped off the top while a guy was carrying a log by the jeepney, he proceeded to grab the end of the log and “assist” the transporter until the Jeepney passed… I am pretty sure the conductor knows when these things happen, but it is still entertaining to watch.
As I have said before, about really any form of transportation in the Philippines, Jeepneys are no exception to the “size-constraint” they pose for a person of greater than 5’ 8”. This problem is further compounded when Julian and I are sitting next to eachother. Both of our knees extend well across the “center-boundary line” which is non-existent and is really more of a suggestion. Our heads hit the top of the Jeepney on every bump, but it’s just okay (that’s what they say here… it’s priceless… that joins my sayings, along with two-beer and one-glass). Jeepney’s are a blast, and if you don’t have any other experience in the Philippines, you have to have one of these!
I was actually thinking if anyone wanted to join me in starting a Jeepney company in Kansas City, let me know. I have many ideas, including having mannequans bolted to the roof to simulate the people that actually ride on the roof of the one’s here. In addition, the Jeepney’s have their own unique horn for warning… I came up with an idea a long time ago that there should be different horns you can press for different situations… but I’m pretty sure that this would be against the USTA (if that is what it’s called)… not the Tennis Association. Anywho, if I come up with anything else regarding Jeepneys, I will let you know.
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