If you are from the Philippines, I guess you can tell a story or two about your jeepney experience just like me. What I am about to tell you was funny experience in a jeepney or perhaps a very embarassing story.
For context, a jeepney is a public utility vehicle in the Philippines. A regular jeepney can cater sixteen passengers but if they need more sales or people do not want to get late for work or school, it can cater more than twenty.😆
During peak hours, you have to chase the jeepney as fast as you could as if it is the last one in the streets.😠And when inside the jeepney, you have to endure the skin-to-skin contact with other strangers or passengers. Sometimes, only one of your butt can sit, the other one has to wait for a long time. 😂
From our house to Tintay Terminal, I would ride a tricycle. And from Tintay to Parian, Colon, I would ride a jeepney - 13C. That was my everyday route for three years so I could attend my 7:00 AM class at Cebu Technological University.
I was 20 years old. I didn’t have a girlfriend because I was so busy with my life - college and my work in Jollibee as a service crew. My average sleeping hours would be four hours only. So, that was the reason why I used to sleep in the jeepney.
Okay, so I rode the jeepney one school day. I was very sleepy. Even if the road was bumpy, I could not help but close my eyes to sleep. I only opened my eyes if the jeepney stopped to pick up or unload other passengers.
The jeepney made a stop somewhere in Cabancalan, to pick up new passengers. I opened my sleepy eyes and noticed new passengers - college students and young professionals of both gender.
I couldn’t remember when I fell asleep again, but my last memory of the jeepney stoping was at (USC) University of San Carlos - Talamban. I must say, I had the best sleep ever because USC-Talamban is far from Asilo Church. It is like 20-30 minutes ride, if the road is not so congested with vehicles.
Anyways, the jeepney was already in Asilo when I opened my eyes again because of the voice I heard so close to my ears that said:
Bai, munaog nako. 😂😂😂
I opened my eyes and I noticed that my head was on his shoulders. I panicked! I was sleeping on a man’s shoulder who was also a complete stranger.
I apologized to him and he just smiled, said he was okay with it and went. I looked at the other passengers and they all had that judgmental look! Imagine a man sleeping on another man’s shoulder who are complete strangers! 😂😂
I was so embarrassed, so I slept again! I could not take their judgmental look anyway! 😆😴😴🥱
PS:
To that man who allowed me to sleep on his shoulder, Thank you so much and sorry! Sorry because I could not promise not to sleep again in the Jeepney! 😂
All photos are made in Canva.com
Christian Yocte is a public school teacher in the Philippines who also loves other interesting things like making digital and traditional art, exploring new places and destinations, writing journals and musings, and a lot more. He currently resides in Cebu, Philippines. Join him as he ventures different places, shares his masterpieces, and makes his life more meaningful.
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