I know I’m not the only who feels this way. Manila traffic is the absolute worst. And this is coming from a passenger’s point of view. I may not be the one driving but I understand the different emotions one goes through when stuck in a car for hours. “Why don’t you leave earlier?” people ask. Well, the traffic has gotten so bad that it can happen at any time of the day, anywhere, and for no specific reason.
The number one factor that causes stress for me when I’m stuck is how much time I’m wasting doing essentially nothing. Let me cite some examples. It once took me over an hour to travel from work to a nearby mall, roughly three kilometers. Yes, I could have walked that distance but I had loads of bags to carry. There’s also the factor of trying to plan a schedule and make sure that I’m not late to anything. But again, you can never tell what the traffic is going to be like and I’ve stopped relying on Waze for the correct ETA. It’s never right.
Because of the car flooding the streets of Manila, a lot of people have also struggled booking a car through different services. It’s either the driver cancels on you after waiting for 20 minutes or you have no luck at booking at all.
My boyfriend used to be so stressed because of traffic. He was living in Pasig at the time while his office was in Makati. It would take him almost two hours each day. I mean, who wouldn’t be a little pissy after sitting in a car for that long, slowly inching in your car? But ever since he moved back to Makati, he’s been extra chipper. He walks to and from work every day, which means he has more time to sleep and do other things outside of work.
However, I do understand that my situation isn’t as bad as other people’s. I live and work in Makati so my travel distance isn’t far. But that’s also part of the problem. I only pass short distances but takes way longer than it should.
Honestly, I don’t know what should be improved for the traffic to lessen. I feel like there are too many vehicles, too many people, and not enough proper public transportation, but that’s for another story. What I do know is that we all deserve time to rest but the hours we spend in transit won’t let us.
Art by Marian Hukom
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