one speed only

Pascual Liner got it from me awhile ago. I gave the bus driver and the conductor a piece of my mind. It was my second time riding a bus from the same company and nothing changed: the bus was too slow. It was a déjà vu indeed. Speaking from the point of view of someone who rides the killer buses in Novaliches, this is definitely saying something. I felt that I should have taken a jeepney for all my money’s worth. Really. There was no difference. The bus kept on stopping at corners every two minutes or so—I was listening to my playlist as usual and I observed that a song did not finish without the bus stopping. Nothing would have ignited my anger, and I was even thinking that it was mere coincidence that the bus was Pascual Liner yet again, and I did not want to over generalize that company. What triggered my temper was the fact that more jeepneys passed us by. It was unnerving. At first, I only stomped my feet. The next time it happened, I already voiced my exasperation: Can’t this bus run any faster?

Not caring even if the other passengers gawked at me, I got off the bus. They could all stink in that bus for all I cared. All I had in mind was to get another bus that would run faster. Good thing I did.

Yup, I wasted my money but I got the sheer pleasure knowing that I had been right all along. That bus had one speed only. My second bus passed it along C-5.

I vow not to ride any bus from the same company. I don’t care even if they have different drivers, different buses and I doubt that they will notice that they miss one passenger from the thousands of people in my area. All I know is twice is enough.