Today, while waiting for my jeepney ride from Gil Puyat LRT station to Makati, I had an epiphany: Our jeepney culture is a microcosm for Filipino culture in general.
Hear me out.
Despite all the 30 people cramped up in this 4x11 m tube–usually dilapidated–Filipinos are socially expected to mind their own business, but to also make “abot” (hand over) the bayad and sukli of their fellow passenger. It’s the jeepney version of Bayanihan. Perhaps a result of our Eastern roots and Western upbringing, this balanced blend of individualism and collectivism keeps our society sane and afloat.
In a jeepney, women who left home in a rush can apply make-up and dry their hair without judgment, in front of men who sometimes find the public vehicle an apt venue to whip out their penises and just jerk off like monkeys.
The jeepney is also a symbol of ingenious Filipino spontaneity. With a jeepney, you can get off wherever you want, whenever you want. No proper stops needed. You can literally ask the driver to drop you in the middle of a national highway, choke the traffic behind you and feel no shame at all.
In a jeepney, people can talk loudly on the phone as if they’re always announcing something. It’s why the jeepney is a conducive place for the chismoso and chismosa to do their hobby.
While riding a jeepney, the chance of getting held up and robbed by petty thieves can be pretty high. The driver will act concerned and dismayed but the truth is, he or she could be an accomplice. A perfect metaphor for most of our government officials.
Jeepneys also reinforce Filipino religiosity. You literally need to pray before and while riding the vehicle because reckless drivers can kill you anytime. And we’re all in it together.
Having said that, their eclectic musical preferences will restore your faith in humanity. I mean, Aegis, Lady Gaga, Anime theme songs and the Sexbomb Dancers in a single playlist? Yes please.
If you want to get to know the Filipino, ride the jeepney every day.