On Long Bus Rides and Student Discounts



I love long bus rides - provincial bus that is. I prefer land travel more than air and water. I love to be seated at the window side. I'm so fascinated with people and how they do their everyday stuff. 

I really am fond of those retractable thingy at the back of each seat where someone could put his/her feet on it. I have this thing for chairs. Rarely do I find one which I could sit on perfectly. Either I move a little further to the edge just to rest both my feet or do an Indian seat instead. I have the shortest distance from my ankle to my knee - 14 inches to be exact. It's really hard for me to make them comfortable when sitting on something so that retractable thing is just divine. 

I love the bus stops where people would rush to the toilets or the food stalls and eat like it's their last - a very devious act for me as I like to enjoy my food and munch on something for minutes. 

I like to listen to the local fm radio stations using my mobile. I love to shuffle my ipod and hear rock, alternative and classical music in just one playlist like they're on a mosh pit or something. I love to lip sync in all of those songs and imagine myself in a music video on the window side of the bus - of course I should be alone on both seats 'coz people might think I'm screwed. That's why I like to seat at the last few rows of the bus 'coz front row ones are always filled up first. 

I love to watch sunrise, sunsets and rainbows on a moving bus - lots of perspectives. I don't mind how long would it take for me to get to point B from point A but the most important thing is the ride - the things I could only do when I'm on the bus.    

I also love student discount on bus fares. If you have been reading regularly, I have been a graduate student in a university in Quezon City. I don't look like a college student and some of the establishments or the fares would not allow graduate student to have discount but some wouldn't mind though. Just so you know, my id doesn't state that I am a graduate student, it bears the university's name, my name, my student number and my college/department. I have been enjoying the perks of having a student id for a year now. Discounted museum entrance fees, ferry ride fares, provincial bus rides and other stuff. But bus fares are the most tricky. 

On my recent Baler and Marinduque trips, I had no problem with getting student discounts. I just presented my id and they just copied some of the information there for record purposes and voila, instant 20% discount on my fare. 

But just this weekend, I was stunned with how my id and my charm failed me - or so I guess. 

On my way to Northern Luzon, I went to the Victory Liner Cubao station, bought a ticket and presented my student id. The lady looked at me, then looked at my id. And then we had this conversation (let's call her the "Ticket Girl");

Ticket Girl: First time mag-enroll ma'am?
Carla: Po?
Ticket Girl: Pang ilan na course na po?
(maybe she saw my student number)
Carla: pangalawa? (actually it's my third)
(she handed me back my id)
Ticket Girl: Ma'am pang first course lang po tinatanggap namin eh.
Carla: Ano po? (with the weird and puzzled look on my face)
Ticket Girl: Bawal po 'pag pangalawa na
Carla: Ganun? (kamot-ulo), Tinanggap naman dati 'to sa Victory Caloocan ah
Ticket Girl: Ma'am 'yun po talaga eh
Carla: Ok sige

Actually I was pissed. That's a weird reason to start with. But wait there's more!

On my way back to Manila (just yesterday) aboard a Partas bus I gave my student id again. The conductor looked at me and the id. And then we had this conversation (Let's call him Remar Silva);

Remar Silva: Ma'am sa Diliman po kayo pumapasok
Carla: Opo
Remar Silva: Ay 'yung mga Sampaloc lang po ang tinatanggap namin eh
Carla: Ha?
Remar Silva: Sampaloc po sa Manila
Carla: Oo alam ko na sa Manila 'yun bakit nga?
Remar Silva: 'Yung mga schools sa may Sampaloc lang po ang may discount
(natawa ako ng konti at inaantay ang punchline ni kuya manong pero hindi naganap iyon)
Carla: Ha? Seryoso?
Remar Silva: Opo
Carla: Sigurado?
Remar Silva: (huminga ng malalim at parang pagod na makipag-usap)
(muntik ko nang patulan pero mas pinili ko na hindi)

That's so bull. I'm sorry but you could have just told me that it's sembreak or it's a Sunday and I would end the conversation right away without thinking about the excuse you just said. And yes, you just ruined my bus ride. I was affected on how he could've thought of that reason and how he could've thought that I would believe him. That's so lame dear. Good riddance Remar Silva. 

It's not that I'm a tightwad. It's not that I want to test if I can pass as a college student at my age. It's my right which I want to exercise. I'm a student. I'm paying for my own tuition fees. Yes I have a job but I'm also a student. And please, if you're making an excuse about something make it believable so as to not question or challenge my intelligence.

26 comments :

  1. i also love bus rides, long bus rides. because of this post i will also try using my ID in Graduate School for discounts... hahaha...

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    1. hi jherson! oh yes you should! walang ganyan nung bagets pa tayo. hehe

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  2. hahahahha .. kasi maam di daw kayo mukhang mahirap at kelangan ng discount un lang singueue nung driver para di daw obvious ... pero may gnun tlgan noh ngayon sa discount? hahahaha

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    1. oo talaga. walang ganyan nung high school ako dahil dos lang ang pamasahe dati. haha. nung elem piso.

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  3. Naku mam, nung mabasa ko ang post niyo, muntik na akong ma high blood. It also happened to me here in Bukidnon. Same here, provincial bus ride din. Kaso lang nag stop ako ngayon sa masters ko dahil sa isang priority project.....Kagaya niyo rin, may I.D. rin ako at may student number sa isang University ng ILBI. Matagal ko na ring ginagamit itong ID ko mam at ngayon lang parang maraming satsat ang conductor. Sabi pa naman sa akin, "hindi na ito puede sir dahil expire na". Sagot ko na man, "anong expire na". Eh wala ngang expiry date yang ID ko......" In which case, tama ako dahil wala na man talagang expiration ang ID ko, at ang nakatatak dun, yon lang Student Number....

    Buti na lang mam, at nakapag pacensya pa kayo...:-). That's a good thing that you did....

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    1. oh di ba? mag paghihigpit na sila ngayon. hindi naman ganyan dati. humaba na siguro ang pasensiya ko dahil sa pagtuturo. and also, i choose my battles. hehe :)

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  4. Buti naman mahaba pacencya mo Carla. Kung ako yan, na HB nako sa di makatarungang dahilan nila.

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    1. dahil nga siguro sa pagtuturo ang mahabang pasensiya na ito :)

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  5. I enjoy long bus rides myself. Here in 'tate you can buy a 7 to 30 day bus pass and go almost anywhere in the US. The pass used to include Canada but I don't think it still does.

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    1. wow! ang bongga. sana may ganyan din dito, tipong bus ride anywhere in pinas :)

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  6. Gumagawa sila ng sarili nilang rules. Dapat isumbong yan sa LTFRB.



    http://www.dekaphobe.com

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    1. oh well michy, kaya siguro nakakalusot sila eh dahil sa mga taong katulad ko na hindi idinadaan sa tamang proseso ang pagrereklamo. sa blog nalang ihininga ang sama ng loob. haha

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  7. ay baligtad tayo. I hate long bus rides. Pakiramdam ko napupudpod ang pwet ko sa biyahe. Ay ano ba kamo ito.. ambush interview? hindi napaghandaan ang sagot? walang maisep?

    pero in fairness ha. ang dami mo ng discount na naaavail. parang gusto ko tuloy mag masteral din. chos groban! hahaha!

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    1. haha. masteral na bilis! nabasa ko nga ang cebu post mo, yung naiwan mo yung charger ng cam mo. naumay ka sa upuan ng bus. haha

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  8. Nakaka-bwisit yung mga rason nila! haha ang sakit sa bangs.

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  9. at talagang ang weird lang nila rumason...

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  10. Super totoo tong mga sitwasyon na to. Grabe. Andadamot mamigay ng student discount. Tititig muna ng masama tapos ayaw pa maniwala. Yung sa friend ko naman sa Baguio, pinakita lang niya yung OJT ID niya, di na rin pwede. Haha. Kaloka ng bongga! :))))

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    1. eh kayo dapat ang mag-aklas chingky dahil kolehiyala talaga kayo. OA sila. eh nung panahon ko wala pa naman ganyan. hmph. oh well. hehe

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  11. I remember our Bicol trip last May, we were on the bust for 11 1/2 hours. My workmates eyes were bulging when they heard I was sitting on a bus for that long! Sabi ko ang saya kaya..di nakakainip lalo na pag maraming nakikita...:-)

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    1. haha. ako din. basta dapat nasa window side ako para naaaliw ang mga mata ko :)

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  12. Kung ako yan lalaban ko yan. Magpakita dapat sila saken ng Legal proof na Sampaloc lang tinatanggap nila at yung first course lang!! RARWWW~~~

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    1. dahil sa pagod at wala ako sa mood eh di ko pinatulan, kung nasa mood ako tapos siya sigurado. haha

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  13. Hey! Can't believe na I just visited your site for the first time :( nonetheless, I liked this post of yours. Kasali ka din ba sa FBW and PTB group?

    Anyhoo, Diko man naSubukan kumuha ng discount noong studyante pako pero nalabuan lang ako sa mga nagooperate sa bus lines that you mentioned. Dapat may clear sign of their rules when requesting certain discounts, di yung iddiscriminate ka kagad. :(

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    1. hi mai! ptb nga po ako :) ako din nung college di uso kaya ngayon kahit papano kahit MA eh tintry mag discount. sayang din eh di ba? :)

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