Basta Tricycle Driver, Sweet Swindler.

Alright, I know the title is a little bit unfair since not all tricycle drivers are money-sucking jerks.

But some of them will go out of their way just to swindle a few peso coins out of your pocket.

Last night, I was feeling extra exhausted. I was in Concepcion, Marikina and I needed to go somewhere in the Sumulong (Cainta) Area. So instead of taking the traditional Jeepney bound to Marikina Bayan or Cubao (Which will pass by Sumulong Hi-way), I decided to hail a tricycle. Since I am in Concepcion, the trycs are all marked with "Concepcion Uno" and are color blue. When I asked one tricycle driver to take me to Sumulong, he paused then said, he wasn't allowed there and he might get caught there. He instead hailed another tricycle and asked the driver to take me to Sumulong. The tricycle driver then asked, "Magkano binabayad niyo doon?", "50 pesos po." I replied. Then to my surprise he gave us a response that got into my nerves: "Ano ba yan! Bawal na nga tas singkwenta lang ang ibabayad!" he kept mumbling a few more lines and he for some reason was so annoyed. He sped away after that, abandoning me on the side street wondering, whatever I have done. Saakin naman kasi, kung bawal siya doon, then just tell me like the first trycicle driver. Why do you have to go through all that stressful mumbling. You could just say NO diba.

Anyway, so I decided to just take the jeepney since I am left with no choice. Most tricycle drivers in that area would have the same reaction if I asked them and they would probably demand more than 50 pesos for the fare which I think is way too beyond the line. Anyway, upon arrival at Sumulong, I needed to be taken into somewhere specific. As in sa may looban na. Usually, the fare is 30 pesos, well no, not usually, ALWAYS. Because that's just the way it is for so many years now. And if they're gonna go beyond 30 pesos, it's gonna drive me insane because I have to pay that much everyday. Anyway, when I asked the tricycle driver in Blue Wave Mall (along Sumulong) to take me to that somewhere, he asked me how much I paid again, when I explained that I paid 30 pesos everyday, he then said it should be 40 pesos and gave me a lecture of how "Lugi" he would be if it were 30 pesos. And I know for sure that the fare hasn't been legally changed. So in order to get to where I am going, I needed to pay 10 pesos more. Which is ultimately annoying. Days before I asked a tricycle driver I personally know, if the fare has changed and he said no, it's still 30. I think there is a reason why the authorities aren't changing it. It's because, IT'S THE MOST SENSIBLE AMOUNT for both parties.

Although I did not remember the blue concepcion tricycle who ditched me on the road, I however remember crystal clear the Blue Wave Tricycle driver who swindled from me, it was a green tricycle marked with "STO. NINO" number 2819. Can't remember the TODA marking but.... To you Manong, and to all the tricycle drivers who would ask first, "Magkano binabayad mo?" then insist that the reasonable fair is a few pesos more than what we usually pay, SHAME ON YOU!