One ritual I do the night before my weekend commute is to stay up late… so I‘d sleep most of the way and wake up just in time at my destination. A lot has changed when it comes to added value-services from bus companies. The crooked V (Victory Liner) now more appropriate as the glutton V due to non-reduction of fares even though the price of oil per barrel is now below $40/barrel, has made some improvements with regards to riding comfort and on-board entertainment though not all of their buses. The following are some of the things I do to pass the time for the long journey and some are observations of fellow commuters.
On-board AV
Movie experience inside the bus has improved from Betamax and VHS formats to VCD and DVD. And if the Optical Media Board would shift their campaign to targeting those who patronize pirated material, they’ll have their hands full with city and provincial buses. For a “probinsyano,” we are at the epitome of commuting if we get the chance to ride those top of the line Hyundai “Universe” coaches of the glutton V which dropped the conventional CRT TV in favor of LCD TV (though I wished they could have pushed the envelope and opted for a much larger screen). The audio component is short of those experienced from surround systems, but viewing movies is fairly satisfying even if you’re situated at the back of the bus unlike before where the sound most of the time fails to reach the back of the bus. Improvements are still needed though. I know that it’s a long shot before we see small LCD screens for each passenger like those in modern/pimped automobiles but they could at least provide ear phone jacks for each passenger like those found in airliners for better sound quality… just bring your own earphones. The downside to this boredom fix is when the conductor runs out of movies to play and resort to concert DVDs, which are still pirated material. Somehow it signals karaoke time to overzealous passengers whom most of the time sings out of tune and should they be carried away… have a sleepless journey ahead.
Kitiki-TXT
The cell phone, one of the 21st century’s greatest gadgets, have evolved into “the all-in-one” entertainment system. And with telecom companies providing 24/7 unlimited promos, keypad erasing button bashers can text or even call whomever they want from the time they board the bus until they disembark. Time flew like the wind but with a sore thumb or burnt ear if you don’t have a Bluetooth earpiece. But that is just one facet of what a cell phone can do, I remember going to Baguio when my sleep was cut short (yeah… I’m a sleeper!) by the noise of a showboating Nokia N-Gage owner playing at full volume plus the annoying chat with the curious seatmate.
Sony PSP
They’re everywhere!!! When I was still hooked on the Playstation mania, the product’s arrival is imminent as mobile gaming is no longer for kids and their cutesy Nintendo’s. But I really thought the Sony PSP would not succeed in the Philippines, which is a haven for pirates, due to the introduction of the Universal Media Disc (UMD). It was a well thought out scheme if not for its Achilles heel, the teeny weenie USB port. With some tweaking, games can now be downloaded from the Internet and loaded to the PSP via the USB port. Anyway, I was really amazed on how the Philippine market embraced the PSP. Every time I ride a public transport, kids and even adults can be seen playing one and I marvel at how they do it because to some… sudden starts and stops of the bus with your eyes focused on your PSP… can be nauseating.
A good book
I remember reading Da Vinci Code years ago while on a bus and I finished sizeable chunks of the book without boring my self to sleep. But I seldom do this now as it somehow affects ones eyesight and may cause unpleasant circumstances like those with gaming gadgets.
Apple iPod
High-end and medium range cell phones are personal music players too but it did not happen overnight without the emergence of MP3. MP3 players at first were not that good and appealing but as technology improved and Apple took notice, MP3 players got reinvented and are now popularly known as “iPod.” I find my puny iPod Shuffle very helpful in accompanying me with trips, it may not have a colored screen where one can watch movies, but it does the trick. Sound quality is not bad as it can equally match with my Sony Mini Disc which I no longer use and which I recently realized was an overly hyped and overpriced piece of mechanical audio gadget. My iPod shuffle is my savior/last resort in having a peaceful commute. When I don’t like the movie being played or already watched it… I don’t have a PSP… or there’s a wanna be American Idol contender, it’s time to push the play button.
