Weekend Commuter Chronicles 003: On-board Entertainment

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 21^st 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.

Weekend Commuter Chronicles 002: Halleluiah!!!

It didn’t rain for last weekends commute to Manila but surprisingly, the crooked policy of the crooked V changed! I don’t know if it’s official and I’m not sure if it’s back to normal for good but they started leaving the air conditioning or maybe just the blower on while on stopover in Pampanga. I didn’t bother to talk to the conductor because they might realize they just forgot to turn off the air conditioning on my trip to Manila. But on my return trip, they really left the air conditioning on or again… maybe just the blower.

It’s a welcome development even if it’s just the blower as the weather last weekend was the usual hot humid tropical Philippines. With the price of diesel going down plus the expected 5 pesos rollback in September (if the worldwide price continues to drop), I expect the crooked V to permanently revert to its original operating procedures. And maybe, even a rollback on the ride fee!

It’s weekend again, should I still wish for the rain to come?

Victory Liner: Health Risk!

It’s been a month since I started spending weekends in Manila.  Bus fare going from Iba, Zambales to Manila is now at 330 pesos, a very high price compared to bus fares three months before. Did the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) approve the increase?  But taking public transports is still the choice over using ones car especially with the current fuel prices.  Victory Liner is the only bus company plying the Zambales route.  It’s been that way since I was a kid even in the days when my parents went to college in Manila.  It’s a virtual monopoly practiced by owners of transport companies that have intermarried to form a cartel like organization that selects areas to operate avoiding competition.

 

I used to brag to my friends that compared to other bus companies whose service I’ve tried, Victory Liner is way better.  But lately, due to rising fuel prices, the quality of service have gone from better to worst.  First time I rode the bus last month; I noticed that they tend to turn off the air conditioning at a stop over in Pampanga.  According to the driver, it’s a new company policy and if we have issues we should complain to their supervisor.  It’s a good idea since turning off the air conditioning and at the same time the engine saves a lot of fuel and reduces carbon monoxide emissions… hence, save the planet!  When they restart the air conditioning system of the bus though, the rest of the journey to Manila is considerably hot.  The other times I rode the bus, luckily it was raining and it somehow helped in keeping the temperature cool inside the bus.  On a recent trip on my home from Manila, I immediately talked to the conductor as the bus left the terminal.  I asked him if the air conditioning system could get any more cooler because I suspect that they are only allowed to set the air conditioning system at a specified level.  He said that “it’s company policy” and they can’t do anything about it and of course you do not argue with the people that’s supposed to move you from one place to another.  Take your complaint to the bus company!  A co-passenger who overheard my little chat with the conductor agreed with my observation and relayed his dismay at the so called “company policy.”  He said, usually buses starts their air conditioning system way before the departure time at the terminal to cool the insides of the bus.  Unfortunately now, they just open the air conditioning when the bus is about to leave.  Imagine the combined temperature of human bodies that would occupy the bus, he added.  If the normal body temperature is at 36.8 °C ± 0.7 °C, multiply that with the number of passengers plus the inside temperature of the bus… that’s a lot of heat!  My co-passenger talked with the supervisor at the stop over in Pampanga and was given the number of Victory Liner’s “customer care” and according to the supervisor; Victory Liner already received a lot of complaints. 

 

Obviously it’s not only us passengers who gets to suffer from a “hot” air-conditioned bus, even the drivers and conductors.  All I do is sit, they get to drive and walk up and down the aisle to attend to passengers.  I don’t get to spend much energy compared to them hence I produce less heat.  Although I believe I have recurring colds every weekend, I pity Victory Liners front line soldiers.  They get to do their jobs, but the owner doesn’t care about their health.  Sooner or later, all of them would get sick paralyzing operations and the company’s income. 

I hope the company policy gets changed before Saturday, as I’d be going to Manila again. 

 

At 330 pesos a ride, I hope I’d get the soothing cool service I paid for.