OUT OF ORDER

We’ve seen it in the bathrooms. In elevators. In escalators. I even saw that sign once, by a public stairwell. It made absolutely no sense but with an OUT OF ORDER sign, you never question it. It’s not working, and that’s a statement we all seem to quite easily comprehend: everything breaks down at one point or another.

I should have expected it, therefore, when it happened to me one innocent day.

As I was walking to the LRT2 station I noticed that there was a heavier than normal crowd of jeep/fx commuters on the streets. It should have been a sign that there was something unusual going on. But me, little old dense me, I ignored this strange phenomenon and continued walking until I reached the entrance to the station. When I got there, the grills were down, and there was a guard who seemed to be enjoying a newfound power as he shouted over a bullhorn.

“(crackle) Sira po ang tren dito, sa susunod na istasyon nalang po tayo sumakay… pasensya na po, sira ang tren… (crackle) ayan, may jeep, djan na kayo sumakay… sa susunod na istasyon nalang po… (crackle)”

The train was out of order.

I was late to work, and it was hot. When all the facts tied up – the crowd, the train, my tardiness - I could barely keep my cool. Immediately I planned out the quickest way to get out of this rut.

Okay, my usual route goes this way:
1. I board the LRT
2. Go down at Cubao and board the MRT
3. Go down, then I’ll get a jeep/fx/bus, depending on vehicular and traffic conditions, going to where I work.

So my step 1 was disrupted with this disorder. Even at the station there was a huge throng of people, so the chances of boarding a jeep or fx seemed tough due to competition. We all wanted to get outta there, but how?

Like an act of the highest angels of heaven, an empty jeep stopped right in front of me. I didn’t even ask where it was going – I just boarded, and so did 19 other people. The driver just went, “hanggang sa susunod na istasyon lang ho…”, meaning, he would just drive us to the next station, then it’s up to us how we get the hell to wherever we’re heading.

I paid my fare, and in a while we went zooming outta that mess, with that guard still dominating the irritated mass of desperation-on-foot with his bullhorn.

We all got down at the next station. My dilemma now was that I was one station away from the MRT, and I had a decision to make: how to get there.

Note:
Basic fare for LRT: P12.00
advantages: fast, clean, no pollution
Basic fare for jeep: P7.50
advantages: savings of P4.50!

Deciding to be a cheapskate, I took the jeep. I got to the MRT late, but what the heck, I already am, there’s no saving this morning. I rode the train, and before I knew it things were pretty much back to it’s normal routine.

I got to the office late, haggard, and sweaty, but yeah that’s normal too.

I sure hope the coffeemaker’s working.