Manila - Flood, Traffic and Cabbies

I’m here in Manila since yesterday. I’m again expecting traffic, meetings and floods. With today’s outpouring, I’m sure the Manila streets will be flooded again today and in the next few days. Good thing we left the hotel early. We avoided the traffic and the flood. But I hope I won’t be stuck here. I have to go back to Cebu this Saturday to celebrate my birthday.

This morning we met an honest cabbie. Honest enough to tell us that his meter is not working properly and that we should only pay for the usual fare in our destination. I told him that from Malate to Paranaque, my fare is usually P150 though the meter reads only around 120-140 pesos. He agreed. He added that he informs his passenger beforehand about his defective meter to avoid arguments. But I told him that there is also the possibility that others could be fooled, so he’d better have his meter fixed asap. He said that he’ll do that once he has the funds.

In our conversation, I noticed his Bisayan tone. I was also trying hard to speak fluent Tagalog. We kept on pretending until he heard my companions speak Bisaya. He admitted that he’s Cebuano too. When we reached our destination, his meter reads P210. But I gave him the agreed fare, plus a little tip. No arguments there.