Etiquette and the people you don’t want to meet on the MRT

BY: Alexander Villafania

Other than EDSA, the Metro Rail Transit – 3 (MRT) is the next busiest transport system in the Philippines. Nearly half a million people use the MRT daily and with the trains almost full almost every hour of the day, the chances of meeting a strange person is extremely high.
Here are some examples of people you don’t want to meet in any of the crowded trains in Metro Manila:

The Crazed Addict – For whatever reason, this is the person you’d most hate to be riding with in a train. The crazy addict would tend to mumble or talk a lot of nonsense and even argue about anyone he thinks is sneering at him. The hard part is when this type of person suddenly becomes physically violent. Watch an example of this type of person in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWjsXcTFOnc)

The Preacher – Buses are no longer the domain of religious fanatics who preach the Bible to passengers. These types of persons are still rarely seen in metro trains. Sadly, even the load sound of the train traveling on metal tracks isn’t enough to drown out the sound of these people who scream at the top of their voice in order to let everyone in the train cab hear the Word of God. An example of the preacher is found in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qILldqRKnZc).

The Glutton – There are reasons why eating is prohibited in trains and they’re almost always related to trash and also the odor of food in a crowded, air conditioned train. Even in small amounts, it’s not ethical to eat inside trains. If everyone does it, imagine the leftovers, the trash, and the smell of the train. One instance is this couple (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njzDs4EJOGw) eating a rice bowl inside a crowded MRT cab.

The Talker – People using mobile phones tend to speak louder than normal, which is acceptable if they’re in wide open spaces. But think about what other passengers in a train would be thinking when they hear you speak loudly about your life story to someone else on the other line. While other people wouldn’t mind, it’s still annoying for others. Now, imagine a vulgar passenger spewing profanities at someone on the phone, like this woman during a train ride (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCgQd1ZdNQI). Now that would be really annoying.

The Smooch -- It’s okay for couples to show how much they’re in love by giving a smack or two but what if it becomes too much that it’s no longer a tender kiss but a full-blown make out session? Yes, these couples can say they’re just being in love but we’re still in a country where the most often comment in seeing such people is “get a room.” But what if the make out session is between two guys (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g_X95BEaoI) like these two?

The Smelly – Passengers with bad odor is fairly common in train rides, especially during rush hour in the morning and late afternoon. Due the Philippines’ constant humidity, the odor of tired, sweaty people can become overpowering. Add to the problem of crowding and the absence of air conditioning, people could literally lose consciousness when the odor becomes too much.

The Bully – There are people who think they require more space inside the train than everyone else so they push others aside in order to get more space. They complain about feeling suffocated and would let everyone hear it. There is no reasoning with these people and even if someone tries to tell them to get off the train and take a cab (which is actually the best recourse for these bullies), those who intervene would only get a dose of screams and curses.

Riding the MRT will always be a challenge especially in a city where everyone would want to have a faster and relatively safer way of traveling along EDSA. Needless to say, people must still practice some etiquette if they want to remain satisfied in taking one of the busiest modes of transport in Metro Manila.

Follow the basic guidelines in the MRT – This means no eating, no smoking, no pushing and definitely no bringing of prohibited items such as drugs, guns, and knives in trains. Also do not ride when under the influence of alcohol. While most drunk people forget this, persons who see someone intoxicated are advised to take it to guards in every station.

Give way to others – There’s a reason why certain areas in a train cab do not have seats; these are reserved for disabled people on wheelchairs. There are also areas reserved for the elderly, pregnant women, and other types of disabled people. It does not matter if you’re tired, these people are in more sensitive situations than you are so give way.

Respect authority and facility – People do get angry when taking the MRT especially when their items have to be checked. No matter how insignificant the security checkpoints are when entering train stations, passengers have to accept this fact. People also have to avoid damaging equipment and facilities inside the MRT in many cases, the automatic door mechanisms get damaged when the doors do not operate when people forcibly open them.

Respect others – No matter how despicable others are, it’s still best to be nice. A long day at work is stressful. Don’t add anymore to your stress.