I am a self-confessed wanderlust. Most people today would dream to acquire wealth and riches but not me. Well of course, I have to have money to sustain my needs (and some wants) but not those insanely huge figures. Anyway, this is not the topic of this post today. The topic is about my experience and realizations last weekend when I went to Cebu to visit my closest college and high school friends whom mostly I have not seen for almost two years. It's been that long since two weeks after our graduation, I flew directly to Manila to find my 'fate', well technically to find a job. And ever since then, I haven't got to see them as we were all busy making a living in the 'real world'.

My Tampered Bus Ticket

Hello friends! How's your day been? Mine actually didn't started well as I have this very frustrating experience which I will share with you today. This is actually regarding my experience with a certain conductor in a Green Star bus I rode from San Juan to EDSA Ortigas earlier this morning. 

The story goes like this:

I waited for a bus around 7:40AM at Pinaglabanan. Along came this Green Star bus with plate number UVK-468. I boarded, sat and waited for the conductor to take my fare. Everything was usual, me giving the money and this kuya conductor giving me the change and the ticket. I have this habit of checking if the value of the ticket is exact so after a few moments I went on to check the ticket he gave. At first glance, one will find it normal as the big 12.00B is very much readable. We only pay the minimum for the trip so I thought nothing's wrong.  However, I was quite uneasy with the it because it was a little crampled and I saw folded lines already. New tickets are usually smooth and firm. I took a second hard look and voila! Just as my instinct dictated, the ticket was really tampered. If you look at the picture below, you will find the words "TWO PESOS" below 12.00B. I realized that the 12.00B was traced with a pink ballpen and the "1" in "12" was just handwritten. Pretty clever!

With the observations I made, I was firm with my decision to confront kuya conductor as I don't like the idea of us passengers paying right for our fare and not getting exact values for our tickets. That is really unfair you know. So, I waited for him to pass by again and when he did, I told him that the ticket he gave me was tampered because it only says TWO PESOS. You know what he just said, "12 pesos yan eh!", then walked past me hastily. He just literally brushed me off! With his actions, I knew he was guilty - guilty of cheating me, his past victims and even his mother company. I know this is not the first time he did this to his passengers and most people would not notice if they don't bother enough to check if their tickets are valid and not tampered. 

Before alighting the bus, I talked to him again, showing the ticket and told him "Two pesos lang to kuya. Irereklamo kita.". Then I continued to walk but I made sure to take a look at the bus' plate number (so I was able to mention it above). Ha! You think I will not stand up against this trickery huh? Well, this post is my protest.

Php 12.00 maybe just a small amount but if we always let this small act of cheating go unnoticed and these people not reprimanded, it will surely create more trouble in the future. Remember the left and right news about corruption in our country today? Well these kinds of actions are precursors. I'm not trying to be righteous here. All I just want is to remind all of us that honesty is still the best policy. If we can't be honest on small things, how much more with the big ones?

As for you kuya conductor, I hope you will realize one day how wrong your actions are. You didn't only cheated, you also lied. Just deny and deny eh? I feel so sorry for you. I'm really annoyed and I will not hide that.

P.S. I'm so sorry Green Star if I have to mention you. For sure not all of your conductors are as bad as this one but I hope you always instill the value to honesty in you workers. And it's not just me that was cheated here, you were surely cheated also. :)

Mantra: Speak Words of Kindness

Growing up, I have become very much quick-tempered. I get angry easily even on small matters like messy beds and dusty floors. I usually express my frustration and impatience through anger that leads me to hurt those people I value with the very words that come from my mouth. Mind you, I can be very harsh when I get angry even up to the point of cursing already. And as the saying goes, regrets come last. Whatever I say, I can never take back the damage if it's already done.

Thus, I come to a resolve - to practice this mantra: SPEAK WORDS OF KINDNESS. I've been telling myself this over and over since last Sunday after hearing a beautiful homily in the church. Instead of getting angry immediately, I try to take a deep okay, very deep breath - inhale exhale; then I remind myself of my said mantra. By this, I am taming and reminding myself to be careful in my words. I know incorporating this in my being will take a lot of time but I will try my very best to better myself.

I would like to share this with all of you too. Always speak words of kindness my friends because if we  allow goodness to reign in our words, we can make this world a better place for all of us in one way or another. Now let's start it with our very own words.

God bless us all! :)