Trip management
Alex @ July 6, 2008 | | News | Comments (0)
Premium gasoline is at Php 60+ and it’s a killer. Dealing with it does entail a lot of planning and trip management. That’s why I’m splitting my time between being a pedestrian and a motorist.
I only use the car about thrice a week whenever I have to go to UP and other errands located near our home. I spend around Php 120 for gas for day out going to UP and back. Not bad at all, since getting a “special” trike ride costs Php 50 one-way. (And you really have to if you don’t want to get your balls crushed or contract gonorrhea from your fellow passengers given the proximity and the unavoidable skin-to-skin contact.) Add I still have to take two more jeepney rides to get to UP. Bringing the car also gives me all the confidence in the world to lug my laptop and my camera around. I just can’t risk those given that every other pedestrian you encounter along Commonwealth Avenue is a mugger. That’s also just a one-way taxi ride. So Php 120 is worth it.
However, for longer trips (outside a 12 Km radius from our house), public transport has now become an option. Like yesterday, I needed to go to Gateway for me and the Dearest’s bi-monthly day out. While Gateway isn’t really that far, the car could easily consume around Php250 worth of gasoline going to and from the mall. Add the parking fee (which, coincidentally was a flat rate of Php 40 because of the UAAP opening) and that would easily take up nearly Php 300. Commuting would have me take a trike ride (Php 50) and a jeepney ride (Php 15) to get to Araneta Center. No more worries about parking. Two-way, that’s just a relatively cheap Php 130.
Inflation is up by a whopping 11.4% and yet salaries aren’t increasing (In fact, I even forfeited the UP Centennial Bonus because I quit teaching full-time). The times call for smart measures and that definitely included doing the math before stepping out of the house.
Oh boy, you just got to think of how the rest of the population is surviving. Tough.
