[QUOTE=Forest;1198605]Someone should start a new thread on "Manila taxis"![/QUOTE]Sounds like a good idea!
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[QUOTE=Forest;1198605]Someone should start a new thread on "Manila taxis"![/QUOTE]Sounds like a good idea!
[QUOTE=Cunning Stunt;1198644]Sounds like a good idea![/QUOTE]Hopefully we can keep the thread focused on giving directions and advising how to have good travel experiences rather than descending into arguments about the trustworthiness of Manila taxi drivers. Here's my contribution: using the light rail system.
I remember before I had arrived in Manila the first time in 2006 I lurked on another forum (which is now only in archives) for about three months gobbling up all I could learn about mongering haunts and tactics. I'd printed out a couple of very helpful posts that told where to find the EDSA Complex and LA Cafe. LA appealed to me, and I had an approximate address and knew names of a few of the nearby monger hotels, but I knew I'the be working in Quezon City and really did not have a sense about how to get from Quezon City to LA Cafe.
I arrived for a 5-month visit, got tied into a routine at work, and had been steered toward lodging near work. I'd found a National Bookstore close to my place and purchased a great little Metro Manila Citiatlas there for about 250 pesos. One of the best expenditures I ever made. I recommend it for anybody planning to be in Manila for more than a few days.
By the first weekend my glands had overpowered my brains. Between my Citiatlas and some monger's posting of phone numbers I figured out Las Palmas Hotel was near LAC and managed to make a Saturday night reservation. It was easy enough getting a cab to take me there, although I think I may have had to tell him it was on Mabini near Ermita. That fateful step began my addiction to young, thin, brown-skinned women. By the second weekend I'd figured out how to use the LRT (Light rail) and almost ceased needing taxis to aid the addiction. I continue to use the LRT whenever I can.
A few years ago the Philippine Daily Inquirer conducted a little travel experiment. It sent out three pairs of reporters on three or four point A to point B journeys. One team traveled only by jeepneys, a second went only by taxi, and a third went by LRT. For all the journeys the LRT team made it to point B in about half the time of the taxi team. The jeepney team took nearly twice as much time as the taxi team.
In the intervening years the light rails have gotten more crowded, but for anybody willing to put up with a little crowding (probably no worse than Seoul or Tokyo) , they're still faster. One rainy afternoon this June my squeeze walked a 17-year old friend from our hotel to the corner of Taft and UN Avenue. It was about 4 pm. She coaxed her to take the LRT North to Monumento where she lives (3. 5 to 4 miles—6. 5 km) , but the SYT was not familiar with the LRT and was afraid she'the miss her stop. She insisted on taking a jeepney. She did not get home until after 9 pm, and an angry mother blamed my squeeze. It seems the roads were flooded throughout Manila and Caloocan City and jeepneys could only sit and wait. Taxis weren't getting through either. But the LRT, since it's elevated, would have been a 20 to 30 minute ride to Monumento.
There are currently three lines that cover various routes. LRT 1, the oldest, runs from Baclaran, just north of the airport, North to Monumento where EDSA (Epifanio delos Santos Avenue) ends in Caloocan. It is elevated above Taft Avenue for much of the route. The second oldest line, MRT, connects to LRT 1 at the corner of Taft and EDSA. It makes a big loop eastward and then north along the route of EDSA, ending in Quezon City beside Trinoma Mall. LRT 1 has recently been extended East along EDSA to two further stations. It is scheduled to connect to the end of the MRT line at Trinoma in early 2012. A third line, LRT 2, is the newest, extending from Recto (Quiapo area of Manila City) eastward through parts of Manila, San Juan, Quezon City, and Marikina, and ending on the boundary of Marikina and Pasig City at Santolan. Passengers can connect to LRT 1 via a walkway at the Recto end, and to MRT in Cubao (Quezon City) by walking through two shopping malls. LRT 2 is wider, has excellent air conditioning, disabled access stations, and fewer passengers. Built by Hyundai, it is faster and smoother than either of the others.
The light rail has some disadvantages. They're usually crowded early mornings and evenings from about 5 to 8:30 with people going to and from work and universities. Westerners need to give up their discomfort about spatial distance from strangers. Fortunately, most Filipinos are quite hygiene conscious, and some occasional jostling against a young Filipina sometimes has its own rewards. In tight quarters there is potential for pickpocketing and pack slashing. When I get into crowded areas in the station or the train, I put my small backpack to the chest side and wrap my arms around it. Money goes either in a money belt under the shirt or with other valuables in a pack compartment closest to my chest. Luggage is not supposed to be carried on the train, but I've seen locals actually carry roosters in a wire cage and other bulky items. Finally, the trains don't go everywhere, and they only run from about 6 am until 10 pm. Some stations' ticket offices close at 9, so a multiple ride ticket avoids that problem and cuts down on waiting in lines.
Anybody planning to stay in Metro Manila for at least a week and thinking about traveling around the area can learn the system quite easily. The route maps are available online and on most city maps, and the stations, overhead except for a couple in Makati and one on LRT 2, are well marked and easy to spot. Most fares top out at 15 pesos, with the fare to and from the extended Northeast terminus of LRT 1 now at about 20 or 22 pesos.
[quote=skip kost; 1198821]. snip. .
in the intervening years the light rails have gotten more crowded, but for anybody willing to put up with a little crowding (probably no worse than seoul or tokyo) , they're still faster. .
anybody planning to stay in metro manila for at least a week and thinking about traveling around the area can learn the system quite easily. the route maps are available online and on most city maps, and the stations, overhead except for a couple in makati and one on lrt 2, are well marked and easy to spot. most fares top out at 15 pesos, with the fare to and from the extended northeast terminus of lrt 1 now at about 20 or 22 pesos.[/quote]extremely useful and detailed post skip but i think you downplayed the "crowding" aspect somewhat.
i try to ride the mrt from ortigas to ayala stations around 3 times each week for work purposes.
between 7. 15 am and 10am and from around 4. 00pm to 9 pm it is almost impossible to even get aboard the trains if you try to board in ortigas or ayala because they are jam packed. you also need to know which side your exiting door will open so that you can be near to it to get out before it closes.
i use the mrt only if i can board before 7 am, between around 10am and 3 pm, or later after around 9pm.
it is nothing like the mtr in hong kong or singapore. it is small, crowded and ridiculously cheap so that everybody rides on the train instead of the hundreds of half-full buses that chug up and down edsa.
while your points about speed and efficiency are well-made and correct, potential mrt users need to know that riding in peak times can be very very frustrating.
Yup, second that. A good report on the dreaded MRT and the much better LRT (hope I got that right!).
I must admit that I have largely given up on getting around Manila and except for the odd trips to Malate or Makati / Taguig, tend to stay in my own neck of the woods, whilst in town. When I find a new young friend online, I rather expect her to come to me rather than vicky verky. I am seldom disappointed as these girls are accustomed to wasting hours trailing around town on the woefully inadequate transport systems.
[quote=red kilt; 1198874]extremely useful and detailed post skip but i think you downplayed the "crowding" aspect somewhat.
i try to ride the mrt from ortigas to ayala stations around 3 times each week for work purposes.
between 7. 15 am and 10am and from around 4. 00pm to 9 pm it is almost impossible to even get aboard the trains if you try to board in ortigas or ayala because they are jam packed. you also need to know which side your exiting door will open so that you can be near to it to get out before it closes.
i use the mrt only if i can board before 7 am, between around 10am and 3 pm, or later after around 9pm.
it is nothing like the mtr in hong kong or singapore. it is small, crowded and ridiculously cheap so that everybody rides on the train instead of the hundreds of half-full buses that chug up and down edsa.
while your points about speed and efficiency are well-made and correct, potential mrt users need to know that riding in peak times can be very very frustrating.[/quote]last saturday week ago riding the mrt from ortigas to taft ave to get to moa quicker than could have happened by taxi, i had my smart cell phone stolen in the crush that happened around ayala. i knew from this forum that we foreigners are targeted on public transport but even with this knowledge and a very watchful eye i knew as soon as the crush had eased i had been done but had seen nothing but had felt an incredible crush on all sides. i am sure there was a team of more than one crushing me all around. by the way this was the first time i had used public transport within manila. many times taking buses to the provinces and used public transport or jeepneys in the provinces.
be careful.
p
For added fun, try taking a taxi from Ermita to an area more uphill, such as Makati. I enjoyed having water coming into the taxi, no doubt though the numerous holes in the floorboards (do we still call it "floorboards"?) , which were only barely covered by rubber floor mats. Its like getting a free foot bath while you ride! Just praying the car does not stall.
More seriously, during these small floods, one of those horse-drawn carriages you see in Ermita sometimes may be just the ticket. If I recall correctly, the carriage is about 3'+ above the street, and in a pinch, the horse can swim!
[QUOTE=Red Kilt;1198874]Extremely useful and detailed post Skip but I think you downplayed the "crowding" aspect somewhat.[/QUOTE]Maybe I've gone native. I have been known to travel in packed conditions. In the MRT section from Ayala to Cubao it is not unusual to wait through three or four trains to find one where there's minimal room to get on, and it is necessary to strategize your position near doors to be able to egress. But I confess I am not shy about pushing to get off. I suppose I will just be regarded as an ugly American. Actually I too avoid MRT for much of the weekday period you describe. The LRTs are less crowded, especially LRT 2. When I know I will be using more than one mode of transportation I try to plan to get on the LRT or MRT near the beginning of the line and get a seat right by a door. So getting on the MRT at the Taft Station is a much better bet than getting on at Ayala, and getting on at North Avenue headed south makes for easier travel. So I deliberately take a taxi or jeepney to the North Avenue station rather than to Quezon Avenue. Getting on the LRT 1 Northbound at Baclaran or EDSA or, heading southbound, getting on by Monumento or before makes it a lot easier to position yourself near a door. I always stand up from the seat just as the train leaves the station prior to my stop. People start moving to get my vacated seat and that creates a small vacuum that allows me to start moving toward the door. Some day I will ask what us old farts need for ID to be permitted to ride the first car with seniors and women.
[QUOTE=Jambo;1199078]More seriously, during these small floods, one of those horse-drawn carriages you see in Ermita sometimes may be just the ticket. If I recall correctly, the carriage is about 3'+ above the street, and in a pinch, the horse can swim![/QUOTE]Inquire about the price before you get aboard. I've heard some horror stories.
[QUOTE=Jambo;1199078]More seriously, during these small floods, one of those horse-drawn carriages you see in Ermita sometimes may be just the ticket. If I recall correctly, the carriage is about 3'+ above the street, and in a pinch, the horse can swim![/QUOTE]Reminds me of one of the funnier things that pops up around the city when streets start to flood. Sidewalks are higher than the street so usually allow you to get out of the water. Then you hit a break in the sidewalk, like a driveway break for some business, or perhaps you have to cross the street to another corner and just can't avoid the shin high water in the streets. So some enterprising Filipino shows up with a wooden fruit crate or a length of board and starts collecting tolls for pedestrians to use his board to cross the water.
[QUOTE=Skip Kost; 1199173]. .
When I know I will be using more than one mode of transportation I try to plan to get on the LRT or MRT near the beginning of the line and get a seat right by a door. So getting on the MRT at the Taft Station is a much better bet than getting on at Ayala, and getting on at North Avenue headed south makes for easier travel. So I deliberately take a taxi or jeepney to the North Avenue station rather than to Quezon Avenue. Getting on the LRT 1 Northbound at Baclaran or EDSA or, heading southbound, getting on by Monumento or before makes it a lot easier to position yourself near a door. I always stand up from the seat just as the train leaves the station prior to my stop. People start moving to get my vacated seat and that creates a small vacuum that allows me to start moving toward the door. Some day I will ask what us old farts need for I'd to be permitted to ride the first car with seniors and women.[/QUOTE]To those guys who think this discussion has nothing to do with pussy, let me just say that it can help you understand why girls are sometimes seriously delayed. If you plan to meet a DIA girl, you need to be aware of what time of the day and the route she will follow in order to meet you. I am always very specific in telling her what time to leave home if she wants to be on time because I KNOW how long it will take her.
Re your last post Skip. We obviously think alike.
Your strategies are exactly what I use when I need to return home to Ortigas from Ayala at busy times. I squeeze on at Ayala and head south to Taft Ave (end of the line) then stay on train and grab a position beside the exit door for the return trip. Longer trip but still the same price and also still much faster than a cab from Ayala along EDSA.
[QUOTE=Skip Kost;1199177]Reminds me of one of the funnier things that pops up around the city when streets start to flood. Sidewalks are higher than the street so usually allow you to get out of the water. Then you hit a break in the sidewalk, like a driveway break for some business, or perhaps you have to cross the street to another corner and just can't avoid the shin high water in the streets. So some enterprising Filipino shows up with a wooden fruit crate or a length of board and starts collecting tolls for pedestrians to use his board to cross the water.[/QUOTE]Yes, that always amuses me too. Taft Avenue and Pedro Gil always flood during heavy rain so the plank men do a roaring trade at this busy intersection. For the same reason pedicabs always cluster here when it's pissing down and charge 50 pesos + for the 500 metre trip to Robinsons Mall. They probably earn more in a hour than they would make in a day in dryer weather. However it can be a scary ride as these nutters race each other against the traffic on one-way Pedro Gil.
[QUOTE=Red Kilt;1199198]To those guys who think this discussion has nothing to do with pussy, let me just say that it can help you understand why girls are sometimes seriously delayed. If you plan to meet a DIA girl, you need to be aware of what time of the day and the route she will follow in order to meet you. I am always very specific in telling her what time to leave home if she wants to be on time because I KNOW how long it will take her.[/QUOTE]Traffic is not really the reason for delay. It is just that the girls think you are not going anywhere, so why the hurry? One girl told me when asked why she was so late is " why, are you going somewhere?"
They do not think much about schedules and timing. The whole country is like that.
[QUOTE=Sammon; 1199218]Traffic is not really the reason for delay. It is just that the girls think you are not going anywhere, so why the hurry? One girl told me when asked why she was so late is " why, are you going somewhere?"
They do not think much about schedules and timing. The whole country is like that.[/QUOTE]I have lived here long enough (14 years) to know this is just one of the lines they use Sam.
I said in my post that it is a reason why "some girls are seriously delayed" because they have no idea how long trips will take, especially if it is not a regular route for them. My post suggested that if you already accept and know that they will be late, then you take pro-active steps to try to minimise it upfront, which means telling them when to leave home.
We all know they will be late. I try to minimise how late they will be rather than complaining about it when it turns out that they live up to my expectations.
[QUOTE=Red Kilt; 1199231]I have lived here long enough (14 years) to know this is just one of the lines they use Sam.
I said in my post that it is a reason why "some girls are seriously delayed" because they have no idea how long trips will take, especially if it is not a regular route for them. My post suggested that if you already accept and know that they will be late, then you take pro-active steps to try to minimise it upfront, which means telling them when to leave home.
We all know they will be late. I try to minimise how late they will be rather than complaining about it when it turns out that they live up to my expectations.[/QUOTE]Welcome back Sir!
From my recent trip, Number 1 was on time even though it took 20 minutes to find her in Festival Mall.
Number 2 was 30 minutes late but she came from Las Pinas. And I was sitting in Rogues so no big problem.
Number 3 was exactly in right time right place in Market2.
Number 4 was exactly right time and place elsewhere in BGC.
Number 5 was 10 minutes late.
Number 6 was 1 hour late but she's always one late so I planned my sched accordingly.
Number 7 was exactly right time right place in Market 2.
So I guess we all get a mixed bag of results. If its first time to meet I do tell them they have a 30 minute window otherwise I walk (which has resulted in some " please sir I will do anything to make it up to you " comments LOL ). If its a repeat girl, then I always give her leeway.
Just lifted this off "Tripadvisor"
A great map showing the traffic on th main roads in MM.
[QUOTE]' Metro Manila Traffic Navigator '
Sep 20, 2011, 10:23 PM.
Traffic is one issue facing travellers while in Manila particularly along EDSA, Roxas Blvd. And the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). The Metro Manila Development Authority had just posted a traffic map of Manila's major thoroughfares where you can view traffic updates and advisories. The updates are updated every few mintues. More major roads will be added in the future. An app is also available for download on iPhones and iPads. I've started using it on my iPad and it's pretty cool and useful.
[url]www.mmdatraffic.interaksyon.com/system-view.php[/url][/QUOTE]