Manila

[D Cups]

Couple of pinoy guys my age were very happy and talkative outside Robinson's next to the Arya resto. As I passed by with my face mask on and face shield in hand, they stopped me. "Sir are you going in the mall?" Yes I am. "Sir you don't need that face shield anymore for inside". Really, that would be a first in a year's time. Thanks fellas. To put it to the test I kept the shield in my hand and not on my head as I entered. The guards said nothing. Others were doing the same. Everyone inside seemed to have a shield, but most were worn on top of their head, or in their hand, not on their face. Possibly this has to do with going to a less-strict Alert Level. Anyway its good news that things are getting back to normal.

Copy that, Westie. I think only ugly people like Trainwreck and his basement pal Reacharound should be wearing masks. But that is just my opinion. Hahahahahah.

[WestCoast1]

Couple of pinoy guys my age were very happy and talkative outside Robinson's next to the Arya resto. As I passed by with my face mask on and face shield in hand, they stopped me. "Sir are you going in the mall?" Yes I am. "Sir you don't need that face shield anymore for inside". Really, that would be a first in a year's time. Thanks fellas. To put it to the test I kept the shield in my hand and not on my head as I entered. The guards said nothing. Others were doing the same. Everyone inside seemed to have a shield, but most were worn on top of their head, or in their hand, not on their face. Possibly this has to do with going to a less-strict Alert Level. Anyway its good news that things are getting back to normal.

[WestCoast1]

Goodie time. Brought by a provider. Cute twiglet with a well-defined derriere. Narcissistic, likes watching herself in the mirror, likes watching herself have sex, and likes being photographed. Has brought me joy multiple times. The Philippine flag: Long may she wave.

[Steve Nash]

Grab is shady as F*k in Manila. This would NOT Be a PC post. Grab is run by a Chinese guy from Singapore. They have merely copied the concept from West UBER etc not the Principal behind it as usual everything is re-designed to add into "Asian Greed Index" which never ever crashes. With tech its EASIER to HIDE the GREED

I agree about their greed and their dishonesty.

I had argue with many taxi drivers and even some motorbikes too.

I think when it comes to taxi drivers and motobikes they do it to anybody not just foreigner also to Filipinos, I had argue with my GF and many of my friends why you put up with this, because they tell me they always do this they always try to over charge you even to local filipinos, I keep telling them is not about money because is just afew hundred pesos, is about their dishonesty and trying to rip you off. I have not problem giving them tips, I actually give tips to the honest ones because is hard to find honest taxi drivers.

I find this the most when they drop you to a short hotel or when they pick you up from a short hotel, taxi drivers will over charge you because they know you are bringing a girl to a short hotel because you are trying to hide her from someone, in my case from my GF and her friends, and for local filipinos hiding the girls from their wife or GF. No wonder short hotels are so popular in Philippines, because you can bring your mistress their.

So most drivers take advantage of that situation and always charge you alot, an extra fee for dropping you inside the short hotel or picking you up from there. When the extra fee is little I don't mind, but when they try to charge you alot, like twice as much as the taxi fee, I get piss, I even told drivers I'm not paying you double, I can pay you an extra fee but not double so some will say OK but I will drop you outside the short hotel not inside, so I say yeah I don't care. I even asked some drivers who were picking us up from the short hotel to go back and drop us back in the short hotel because I'm not paying their outrageous prices, most will lower it, one of them didn't so I force him to drive me back and drop me in the short hotel entrance. He wasn't far anyways.

Some girls will feel embarass at first but at the end they all understand my point of view when I explain them is not about the money is about why they want to take advantage of you, is about the principal and the moral.

I honestly feel bad for most foreigners who don't look like locals, I'm Latino so I will pass as Filipino easily, but the white ones or the black ones or the indians or the koreans, etc. I can see them getting rip-off more than locals, and paying the foreigner price sometimes instead of the filipino price.

[Starchild2012]

Grab is shady as F*k in Manila. This would NOT Be a PC post. Grab is run by a Chinese guy from Singapore. They have merely copied the concept from West UBER etc not the Principal behind it as usual everything is re-designed to add into "Asian Greed Index" which never ever crashes. With tech its EASIER to HIDE the GREED.

Being from India, It has become a norm in Manila but since its same as back home, it does not get into my nerves as it would be for a guy from West.

The problem is people "assume" since Asia has adopted western culture, they too would have Imported "Moral Principles" behind what makes west great. 90% of Asians think, west is all about Hip-Hop, Night Life, Hollywood and party all night, they do not understand, the REASON behind West Success is Rooted on Moral Principles. The difference between What is RIGHT and WRONG.

Asian society is still Tribal, instinctive, collective, Live for Today Society. We do not have the concept of REASON or What is RIGHT OR WROUNG. Greed is ingrained in people with IQ around 80 - You need a bit of higher IQ to reason what is right and be RATIONAL about a situation.

We have copied only the Superficial Aspects of West. Not its core principle of Reason and Being Moral. We do not see the way for example as WestCoast See it at a problem. We just want to Fulfill our Immediate Needs right now Ignoring the consequences of our actions which requires Higher IQ. WE LIVE FOR THE DAY.

When people from west "Follow Up" on a complaint in Asia. We have already forgotten about it and "Moved On" - Our Nervous system is surprised to see something being followed up from yesterday BUT when we have been shortchanged we take it as a PERSONAL INSULT and our Tribal Instinct Kick In and we make sure justice is served right there and then with violent consequences like how Tribal Society reacts.

Remember, there was no concept of JAIL in Asia, fair trial. Most Asian's when given power will abuse it and we excuse it by saying NOT ALL Not everyone is like that BUT the majority of people you will deal with in Asia are the ones that will get on your nerves. It all looks good in Asia, until when it comes to fair play.

When I'm in Pattaya I always visit only farang owned bars and restaurants and I never get "Funny bills" even when I'm fully drunk but I make sure a farang boss is around as soon as farang turn his back, the bar ladies would play the trick, In Manila they watch for my Drunk Stability Index before adding the Asian Greed Index Price to the bill.

The surprise is this has gotten far worse since tech was introduced in Asia, things have become corrupt even more in India now. India is now going back to draconian age with tech surveillance. Tyrants have taken over with mere skeleton of Democracy. Tech has given a faster way to make money and go back to tribal instinctive ways.

That is why China has become such a police state so fast than it already was, without a good credit score you cannot even travel outside in China. India is not far behind either. I can promise you being from Asia. Things will get FAR worse when tech is involved when you are dealing with Asians in Asia. I can see the gradual shift to darkness and tribal ways even more in India.

The easiest solution is to "Only Deal with Money You can afford to Lose" because you will lose especially in Plane Tickets, train Tickets, Bus tickets, Airbnb, Condo rent, Condo buying etc. Most of the time. It will not be as PROMISED. It takes forever to get refunds, your voice is even more buried now. We just HOPE You will forget or "GIVE UP" - We do not understand why a farang fights for few pesos is based on his PRINCIPLES not about Money. When you return to Asia after two years of lockdown. You will be surprised that you are now losing even more than before. People are now more desperate + tribal instinct is at an all time high. Survival has kicked in and when a tribal is in a survival mode. Always have your guard up.

Jayant Bhandari has better analysis on West vs The Rest.

Just BE CAREFUL on your Next Trip to Asia. This may sound over exaggeration or racist etc but if you have high moral principle and you were raised a certain way, be ready to be even more surprised.

[Free2]

Hi,

Really miss Manila as my last trip is Nov 2018 just months before the COVID.

Not sure when I can travel there again.

I hear you, brother. I was lucky enough to leave Manila after 3 weeks early March 2020, my flight home was changed. I got out of there in the nick of time but I'm happy to realize that it literally is the most recent I could've gone!

[OwnAgeSex]

Hi,

Really miss Manila as my last trip is Nov 2018 just months before the COVID.

Not sure when I can travel there again.

[WestCoast1]

I find WestCoast1's reporting about Grab pricing and customer service informative. SNIP For me, it shows how information is hidden and manipulated, to screw the passenger. Compared to other topics in Manila thread, I find his posts accurate and news-I-can-use.

Pinga 98 for ISG President!

[Pinga 98]

I find WestCoast1's reporting about Grab pricing and customer service informative. We assume that the dawn of digital age makes things transparent and temper-proof. To the contrary, WestCoast1 shows how Grab drivers and the platform deceives customers. As a frequent user of Grab service, I am amazed by his dogged information seeking, analysis and reporting. For some, his report may be a long story about "pennies". For me, it shows how information is hidden and manipulated, to screw the passenger. Compared to other topics in Manila thread, I find his posts accurate and news-I-can-use.

[MamaGuevos]

Apology gents. I don't see a taxi section, but maybe 'Stupid Sh*t' would have been a better place. Enough of the taxi for now.

The section was dropped years ago, but Westies contributions keep rolling in. He deserves praise for being one of the most informative members on the ISG, not to mention that he set me up with two amazing Filipinas about 8 years ago. So, Westie, please do not stop contributing.

[Locamotive]

You might want to strategize a sugar daddy-sugar baby arrangement, but I believe it's not cheap. Rep. Matt Gaetz might have some useful digits, but he's probably holding them very close right now as the investigation scales up.

True. Better safer and cheaper in the long. Run to just wait for Asia to open. I've not had a American woman in 15 years and from what I've seen lately plus what it would cost ST and the hassle and maybe prosecution. I can wait.

[WestCoast1]

I have to agree with Sammon. Several years ago there was a running blog solely devoted to the topic of taxis. I propose that we should go back to that and keep taxi issues out of the Manila section of the ISG.

Apology gents. I don't see a taxi section, but maybe 'Stupid Sh*t' would have been a better place. Enough of the taxi for now.

[Soapy Smith]

The $1,500/2 k USD hookers are not worth that kind of money. But if you don't mind Asians, they are available in every city in the US at a reasonable price.

I agree with Lefu's point, but in the city where I live, population about 250 K, you can get a massage, table shower and handshake for about $150. If you want the full menu, you need to go to a larger city, a drive of at least two hours for me. And then prices are going to be somewhere between $200 and $300. There are online offerings in my town for that price range, but they're not Asian, and there are significant risks of disease and police entrapment.

[Soapy Smith]

Several years ago there was a running blog solely devoted to the topic of taxis. I propose that we should go back to that and keep taxi issues out of the Manila section of the ISG.

I suspect there's a reason that blog / thread died: it's a topic that ebbs and flows, not one that continues at a steady pace. I have posted taxi stories in the past, but we had an expat in the forum, an Australian I think, long in the tooth like me, who flamed me and others who posted about taxi problems, insisting that if he didn't experience problems, others must be exaggerating. He reported a story from the news about a new LTFRB Director appointed by then President Noynoy Aquino. Some cab driver tried to cheat him on a fare and he had the guy drive him to LFTRB headquarters, walked the guy inside, and pulled his commercial driving license. Our expat insisted that this guy was going to clean up all the presumed taxi problems. Yet here is Westie, eight or ten years later, describing persistent Grab and taxi problems.

Simply stated, one government official is not going to change these taxi driver behaviors. These problems are embedded in systems and in the culture, and they're so taken-for-granted by average Filipinos that they're almost impossible to raise to the surface and reform.

I think Westie's point is to illustrate that these problems are now related to covid, and specifically that taxi and Grab meters are nearly impossible to monitor because of the new plexiglass shields in cabs. I have read about a paragraph into Westie's Grab and taxi posts, get the gist of the problem, and then move to other posts. But I'm not ready to throw in the towel on these posts because, for those of us focused on covid in the Philippines, they are informative. To me, at least.

[Lefeu]

Hahahahahahaha. You are obviously not in USA, a man here over 50 can forget it. Do we have hookers here sure, but what I've seen they would have to pay me. Only hot comparable girls I've seen here was in Vegas and those girls were 1500 to 2000 dollars, they are insane. Younger college types does that happen maybe but if your older and approach them they are likely to call the police. So yes traveling to Asia is money well spent, this country is crap. 18 months now and still waiting. If by some miracle you are in US and there is a place in this country where this is possible, please, please provide location and I will get there.

The $1,500/2 k USD hookers are not worth that kind of money. But if you don't mind Asians, they are available in every city in the US at a reasonable price.