Pure Ranting: Those Swindling FX Driver

I hate commuting. I hate riding buses and FX (jeep) but I bear with it cuz if I don't then I'd be forced to walk and if there's one thing I absolutely hate doing, it's walking. But you know what I hate the most? When FX drivers try to cheat you off your 10 pesos every once in a while.

You know what I'm talking about, you ride an FX, you give Mr.Driver 20 pesos cuz you have no change and you know the exact fare from your office to your house is only ten pesos. Which means you can expect that this guy will give you 10 pesos as your change, right?

Problem is, Mr. Smooth-Criminal thinks you're a spineless tiny girl who can't do basic math inside your head and gives you 5 pesos as your change, therefore effectively weasling 5 pesos right under your very nose. Clever, is it not? Only if the victim is retarded.


Anyways, it happened again this morning. I'm idly riding this FX and handed my 20 bucks, expecting 10 bucks in return. I got 5 instead. I actually felt bad that I have to point it out cuz whenever I do it, I get these strange looks from my fellow passengers. The kind of look that sez I'm being a bitch over a measly coin or that I'm even more desperate than the driver for my change. Fuck it, I want my ten pesos. Ten pesos means 5 Marlboro sticks. I want my smokes. I. Want.

Not long ago, I'd point it out without sounding condescending. There was this time, perhaps, six months ago when I was even pleasant about it. Too pleasant that Mr. Driver actually gathered up the balls to lie about it (usually they pretend that they gave the wrong change or something) and said "Tumaas na po ang pamasahe eh" (there was a rise on the usual fare)

Which got into my nerves since I know damn well he's lying. Here I was being nice about this little "misunderstanding" and he actually had the guts to lie (that's what you get for being nice and shit nowadays)

I snapped back "Ah talaga? Wala akong nabalitaan sa news kagabi. Di ba may taripa dapat kung tumaas ang pamasahe?!" (Is that right? I watched the news last night and there were no mention of anything like that. I think the government even issues tariffs whenever there's an adjustment of the usual fare, right?) Then finish off with a probing
You-Good-For-Nothing-Fucking-Douche-Bag-You-LIE-Gimme-My-Money kind of look.

He grumpily (the nerve) gave me the right change and muttered something under his breath. Then I got "The Weird Look" from people around me.

It's absolutely infuriating. Why do they even try? My best guess is that some *coughspinelesscough* people either thinks that A), "Oh well, it's just 10 pesos. I'm so fucking rich I need no ten pesos... plus the guy looks scary as shit" or B) "Oh well, looks like he needs it more than I do. I'll do it for charity cuz Jesus would approve... ?"

I do know some people who tolerate this kind of shit. When asked, most of them thinks, "Mr. Driver went as far as swindling money so it means he's that desperate. Besides, it's just ten pesos, I usually let it go."

To which I'd typically respond "Do you realize that by walking away and letting him do what he did, you're actually the one responsible for this man's wrong doing? You're The Enabler" Then they'd be struck dumb or get offended and say "No, you're just too greedy for your own good"

Now see, greed has nothing to do with it, although l'd be the first to admit that I am in fact, a very greedy person by nature. But I'd rather be greedy that to just standing there, mutely letting a stranger swindle 10 pesos out of my hard-earned money. Money. Hard-Earned MONEY. I sure as hell will not tolerate this crappy shit and nobody will make me feel bad about taking what's rightfully mine.

Anyways, what happened this morning was the same exact scenario, except this guy has half the right mind to keep his pie-hole shut from spitting outright lies. I stared at my 5 peso coin with utter dismay and said:

Manong, bakit 5 pesos lang sukli ko? Eh di ba mula C5 hanggang Centerpoint, 10 pesos lang? (How come I only got 5 pesos when the fare from C5 to Centerpoint is only 10 pesos?)

He then pretends to forget that I just got there and hurriedly gave me the right change, no questions asked. I get a bit annoyed and couldn't help but muttered "mali pa ibibigay mo, tarantado" (Giving me the wrong change? Jackass. I don't know what tarantado is in english hahahhahah)

My fellow passenger must've heard me cuz I gots dem weird looks again...