In Manila, warnings about the dangers of riding a taxi are hardwired into the brains of the public, but sometimes,drivers get harassed and abused too.
In a long, heartfelt Facebook post, Univerity of the Philippines graduate Glaidale Galvez Hibaya shared how her dad encountered passengers who didn’t treat him well.
She said her dad has been tricked several times in his 25-year career. There were passengers who didn’t pay up or paid him using fake money.
She detailed a recent incident where her dad drove all the way to Alabang, and the passenger failed to pay him the PHP400 metered fare.
“Ganun talaga eh, mababa kasi tingin nila [mga pasahero] samin [mga driver],” said Hibaya’s father when he came home after a 15-hour duty.
(That’s just how it is. Passengers belittle us drivers.)
The statement struck a chord. Hibaya shared that her father keeps her graduation picture on the dashboard of his car to keep him inspired while working.
Hibaya called on the public to be responsible commuters. She highlighted the sacrifices that drivers have to make in order to make ends meet.
In a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Hibaya said that she didn’t expect the post to go viral.
As of writing, it has now earned more than 25,000 likes and 3,000 shares.
