My commuting situation has changed a bit and now, I have to get a ride from the office all to way to our place. The problem is that some Uber drivers I’ve ridden expressed their worry about going outside Metro Manila despite. I even encountered one that bitched all the way prompting me to get off at our subdivision’s gate. Kung ayaw mo, huwag mo.
Rather than risk having a discussion or debate, I opted to try Grab for a change. While I believe that their service does technically only cover Metro Manila, being taxis, they can and should be able to provide me a trip to places a few kilometers east of Quezon City.
Surprisingly, the Grab taxis I booked for the past few days haven’t been choosy at all. Perhaps it’s because they already decided beforehand to take the trip knowing the destination unlike with Uber where the drivers don’t even know the destination until they pick you up.
Still it can be Grab’s double-edged sword, since some drivers get too picky that you end up not getting a ride at all. But I did get rides without much fuss and I did get home safe.
One other thing that I don’t like about drivers whether they’re plain cabs or rideshare drivers is if they’re excessively whiny about Philippine road conditions. I mean we all have complaints about the traffic and the endless road works and the douchebag drivers.
But they’re already a fact of life in the Philippines. One of the perks of being driven is the opportunity to relax beyond the demands of being directly behind the wheel. I don’t want to deal with the driver’s sighs of exasperation and palataks of frustration.