For the past 13 years I have been a rider of LRT trains going to the Pedro Gil station and lately the Gil Puyat station for work as a physician. Maybe I’m one of a few doctors who ride public transport going to and pro my clinics. Thank God all my clinics are within LRT or MRT stations. You may find it a little uncomfortable at first but when you weigh the pros and cons of it, you’ll choose to ride the trains.

With the recent increase in fare hike and the unending hike of gasoline prices, better think of options about your transportation choice. With a budget of between 90 to 100 pesos I have gone around Monumento to Taft Avenue, back to stretch of EDSA and Monumento for a day of work. It I were to have my car and travel that distance, my 500 pesos a day is not enough for the gasoline and parking fees I have to pay including the lost time I will spend for traffic. I got to pray the rosary while at the LRT train or read their LIBRE newspaper, when I traversed EDSA to Cubao, I can nap for a while. I do not think of any traffic, much less the pollution, no parking fees to worry about, within 30 minutes I have reached the other side of Metro Manila. Really less stress for me.

It is just bad when you have been used to riding a car, you will have a hard time adjusting with so many people jostling around, or you have to take several plights of stairs, which you may experience, shortness of breath. However, when you think of your health, it is a good form of exercise.

One has to be practical these days, be flexible and adaptable to the changing lifestyle brought about by less value of our peso. Take the habit of riding the train, its good for your heart, health and your pocket’s too!

• Buy a stored value ticket to avoid long queue at the ticket booth. It will even give you a bonus ride at the end.
• Memorize the exact locations of the train doors, so that when the train stops, you can ride the train at once. For the LRT trains, the location of the doors depends on the type of coaches. I just memorize or associate them with landmark so that I do not get confused.
• Wait for the person in front of you to enter before you insert your card, you might have a hard tie to push the iron rod for entering. Do this also when you exit. I have experienced it for 2 times, the person in front of me got my ticket, was it intentional or not? It is a stored value ticket. I hate to think that he stole my ticket!
• For girls, chose the head coach train, which is exclusive for women, children and senior citizens. less jostling there .Males are not allowed in this train, except for male senior citizens.
• Girls be aware of sexual harassment inside the train. You are to protect yourself at all times.
• Make sure your bags are all closed. Pay attention to your personal belongings.
• If you can avoid it, don’t ride the rain during rush hours. It will be a lot convenient to ride the LRT train before 6:30 am and after 8:30 am. My usual riding time for MRT is about 4:00 pm. After 4 pm I find it to be congested.
• At least 50 to 60 % of LRT passengers a light the train at Gil Puyat station and around 40 % of MRT passengers alight at Cubao station. Don’t’ worry if you are in the center of the train you, you will surely can go out of the train at these stations with ease. Its horrible if you’re going down the train at Carriedo (northbound) station and Shaw (southbound and northbound) boulevard station ,you’ll have a hard time squeezing you’re way out. Many people are getting in at the Ayala station northbound. Be sure you are at the center of the train. Because of these some people make round trips by boarding the train At Ayala Station (southbound) and ride the train again at EDSA station for the northbound train (no extra charge).
• Please wait for the passengers to disembark first before you enter the train and do not block the entrance doors or better make way for alighting passengers. Be mindful of others existence please!
• Give a seat to an elderly or anybody who you feel needs a helping hand. It is still a good deed to offer a seat.
• For safety, reasons do not step on the red line (LRT) or yellow line (MRT) as the train is arriving. This has been mentioned repeatedly at the public address system but people would play dumb to follow.
• If you have consumed the value of your ticket, be sure to buy one at your exiting station, to save you again of long queue at ticket booth.
• Keep your ticket, do not fold or mutilate.