Fear of riding in public utility vehicles due to holdup

[Corzhens]

There is a prevalence of holdup in public utility vehicles in Metro Manila that is causing anxiety to the regular commuters. I am fortunate to have my own car so I am spared of that fear. But some of my colleagues have been telling me their harrowing experience whenever they are riding in a public utility van especially at night. They are wary and on their toes when a burly man would ride. And they are also wary of the driver. One recent incident was the holdup of 2 lady passengers who were divested of their valuables and later raped inside the van by the driver and his cohort. There were similar cases like that which is sowing fear to passengers. As I said, I have my own car but if I would be needing a ride in a public utility vehicle, maybe I would have someone with me as an escort.

 

[CarlosTL]

There is a prevalence of holdup in public utility vehicles in Metro Manila that is causing anxiety to the regular commuters. I am fortunate to have my own car so I am spared of that fear. But some of my colleagues have been telling me their harrowing experience whenever they are riding in a public utility van especially at night. They are wary and on their toes when a burly man would ride. And they are also wary of the driver. One recent incident was the holdup of 2 lady passengers who were divested of their valuables and later raped inside the van by the driver and his cohort. There were similar cases like that which is sowing fear to passengers. As I said' date=' I have my own car but if I would be needing a ride in a public utility vehicle, maybe I would have someone with me as an escort. [/quote']
I thought the Philippines was a very safe country, did not imagine you too would have that kind of stuff that is rampant in South America. Even in the Manilla metro? that is serious.


Public transportation is generally not very safe but you'd be wary of sneaky thieves that take you stuff and run away just before the door close in the subway or snatching purses/phones from unsuspecting riders. Yes, not a good place to be, I imagine it is worse for women.

 

[sidney]

True, our city is quite full of menacing criminals, and it can be quite dangerous to ride late at night. Luckily, I don't have to deal with that, but I can just imagine the anxiety that people who work in call centers feel every night that that they have to ride the public vehicles on their way to work.

 

[Corzhens]

I thought the Philippines was a very safe country, did not imagine you too would have that kind of stuff that is rampant in South America. Even in the Manilla metro? that is serious.


Public transportation is generally not very safe but you'd be wary of sneaky thieves that take you stuff and run away just before the door close in the subway or snatching purses/phones from unsuspecting riders. Yes, not a good place to be, I imagine it is worse for women.

It's actually safer in the rural areas than in Metro Manila. I don't think it's the poverty that is the primary reason for the crime. As what the headlines show everyday, it is the illegal drugs that give impetus to those holdups, rapes and other heinous crimes - users need money to buy drugs and once drugged, they can do anything. And you are right, it is worse for women because they are the usual target of those criminals. And you cannot blame women here to be scared of riding in public utility vehicles because even big buses are not spared of those holdups. Those criminals come in big groups sometimes up to 8 members with guns and knives. It's really scary to think about it, being in that situation will surely lose my composure.

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

I remembered I had a cousin who had encountered a holdup also in a public vehicle which happened in my home country. Three men who were passengers had a gun while they did holdup the other passengers. Just imagine the fear and trauma that incident had brought to my cousin. Until now she had that fear when riding in a public vehicle and every time there are suspicious men who will ride she can't stop thinking that she might be in that situation again that is why she will just go down and ride another vehicle. Even here in the country where I migrated there are also incidence of holdups and nowadays it is not safe anymore whether you are inside or outside your house unexpected things can happen

 

[CarlosTL]

It's actually safer in the rural areas than in Metro Manila. I don't think it's the poverty that is the primary reason for the crime. As what the headlines show everyday, it is the illegal drugs that give impetus to those holdups, rapes and other heinous crimes - users need money to buy drugs and once drugged, they can do anything. And you are right, it is worse for women because they are the usual target of those criminals. And you cannot blame women here to be scared of riding in public utility vehicles because even big buses are not spared of those holdups. Those criminals come in big groups sometimes up to 8 members with guns and knives. It's really scary to think about it, being in that situation will surely lose my composure.

I did not think that kind of stuff could happen in any place in southeast Asia not just the Philippines, it has a reputation for safety and orderliness. I've been robed once with violence, I know how it feels as it comes when you're least suspecting. The problem is that you become more anxious and apprehensive after the experience as you're constantly contemplating if it could happen again.

 

[John Snort]

If you are afraid that using public transport at nigh is unsafe then you should try to get home earlier when the likelihood of being held up isn't that high. I understand there are people who may be forced to work late and if you are one of those people then the wise thing to do is make friends with a number of people who live in your neighborhood, people who also work late — there is safety in numbers if you all have to get home late. You'll feel safer and be less anxious.

 

[RadioSilence]

I did not think that kind of stuff could happen in any place in southeast Asia not just the Philippines, it has a reputation for safety and orderliness. I've been robed once with violence, I know how it feels as it comes when you're least suspecting. The problem is that you become more anxious and apprehensive after the experience as you're constantly contemplating if it could happen again.

It does? Depending on the area, the streets here get pretty shady, especially near areas with informal settlers. My old high school had one right outside the gates, and nobody would take anything but private cars or taxis out of the campus. They even had pedicabs ferrying people out to nearby areas but not a lot of people chose to take it.

 

[misszerable]

I don't think it's fair to paint the Philippines as a violent, crime-infested, and drug-crazed country. It is not. The crimes that you mentioned happens anywhere else. There are cities that you would not want to visit at night, but there are cities and places that you'll feel safe enough like Makati City and BGC. What is your basis for saying that there is a prevalence of holdups? Did you know that the Philippines is just #78 out of 118 countries in terms of crime index? I wonder what you would feel if you were living in countries that have higher crime index like UK, US, Canada, Brazil, Ireland, Sweden, Italy, Malaysia, France, and Australia?

 

[Aree Wongwanlee]

Held up in public transport? That's horrible. I have lived in Thailand and Malaysia and have not experienced this kind of problem yet. That's not to say that I enjoy using public transport. It's not the best means of getting from point A to point B. However, public transport does have certain advantages over private transport. One, it's as simple as pay and go. There's no need to wait for anyone. Public transport leaves, more or less, according to schedule. For long distances, I really like traveling by train. Some people say the buses are better but I find that traveling by bus is rather constricted. The space is small. The air is closed. In air-conditioned buses, that is. When I travel by train, I go third class. It's a lot cheaper. And the people I meet are so much more interesting. It seems to me that people who travel in third class are happy to make new friends. I can just strike up a conversation with just about anyone I want to in a third class compartment.

 

[VanM]

Going out in public and taking public transportation does require some level of preparation. As much as possible, I try to limit the number of valuables that I could bring depending on my destination. If it's a short commute, I just take with me a small amount for fare and some extra if I'm buying goods. Although it may take some practice, developing a sense of awareness of your immediate surroundings is very important. And lastly, never argue or plead, give them what they want and hopefully you walk away unscathed, life is more valuable than any of our possessions.