How to get a cab in Makati

since i haven't worked in the makati cbd for over a year, i totally forgot how it frenetic can get during over there. especially when you're competing with a legion of irate, impatient, makati-fied yuppies for that impossibly elusive prize -- a taxi during rush hour.

absolutely vicious! (and don't even get me started on the taxi drivers themselves.)

the rare weekday trek to makati was on account of a rehearsal for mozart's requiem at union church, which is on rada street in legaspi village. i took the mrt to ayala, then battled it out with the yuppies at the glorietta 4 driveway. timog and environs, with its surfeit of cabs, has spoiled me. hindi ko kinaya ang agawan!

consider this:

a cab drives up to the entrance and is instantly besieged by any number of would-be passengers. a near-scuffle ensues for the passenger-side door handle, with the objective of pulling the door open to blurt out one's destination for the driver's consideration -- all this as the poor passenger inside the cab fumbles for change. the driver either gives a lazy nod or (this i hate) simply pulls away in response, upon which the remaining participants of the scuffle must then chase after the taxi to blurt out their destinations -- fingers crossed for that all-important nod.

vicious! absolutely vicious!

after what seemed like ages and ages of this urban violence, i finally cornered a cab with three other hopefuls. one of my competitors had already wedged the front door open as the passenger in the back seat, an utterly bewildered japanese businessman, fled in terror.

competitor #1: guadalupe!"
cabbie: *waves away competitor #1*
competitor #2: "bf homes!"
me, to myself: asa ka pa!
cabbie: *makes gesture as if preparing to drive off*
me: legaspi village, sa may likod lang ng greenbelt!
cabbie: *hesitates, then nods*

i felt rather pleased with myself as we whizzed off down ayala avenue.

cabbie: pa-south na kasi ako...
me: ah, sa rada street lang naman ako eh.
cabbie: oo nga eh, kaya nga pinili kita kasi malapit. pero --
me: pero kuya, malapit lang naman eh. (attempting winsome tone)
cabbie: oo nga, pero ikaw ang pinili ko kasi bukod sa malapit ka, maganda
ka pa.

kaya mo?

me: ano ka ba, kuya, nambola ka pa!
cabbie: walang bola 'yun ah! may kamukha ka ngang artista, eh.
me: *braces self for inevitable comparison to yasmien kurdi*
cabbie: si natalie portman!

sosyal!

makati... iba ka talaga!