The Amazing ESPs of Palawan's Multicab Drivers

Extra Sensory Powers (ESP) are attributes that many of the drivers of the "multicabs" and larger jeepneys possess here on Palawan (and elsewhere in the Philippines as well).  Along with the many cultural issues that baffle me - this causes me continuing wonder.

First, I will address the Heightened Sensory Powers (HSP) of the Senses of Sight and Hearing before moving on to their Extra Sensory Powers.

THE SENSE OF SIGHT

The Multicab stop in front of Jollibee, and one of Puerto's traffic lights
(which mostly just flashes yellow)

On Palawan, drivers have an easier time than in a multi highway city - we only have one major highway going north and south, the entire length of the island, although I've not seen but two traffic lights for cross traffic, so it's not 'easy'.

Theoretically the highway has one lane in either direction, although at any given time there can be 4-8 vehicles spread out on the highway moving in one direction, or 4 vehicles moving in each direction - although not in a straight line....but, rather, jockeying for position....but in a very different manner than say, NYC or Florence, Italy.  I finally understand the "Oriental driver" - of whom innumerable jokes are made in the States.

I have seen only two drivers say anything in anger toward another driver - and even then, no gestures were used - the driver got very close to the other and actually said something to him - perhaps, "That was rather rude of you to not let me merge."    Certainly nothing like the anger and road rage I've experienced in Texas and California - including a driver following me miles home (well, I did flip him off, but, still...).  The amazing thing is that all drivers here (except the foreigners and some women) merge - it is truly like watching a dance - a beautiful flowing ballet, with ebb and flow.  The only problems occur when a foreigner mucks things up by becoming aggressive - that totally spoils the flow and beauty, and causes traffic accidents.  Like other dances, the steps are not apparent to me - and I'm glad that I am not driving.

"Road" is an ill-defined concept - it could mean a rutted pathway to take to get to a true "road" (one that is mostly solid packed dirt - except during the rainy season - like now, when mini-lakes and rivers replace the "road" - rest assured, your transportation will still deposit you at your door, but you may be quite splashed with mud when you arrive).  Often, the "road" is quite long, and changes from rocks to rutted earth, to a mixture, to macadam (aka asphalt), and in no particular sequence repeats this composition several times from the highway to your home.  I have significant bruises on my body from the 8 peso trike ride from the highway to my house in Bountiful Village (perhaps the major cause being that the trikes are Pilipino sized, and my body has to sit partially on rebar, and decidedly off-center in order to fit 4 passengers and the trike driver).   Oh dear,  I meant to stay on the topic of the Multicab and Jeepney drivers - NOT the trike drivers, who are a totally different ENNEAGRAM type.

Back to the Multicab driver and his great sense of Sight:  Not only does he have to watch for potential clients as he drives along the road, but there is a very subtle language between driver and potential passenger.  If someone standing at the side of the road puts his arm out, palm cupped and downward facing - and moves it quickly from slightly above his waist to a position parallel with his leg - that means he wants the multicab to stop for him - emphatically so.  If, however, he is chatting with his girlfriend, the driver must be exacting enough to note if the client's eyebrows raise up and down once - that also means he wants the multicab to stop.  The boyfriend who wants to stay with his girlfriend and does not wish a ride so signifies with an almost imperceptible shake of the head, that can look like a twitch to the uninitiated, and if the driver misses that cue, the boyfriend can take one hand (without interrupting anything else) and wobble it back and forth, which also means NO, I do not want a ride!  So, the Driver has excellent vision and reaction times, just in picking up his clients.

Note the blue seats for 4-5 per side

Although, his Eyesight is usually excellent, you will rarely see anyone driving at night - there are no road lights anywhere and the road is curvy and cliffy and lakey - a multitude of dangers.  One of the worst is that the vehicles have no lights - it boggles me to be taken home at 10pm, and there is no light on the front of the vehicle...how the driver sees anything is beyond me.

The Sense of Hearing 

This is the one sense of the Multicab Driver that I marvel at repeatedly.  Picture a rickety old multicab - well, here is a picture of me in the front cab with the driver to give you a sense of the state of some multicabs.  This is a picture I took whilst riding in the cab, beside the driver - well, you get the point that it's not state of the art equipment.


This one isn't so bad - the driver isn't distracted by the radio - because he has obviously removed it (or someone else did).  But, when the radio is going, there are 12 people in an 8 person multicab, carrying a clucking cock (for cock-fighting), and two babies crying, and 4 of the 12 are giggling school girls, it is just not easy to hear - anything.  I think that Pilipinos have an innate extrasensory sense of hearing - the driver can hear the smallest voice from the far back corner of the multicab (behind the cock, the babies and the school girls), when she says, "Tabi na lang, po" (which means, please stop at the side of the road now, sir).  I've done several observations of this, and with only one driver (perhaps he had foreign blood), did I ever see a driver miss what a passenger called out - EXCEPT when it was me!!!  My daughters always say I talk too loud - but the drivers don't hear me - it takes a tiny woman sitting next to me to say, "Tabi lang, daw" (meaning, "She said to stop here") - and the multicab stops immediately, which makes me laugh every time.  Similarly, I enunciate clearly, and the driver cannot understand me - I try 2-3 times, and then someone else says "Tiniguiban" or "Tumbaga Road" for me - and he gets it immediately!

The other amazing attributes aren't really senses, but the driver's ability to integrate so many things at once - on a continuous basis....aka

Extra Sensory Powers

Each multicab specifies its route on the front of the cab:  Santa Monica, WPU and Pajara; San Jose, New Market; Irawan; Sicsican; Santa Lourdes; City Hall and PSU;  On a typical one way trip, people get on and off the multicab regularly - perhaps 20 people total in a vehicle that seats 8-10...so regular turnover.  When you get on the multicab, you can either pay immediately, or not.  When you get close to your stop, usually you ask to pay - "Bayad, po" and either are close enough to hand your money to the driver (whose hand extends backwards over his shoulder to take your coin), or, you say, "Paki abot" (Please pass this) to another passenger, and your coin can undulate its way through several palms to arrive at the driver.  Many people do not pay with exact fare - perhaps most.  Thus, the Driver needs to remember where you got on, compute the fare from that point to where you say you want to go, accept your money, do the math computations to figure out the change he owes you - make the change (he holds P20 notes between each of the fingers of his left hand and has P1, P5 and P10 coins on his dashboard in a mixed pile) and pass it over his shoulder to whoever's hands are waiting to pass the change back to you.  And - the entire time, this man is driving, avoiding people lingering in the middle of the road, or a goat trailing it's lead rope, scouting for new passengers, and laughing at a joke the passenger in the cab made!!   And, listening to other passengers call, Tabi lang po!, and stop for them.  It boggles my mind - I would put a Pilipino multicab driver up against a NYC taxi driver ANY day!  And, the best thing about the Multicab Drivers - they are the Nicest, Most Relaxed Guys around....Probably a 2, with 9 wings on the ENNEAGRAM scale!.

No, Really?     Yes, this is typical for longer rides!