Commute

Here in the Philipines, commuting is the word used when riding the various means of public transport to get to your destination. Like Jeepneys, Taxis, Buses, Tricycles, FXs, and the Pedicab, you take your pick.

Basically you commute if you don’t have a car, or any private utility vehicle.

It was pointed out to me by a visiting Fullbright scholar that our use of the word “commuting” is different compared to how Americans do. Even the Canadians.

Commuting for them is whatever means you use to get to your destination. May it be a car or the subway train, may it be riding the taxi or your SUV. Whether you own the vehicle or not, you commute.

I wonder how the difference between commuting and owning a private vehicle came to be. Did the well-off people try to distance themselves with the rest by saying, “No, we don’t commute. We have ride a car.”

In America and Canada, hell, perhaps in other places too, everybody commutes. From the rich to the poor, to the old school to the new school, to the bling blings to the fare fee’d peeps. Everybody commutes.

Now that is a nice thought.

Jordan
071205/12:35pm