One of my biggest priorities when choosing a place to live is being within walking distance of the workplace and important services. I'll gladly pay more in rent in order to be able to walk to work, the grocery store, entertainment and the gym. In Toronto, I consider anything within 45 minutes to be walking distance, and will go out of my way to avoid the TTC when possible. When the alternative is taking a packed sardine can TTC subway or clown car streetcar during rush hour, I find walking to be not only more cost effective, but far more pleasant. In fact, there are few things that I enjoy more than a long walk with some good tunes or an interesting podcast to decompress from a long work day.
When I first arrived in Naga a week ago, one of the first questions I had for my local colleagues was whether the office is within walking distance of my new apartment. The response I received: for a Canadian, yes, for a Filipino/a, no. I didn't know what this meant at first, but have quickly discovered that being within walking distance does not translate into walkability. My apartment here is within a 20 minute walk of most things, but I'm often not inclined to walk due to the heat. The walk to work is about 15 minutes, which is entirely doable and I'm going to force myself to hoof it, but I am really not a fan of showing up at the office feeling like I need a shower.
On the days when I can't muster the will to walk, there are a number of different options on how to get around town: Jeepneys run major routes throughout the town, or it's easy to hail down a motorized tricycle (similar to a tuk-tuk) or pedicab. The nice thing about all of these options is that the fares are fixed, so there's no need to bargain, which I personally find to be a relief. I've found the jeepneys to be a little harder to navigate, as I'm not yet familiar enough with the town to always know where I need to get off (there have been a couple of missed stops to date) and I find the cramped interior to be a little bit claustrophobia-inducing, so I've tried to stick with tricycles and pedicabs when possible.
In truth, taking frequent tricycle or pedicab rides has raised some important questions in my mind. Tricycles are definitely a fast and convenient way to get around, but they look, sound and smell like emissions beasts, while pedicabs are quite slow, being powered exclusively by the physical labour of the pedicab 'driver' (read: cyclist with a heavy load); when I don't want to walk because it's too hot, something in me feels uncomfortable paying another human being a relative pittance to expend a huge amount of energy and sweat to essentially carry me. Maybe I've been watching too many episodes of Rome recently, but there's something about the scenario that is slightly reminiscent of Roman nobles being carried around town in their sedans by slaves...wait, WAIT, WAIT! That last sentence is problematic...don't misunderstand: pedicab drivers are licensed and one could assume that they've willingly entered the profession; the rate they charge is likely reflective of the local economic situation and they are in fact paid for their labour. I think what sits uncomfortably with me is the fact that the pedicab driver's livelihood is entirely linked to his (because it's always a male) ability to produce physical labour and there seems to be zero long term security: what if he gets injured? What happens when he 'retires'? Can he ever afford to retire? Who knows, maybe it turns out that he has insurance or is entitled to disability/pension benefits, and I can hear an argument being made that a pedicab driver is just like any enterprising individual making a living...to be honest, I have no idea what the social safety net looks like in the Philippines, but questions of social security and justice have been on my mind since arriving. I once had a conversation with my radical leftist friend in Berlin about whether a neurosurgeon's labour is worth more than a janitor's; I think that compelling arguments can be made in both directions, but that question comes back to me frequently when I'm being pedalled around town and I can see the bucket of sweat pouring down the pedicab driver's brow.
To end this rather ramble-y and confused post, I've concluded that my preference will be to take pedicabs when I'm too lazy to walk (because, let's be honest, it's a question of laziness and desire for comfort), on the argument that they are the most environmentally-friendly alternative, and the 'solution' to my questions is hardly to boycott the system that pedicab drivers count on for their livelihoods.
The view from inside a tricycle
Stuck behind a jeepney during rush hour...lungs getting just a little bit blacker
It all starts with awareness, right? Interestingly, every time I pass this garage, the lot is empty
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