In every town and province in the Philippines you will find the tricycle. It’s the motorbike with a carriage attached to it sometimes color coded depending on their town routes and with music blaring.
This is the cheapest way to get around town. Fares start around P 8 ($ 0.20) per person with an increase rate for every kilometer. Most of them have tariff rates pasted in its interior. It can accomodate up to 5 person in one sitting. How’s that? 2 may backride the driver , 3 may sit inside. Other far flung provinces which relies on tricycle as their mode of transportation has even 2-3 passengers on top.
I’m sure you’ve seen this one time or another. But have you really tried riding one ?
My partner , who is 5’9″ in height , 200 lbs in weight, always complain riding the tricycle. He was never comfortable. For one, he feels that the hunchback of Notre Dame has taken over him. Upon entering the carriage automatically he hunches his back to be able to fit his form cramp style. Once it’s in motion he wishes he had brought his helmet to protect his skull from scraping the interior roof.
As he curse throughout the ride while struggling to keep upright whenever there are road bumps and humps, i keep my mouth shut trying to stifle some giggles.
But why in the world they have made the tricycles so painfully cramped and small? Is it because it is limited to carrying x number of persons? But how can you explain this?
Well, you see this only in the Philippines.
