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At this point, that's the only thing you can do. You know the drill by now: You'll be spending 20 minutes (or more) stuck in the same area moving at a snail’s pace in various points of the ride. More people would get on the bus at the next stop, somehow finding room on the already packed bus, and it will take a while before there's enough room to breathe again.

As the minutes tick by, you start to wonder if it would have been better to take a different route. You consider getting off at the next MRT station, thinking you’d be faster if you avoid EDSA’s congested roads, but you remember the times you used to do that.

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You remember the times you had to fall in line along the stairs of the MRT station—perhaps even outside the station itself as the line would often stretch along the sidewalk.

You remember the times you saw people forcing their way into the train, just before the doors could close: You always think there’s no way they’d fit, but by some miracle, they do. You remember you learned to do that too, tucking your shoulders close and looking for ways to make yourself small enough to fit into whatever space is left.

You remember the times the train has stalled; when you had to get off—maybe even on the tracks themselves—and walk to the nearest bus stop, where many were already waiting, looking to get on a bus. It won't be easy for any of you, as hundreds pour out of the MRT station to join the waiting crowd.

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Worst case scenario, you’re forced to book a car. In your head, you weigh the options: Would you rather get to the office late or spend a few extra bucks to get there on time? It’s the rush hour, so you know that ride-sharing apps are likely to charge you extra—just as taxi drivers would as they complain about the traffic.

In the end, you stick to the bus.

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People force their way into the train, just before the doors close: You always think there’s no way they’d fit, but by some miracle, they do. You learned to do that too, tucking your shoulders close and looking for ways to make yourself small enough to fit into whatever space is left.

You could say commuting is equal parts stressful and stress-relieving. On a bad day, the minutes you spend on the road fuel your anxiety, building up to a bad mood without you noticing. On a less busy day, being in transit can offer a bit of downtime; a moment for you to resign yourself to however long the ride would take and bury yourself in the pages of a book or steal a few minutes of sleep instead.

There are certain things you get to learn when you commute around the Metro; little bits of knowledge you’re forced to pick up along the way if you want to survive the city’s unforgiving streets. The idealist in everyone would think it will get easy with time, but the truth is that it doesn't.

It's not fair, you think to yourself. Your feet have grown weary from walking the same path and climbing the same walkways each day, your tired shoulders bearing the weight of the things—and all the thoughts—you carry with you.

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Some would tell you to wake up even earlier than you already do to avoid the morning rush. Some would tell you to move closer to work. Some might even encourage you to leave the city and go back to your home province.

Some days, they come very close to convincing you.

You would stop for a moment and look around. You would wonder, is this all there is to it? The years have gone and passed, yet the Metro's overwhelming traffic continues to hang over everyone's heads.

The inefficiencies of the city's public transport system run deep and anyone would know it won't be easy. New infrastructure might help ease the traffic, but it would take more than just a fancy new subway or another tollway to decongest the roads you now know by heart. It would take a complete overhaul—new routes for city buses, new traffic schemes beyond EDSA, new rules to follow so that drivers no longer have to fight over passengers.

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But for now, this is the reality you live in.

It's waking up four hours before you're expected at work. It’s walking out of the house with your damp hair soaking your shoulders. It’s getting used to being pushed around and, in return, knowing when to push back as you all scramble to get on the bus. It’s learning that if you stand just the right way with your feet spaced at just the right distance, you can easily spend the one-and-a-half-hour ride standing up without holding onto anything.

Some would tell you to wake up even earlier than you already do to avoid the morning rush. Some would tell you to move closer to work. Some might even encourage you to leave the city and go back to your home province. Some days, they come very close to convincing you.

It’s learning to live with all the nuances of the Philippines’ public transport system, like understanding that even if you leave home at exactly the same time each day, you never seem to get to the office the same time you did the day before.