Best Posts in Thread: Duma Trike Drivers Trained

One time I was on my way to McDonalds with a package to mail later to Canada. After I was in McDonalds for a few minutes I realized I had left my package in the trike. I had lots of sun glasses and and other goodies in that package. When I returned I found the package on the front step of my house!

He didn't try to chase me down at McDoos for a tip. He just left that package on the step of my house.

So, they are not all bad. I have had some good experiences and bad experiences. I also tip them. Especially if they have their child riding with them!

 

Curious if your wife is getting a private ride just her and your child or if 6 other people are being squeezed in also? I had one driver who wanted to charge me 70 peso to take me 3 km after dark and I had two small shopping bags. I just told him good luck with your business model and took off walking. I had one of the shills at Robinsons mall want 60 php to take me and a friend to hotel Palwa. I said no thanks and walked out to the highway and about 20 meters down the road before a trike stopped and took us there. I gave him 20 peso and he wanted to make change! I gave him another 5 peso and told him keep the change with my thanks. Not all trike drivers are dicks, just like not all foreigners are dicks, at least I am not...not all the time anyway.

 

I have lived in the Dumaguete area for 8 years, now in Dauin. I drive my truck to town a couple of times a week, and generally park it and leave it until I’m ready to go to Hypermart and home. I walk most places in town, but if it’s too far or too hot to walk, I take a trike. If I’m going to Cebu for a short visit, I often leave my truck in town and take a trike to Sibulan. I agree that they’re dirty and smelly, and I try not to think about maintenance, but I have never had a problem with a driver who appears to be drunk or out of control. Most of the time I find the trikes reliable and quicker, not to mention far less hassle than driving myself. It would be great if they were cleaned up or converted to electricity, but meanwhile, I accept them for what they are, and I’m glad to have them there when I need them.

 

There is another side to this I have seen also. Sometimes we want the entire trike to ourselves such as when we just got groceries and have a bit of a trip, its right to cover the fair for all the seats we are taking up depending on the distance. But another even bigger side is there are a number of foreigners and tourists who think once they are in no others should get in yet they think they should get the same 8 peso's fare. They don't want to be squeezed in when the trike driver knows the route he would be taking can probably yield 3-4 fairs going about the same direction (or more) but some foreigners expect once they are in no more shall enter. Many of us long timers are a bit more understanding but not many of the tourists or the shorter time foreigners who still think the Philippines should adapt to them.

So yes they try and rip us off often enough if we don't seem to know better. But in reverse plenty of *our* kind as foreigners try and screw them over as well. I've seen it happen and even pitied the rare driver for getting the shaft from a foreigner who knows it all including sometimes covering/tipping so they understand that not all of us are the same as some of the jerk off foreigners.

 

Similar happened to me when my cell phone dropped out of my pocket and was wedged between the seat and the metal side. After getting home 2 hours later, I started calling the number and it kept ringing out. About 40 minutes later the trike driver dropped it off at my house and I had to run to thank/reward him. He told me the ringing made him look and find the phone but he did not know how to answer. When I asked how he knew it was mine, he said I was the only foreigner he had picked up and the phone looked expensive. It is a dual SIM with my Australian SIM as well as the Globe inserted. He was well rewarded for his honesty but he truly wasn't looking for a reward having given it to the 16 year old nephew of my partner and heading back to work. I think the majority of these guys are honest and hard working, unfortunately we seem to only remember the d#ckheads

 

Early in the morning you might get drivers who have been working all night. Surely they have situations where they have to be normal such as off days and spending time with family. The switching is hell on the body.

Walking around at night you'll see a lot of drivers sleeping in their pedi-cabs. I'm thinking that some of them may just live that way. Drive during the day, park and sleep at night. Interruptions to sleep and a horrible sleeping environment add up to a lot of sleep debt.

I agree. Once you're fed up it's time to move.

It won't do any good. I would rather not waste energy standing on a soapbox of principles attempting to reach people who wouldn't listen anyways. And maybe it's me who is wrong. I can move on when the time is right.

I don't take trips from the mall. The people you speak to are just hustling to play middlemen to the drivers. The drivers don't care as long as they get riders. The middlemen ask high so they can pocket the difference. Imagine this as your way of existence. Robinson's should get rid of them. The drivers are at least somewhat service professionals. The people at the mall are more like beggars asking for a handout.

Better to get a ride from the side of the street. Or exit the side which leads to the roads going downtown. There is another stopping point there.

You might also benefit from being somewhat mobile. Usually being reliant on transportation you don't own means you have to put some wear and tear on your Nikes. Locals seem to hate walking. I have no problem walking to places where I can get a pedicab easier / cheaper. For example, if you live a ways down a side street, then walk to a main street.

You might try different routes. For example, I live by Hayahay but I never go directly to the place I'm going. I always go to the market, Lee Plaza or some other places where there are a lot of pedicabs and get another ride from there. If I'm going to a really odd spot, sometimes I'll even take a few pedicabs to get there. That's also a good guide on how much you should pay to get somewhere. If you would need to pay for 3 pedicab rides to get to a location then you shouldn't expect to pay than that.

Sometimes pedicabs don't know where you are going and they assume the worst. You may notice a lot of them ask if you are going "highway only." If they don't know about X spot but there is a place nearby which gets a lot of traffic, then tell them you are going to that other place instead.

Given that your kids are going to school every morning, you might ask around to see if you can get a deal, having the kids get picked up by the same driver every morning. I have never tried this, but I imagine some would go for it.

 

Still no excuses for urinating in front of everyone on Oceanjet. Only an afterthought, however: - If I had to take down my trousers to find my d**k, I sure as hell wouldn't be parading a 'cocktail sausage' in front of the general public on the boulevard.

 

I saw one wearing an "official tourist driver" T Shirt so that may be how to identify them. I now wish I had taken a pic as I just chuckled when I saw it and kept walking.

 

No, because our frustrations in dealing with them isn't from a lack of training on their part, rather it's a lack of understanding on how they operate on our part. They know what they need to do to make money on the challenge of 8 pesos per seat, we don't. Training might help them be more pleasant to deal with, but it won't change the economics / logistics of making a living.

I don't know in what situations you are having to pay 100 pesos. I never pay that much, even going out to places like Bacong from Dumaguete late at night. The only route I have heard of which is normal for a 100 peso fare is coming back from Valencia late at night.

Locals pay less in part because they go to terminals to get to places you are paying more for on special trips.

 

Not sure where this "rule" applies, I routinely pay p8 for a trike ride.