Why Public Transportation Sucks in Manila

Summary

The video explores the public transportation systems in various Asian cities, highlighting their efficiency and cultural insights. It contrasts the impressive metros of Taipei, Seoul, and Hong Kong with Manila's chaotic and inefficient system. Despite significant investment in Manila's MRT, it remains a disaster with overcrowding and technical issues. The video also criticizes the unreliable buses and suggests avoiding Manila's public transport during rush hour.

Takeaways

• 🚇 The speaker has a fascination with public transportation and uses it to explore new cities.
• 🌏 Asian cities with large populations typically have efficient and enjoyable metro systems.
• 🏙️ Manila's metro system is described as a disaster, with people selling items on the tracks and poor traffic conditions.
• 🚊 Manila's MRT is criticized for being hot, smelly, and overcrowded, despite being in operation for over 20 years.
• 🚸 The MRT in Manila is so uncomfortable that the speaker prefers sitting in traffic to using it.
• 🚫 The lack of amenities like bathrooms and sanitation, as well as the absence of advertisements, contribute to an unpleasant MRT experience.
• 🚨 Safety concerns are evident, with a women's-only section being necessary due to aggressive behavior during rush hour.
• 💸 Despite significant funding for expansion and improvement, Manila's MRT still struggles with technical issues and unusable new trains.
• 🚌 Public buses in Manila are considered even worse than the MRT, with no fixed schedule and uncomfortable conditions.
• 💨 The speaker suggests that avoiding the streets and public transportation during rush hour is the best strategy in Manila.
• 🌍 The video is part of a series where the speaker, Drewbinski, plans to visit every country in the world.

Q & A

What is the speaker's fascination with public transportation?

The speaker is fascinated by public transportation such as metros, buses, and trains because they believe it introduces them to the culture, people, and gives them a feel for what the country is all about.

Which cities are mentioned as having efficient and enjoyable metro systems?

Taipei, Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Tashkent, Shanghai, and Jerusalem are mentioned as having efficient and enjoyable metro systems.

What is the speaker's opinion on Manila's public transportation?

The speaker finds Manila's public transportation to be a disaster, with the metro system being hot, smelly, and overly crowded.

Why did the speaker have to hide their camera while filming in Manila?

The speaker had to hide their camera because the police kept stopping them from filming.

What are some of the issues the speaker encountered while using Manila's metro system?

The issues included a lack of functioning clocks, no sanitation, no advertisements, overcrowding, and aggressive behavior during rush hour.

Why was a women's only section created in Manila's metro?

A women's only section was created due to the aggressive behavior of some men during rush hour.

What was the speaker's experience when trying to stand in the female line at the metro?

The speaker was kicked out of the female line by a security guard within two seconds.

What was the issue with the 48 new trains built in Manila in 2012?

The 48 new trains are still not usable today because of technical difficulties and faulty designs.

How does the speaker describe the public buses in Manila?

The speaker describes the public buses as debatably worse than the metro, with no fixed schedule and only leaving when packed with passengers.

What is the cost of taking a public bus in Manila?

The cost of taking a public bus in Manila is 18 pesos.

What advice does the speaker give for dealing with Manila's traffic during rush hour?

The speaker advises to avoid the streets, the metro, and just stay at home during rush hour.