I took the MRT home last Tuesday night, and as I was lining up for tickets, I was surprised to see a huge sign posted: "Effective Monday (July 25) canned goods are no longer allowed to be brought inside the train" (or something to that effect). A bored voice also repeatedly announced this over the public address system every 5 minutes.
I was curious to find out why (Did it have something to do with London bombings? Did someone once chuck a bagful of sardines at the train when it broke down for the nth time?) but it was late, I was tired and really in no mood to conduct small talk. The next day, I googled "London bombing canned goods" but did not get any good hits. So scrap that theory.
Yesterday afternoon, I took the MRT again. Only this time, I was carrying a shopping bag containing laundry soap, and a couple of plastic bottles of sandwich spreads (freebies from the office). I was prepared to fight the MRT people should they insist the bottles are considered canned goods, but as it turns out, my hyped up emotions were for nothing:
As I was paying for the ticket, the guard nearby pointed to my shopping bag and said, "Miss, may de lata ba sa loob?"
"Wala po."
"Kasi po may memo na ho, bawal na po ang canned goods sa loob ngayon," he pointed at the sign, but waved me through without even bothering to check.
As I went towards the ticket slot, the lady security guard/bag-checker also asked, "Ma'am, bawal na ho ang canned goods sa loob a" but also waved me through without bothering to check.
I was already half-amused, half-rolling my eyes at how un-strict they were being (because isn't it an unwritten rule amongst Filipinos that they have to be strict for at least the first 2 weeks of a new policy before they forget all about them again?) but decided to ask: "Bakit po bawal?"
"Hindi namin alam, ma'am, basta binigyan lang kami ng memo," she responded airily. Ooh, I can just imagine them using that explanation to an irate passenger-housewife who decides to take the train home after doing the groceries. "Ma'am, basta bawal e." Yeesh.
So typical. I didn't know whether to find what just happened funny or annoying. I swear, if our trains get bombed again, I wouldn't be surprised.
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5 comments:
maybe it's because you don't 'look' like a would-be-bomber?
i think we should ask men if the mrt people are as lax with them. people here think only men are capable of being bombers. and i imagine that a poor, scruffy-looking laborer or someone not dressed 'properly' bringing a can of sardines to feed his family would not be treated the same way either.
canned goods?? di ko gets baket?? i can understand if bawal magdala ng bagoong or something smelly. hahaha
Hi jm! You and my dad think alike. He thinks I got off easy because I was a girl. Eric went a step further--he says it was probably because I was wearing a short skirt (which I wasn't!). I still wish they had a better answer than "It was a memo from upstairs." :)
hmm... actually, elite bombers CAN make a bomb and pass it off as a canned good. but then again, bombers can also use aerosol cans, big mayo jars, etc. policy makers here are weird.
i hope the laundry soap you were carrying was ARIEL!!! :)
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