Have gang, will travel

INSTANT DISPATCHERS. Passengers of a jeepney were startled after three youths climbed on and made no move to enter the vehicle. Suspecting a robbery, the passengers moved closer inside but the youths made no threatening or suspicious moves. Eventually they began to call for passenger, acting as the dispatchers. Eventually they got off at their destination without paying their fare. The driver later said this is a common practice among gangs of youths; free passage in exchange for calling passengers. While the driver said he frowns upon this practice he would rather have them leave him alone than pick a fight with them. “Wala ta kahibalo unsa’y gipangloklok nila,” the driver said, “posible batangas o pusil.”

LOST. Reporters who tagged along with government officials to inspect the site of a development project in a remote barangay almost found themselves stranded out in the middle of nowhere. Earlier the officials and the media were taken to the site via Kaohsiung bus, but then the bus later left as the inspection took place. Later the government-issued vehicles of the officials came to pick them up, leaving the media in the middle of nowhere with no form of transportation whatsoever. Luckily the private vehicle of the developer was able to take them back to the city. “Taas ta to mi’g lakwon ato,” one of the reporters later joked.