Ordinary day

It was one ordinary Wednesday morning. I have a 10 am meeting to meet the local tour personnel at school. My first class is at 12:00 pm. Walking towards P. Tuazon st. a jeepney was waiting for me to bring me to Kanto Katipunan. The driver told me that he decided to wait for me being his first passenger. On the curve before Aurora Blvd. the jeep was able to pick up an elderly man, I guess in his late 60 who struggled to settle at the front seat. Before warming his seat I took some coins so that I will be able to pay for his fare. It is a "paying it forward". The old man smiled and thanked me. I told him that I will be sixty this year. He again smiled. He told me the benefit that he is getting given his own particular status. Then, the jeepney driver said that, "Kami ang nalulugi pag may mga matatandang sumasakay sa amin. Kasi seven pesos lang ang bayad nila." (We are at a losing end when the elderly ride our jeep because they only pay seven peson). I asked him if how many on the average is he getting elderly passengers on a day. No figure was given but He shot back, "Marami". He said, "Hindi ako laban sa batas na iyan, kasi tatanda din ako. Forty eight years old na ako, ilang taon ay matanda na rin ako." (I am not against that law because I will grow old too. I am 48-years old and I will reach elderhood soon.) He continued, "Taxi vehicles are owned by companies, but do the elderly get their discount? But we individual drivers as asked to shoulder the 20% discount. It looks like this is unfair for us." (My translation from the vernacular). I entertained his point but told him, "Sir, the law was not designed to hit the jeepney drivers as intended. The 20% discount as provided by law recognizes the contribution of the elderly in building our society." (My translation). I told him that in sociology there is this thing called "un-intended effect" emanating from man-made rule. With emotion, he told me that he is not against the law, but the law seems to take toll on them. We three inside was cut by the location for I have to get down at Kanto Katipunan. I said "thank you to the driver" and the elderly man thanked me. Well, I told myself that this ordinary day seems to be special with that real experience narrated by the driver. It is true, the driver feels it.