For Bisdaks Everywhere
The Kuot-Kuot Gang (or why I need a car, a lot of money, or a taser gun.)
If I’ve got lots of time (which is rare, since I take forever to change), I try to save on taxi fare by riding on jeepneys. My daily route for work is this:
From home, I ride a 07B (Banawa – Colon) and stop at Bo’s, near Cebu Doc. I cross the street and take a 14D for Ayala. From Ayala, I take a 62B for Banilad, where my new office is.
For a month now, nothing exceptional has happened except for this one time that I saw a woman using her laptop/notebook on a jeepney. I wanted to grab her laptop and smack her face with it. If the bitch wanted to get stabbed by a snatcher, she better do it in another f*cking jeepney. Other than that, my mornings were uneventful.
But last week, the 62B jeepney I was riding on was graced by the presence of the dreaded Kuot-Kuot gang. Their MO was simple. Use their huge bags as cover as their hands expertly rid you off your cellphone, wallet, or cash. The day before that, my boy and I were on our way to SM and a lady lost her wallet. She didn’t notice a single thing, and the Kuot-Kuoter even had the decency (or gall) to close her bag’s zipper. That’s how good they are.
So, back to my story. At first, I was blissfully unaware of the gang’s presence. I was listening to my music player while casually maintaining a conversation with an officemate. Then, a scuffle erupted at the far end of the jeepney. I saw a man knock a studen’t head with his fist, hard. It was only after two men with big bags disembarked that we found out that they were trying to the nursing student’s phone. Fortunately, they were unsuccessful. However, the incident left me scared as hell.
This morning, I saw the same men inside the jeepney. Fortunately, I was seated near the driver and was too far from them. I wanted to tell the other passengers about the danger. But after a few minutes, the men got off, apparently because the people inside the jeepney also noticed them.
My advice to others who read this is to be vigilant. The gang isn’t difficult to spot. They carry huge (but light or empty looking) bags. That’s the first give-away. They may look clean and decent, but don’t be fooled. Don’t sit near the exit, since they’re partial to that (I think so they can escape easier, or whatev). Make sure your valuables are hidden deep inside your bags. Don’t put them in your pockets.
As for me, I am more paranoid than ever. I have no idea what to do, aside from taking taxis all the time. Or maybe I should bike to work. God knows I need the exercise. Or maybe I should enroll in Judo class. I dunno. If anyone out there who is uber rich and has a car he wants to get rid of, you know, I’m just a message away. ;) No, seriously, be careful you guys.
From home, I ride a 07B (Banawa – Colon) and stop at Bo’s, near Cebu Doc. I cross the street and take a 14D for Ayala. From Ayala, I take a 62B for Banilad, where my new office is.
For a month now, nothing exceptional has happened except for this one time that I saw a woman using her laptop/notebook on a jeepney. I wanted to grab her laptop and smack her face with it. If the bitch wanted to get stabbed by a snatcher, she better do it in another f*cking jeepney. Other than that, my mornings were uneventful.
But last week, the 62B jeepney I was riding on was graced by the presence of the dreaded Kuot-Kuot gang. Their MO was simple. Use their huge bags as cover as their hands expertly rid you off your cellphone, wallet, or cash. The day before that, my boy and I were on our way to SM and a lady lost her wallet. She didn’t notice a single thing, and the Kuot-Kuoter even had the decency (or gall) to close her bag’s zipper. That’s how good they are.
So, back to my story. At first, I was blissfully unaware of the gang’s presence. I was listening to my music player while casually maintaining a conversation with an officemate. Then, a scuffle erupted at the far end of the jeepney. I saw a man knock a studen’t head with his fist, hard. It was only after two men with big bags disembarked that we found out that they were trying to the nursing student’s phone. Fortunately, they were unsuccessful. However, the incident left me scared as hell.
This morning, I saw the same men inside the jeepney. Fortunately, I was seated near the driver and was too far from them. I wanted to tell the other passengers about the danger. But after a few minutes, the men got off, apparently because the people inside the jeepney also noticed them.
My advice to others who read this is to be vigilant. The gang isn’t difficult to spot. They carry huge (but light or empty looking) bags. That’s the first give-away. They may look clean and decent, but don’t be fooled. Don’t sit near the exit, since they’re partial to that (I think so they can escape easier, or whatev). Make sure your valuables are hidden deep inside your bags. Don’t put them in your pockets.
As for me, I am more paranoid than ever. I have no idea what to do, aside from taking taxis all the time. Or maybe I should bike to work. God knows I need the exercise. Or maybe I should enroll in Judo class. I dunno. If anyone out there who is uber rich and has a car he wants to get rid of, you know, I’m just a message away. ;) No, seriously, be careful you guys.
Comment
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Comment by Therese Habana on June 22, 2009 at 5:34am -
kakuyaw ba uy! ug ka hanggaw sa babaye nga ga laptop!
a friend of mine took a bullet while on a jeep to USC TC, a decade ago.
nagpa ka hero gyud sya! na igo iyang paa, dako kaayong hubag and na operahan gyud tawn. may gani buhi pa sya run. i'd like to have an alarm button in the jeepney or a pepper spray, and taser gun whatever works. isog na kaayo kawatan rung panahona!
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Comment by leylander on June 19, 2009 at 5:24pm -
nakakita na pud one time ug actual nga kuot2x pud. sa wala pa ang panghitabo, maayo kaayo imong mga plano. nga musukol ka or mu-warning sa ubang passengers. pero kung sa actual na, kulba man diay kaayo. hehehe. mao nang, kung makaya, dili gyud ko mag-jeep. especially kung 21 ug 13 nga mga rota kay murag pirmi ka kulbaan. hahaha. sauna, nadala pud gyud to akong wallet. unya gilabay nga wala nay sulod sa may city savings bank atbang sa metro. gitawagan ko sa guard nga nakapunit. unya magpabayad pud siya kay siya daw nakapunit. paita. hahaha.
christopher john, pagdala na lang sunod ug arnis. pareho ni tibo. hehe
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