Four times a week, I used to ride a multicab (mini version of a jeepney) along Buendia to get to Mall of Asia. Morning and evening, four times a week, I am still amused by the barker-commuter problem. What is it? Guess I'll just say - having too much freedom.
As I have said earlier, the multicab is a mini version of a jeepney that can accommodate sixteen passengers. Since it is small, aside from the heat the commuters need to deal with, going in and out of the cab is a plus plus adventure. Hence, passengers chose to fill in the seat near the end and bring forth the barker-commuter problem. Because people wants to fill in first the seats near the end, most of the time, the cab won't be filled because the available seats are those near the driver and no one wants it there. The result - barkers get mad since the rest of the passenger will go to the next cab and the first cab can't go on with its route. That is the problem with giving a person too much freedom. Yes, we have individual needs and wants, we do not want the heat and the hassle of going in/out of the cab and we have a choice to fill that want. But if that freedom just fills our personal whims and become unreasonable hindering the welfare of the general whole, it is not good anymore.
Freedom is a privilege for us individuals but we should not abuse it just for the sake of filling our personal whims. We are part of a community and the sum of our individual freedom should result for the benefit of the community we are in.
