My friend Terlili and I rode the Metro Railway Transit (MRT) yesterday afternoon for the first time. We had to meet up with another friend at Shangrila Mall (sa Mocha Blend daw) by 5:30pm and getting there ON TIME using my car was impossible. Promptly at 5pm, Terlili and I met at the Bank's lobby and, with just our coin purses and cellphones neatly tucked inside Terlili's teensy kikay bag, we rode a jeepney along Buendia headed towards EDSA and once there, climbed up the stairway leading to the MRT Terminal.I must say that we were impressed with the system. Either that or its because it was our first time and it wasn't rush hour yet. For those people (like us) who still had to buy passage tickets (size of a credit card), we queued properly at the ticket booth waiting our turn. For those who had prepaid tickets with them, they purposefully strode to the turnstiles, inserting their cards at the proper angle and,without skipping a beat, proceeded to the loading area. The Buendia terminal was devoid of any form of graffitti in its walls and the walkways were kept clean. While Terlili and I were waiting for the train to arrive, I couldn't help but reminisce about the countless times I rode the subway in New York, the T in Boston and the Amtrak when I was still a graduate student living in America. From your point of origin up to your destination, you share an air-conditioned train coach with people from all walks of life. You see some professionals engaged in serious business conversation, lovey-dovey couples, students, office messengers, and various other commuters. If only there was a central parking area where people can leave their cars and take the train to their various destinations, traffic would not be so bad in the metropolis.As the train whizzed past atop EDSA, Terlili and I were looking out at the cars below and told ourselves that if I had decided to drive, we'd still be in Buendia somewhere, stuck with the traffic lights, and once we get to Mandaluyong, we'd still have to deal with where to park. Lo and behold, at exactly 5:25pm, Terlili and I were sipping Mocha Frapps at Mocha Blend inside Shangrila Mall.If you find yourself in a rush to get to a place at a certain time, leave your car in a safe place and take the MRT. For the first time, I found something genuinely nice to say about the transportation system in Metro Manila.Sakay Na!! (hehe, borrow ko WG&A plugging mo, Ate Shawie).