Cat in the Bus Compartment?!?!

Today, April 13, my mom and I were in a loooooooooong line at the bus terminal of Genesis in Pasay City. Our cat, Jerbie, was with us (it's Holy Week and we were headed to my father's province); she was caged and leashed. Knowing Jerbie, who is afraid of EVERYTHING and EVERYONE, she was cowering inside her carrier, not making ANY sound.

We arrived at the bus terminal at around 5 in the morning (we left home at 4:15) and we were in the looooooong line for three and half hours. There were people cutting in the line, two people reserving for seven people, so naturally, I was pissed of, majorly. My mom and I were ranting all over the place, our fellow passengers-waiting-in-the-line doing the same thing.

When FINALLY, we were a few people away from entering the Saulog bus, the dispatcher, conductor, bus driver, practically almost everyone working for Genesis and/or Saulog told us that we have to put Jerbie INSIDE THE BUS COMPARTMENT! AS IN THE ONE BENEATH THE BUS!! THE ONE OPEN ON THE SIDE OF THE BUS AND FEELS HELLISH HOT WHEN OPENED!!

Can you not see that she's afraid?!?!

I felt like I was electrocuted. My mom, too. We pleaded to let Jerbie in with us, saying that she's caged and leashed a
nd quiet, but NOOOOOOOOO! They insisted that we put her in the baggage compartment.

Bes, iba yung shock ko. Sabi nga, I was shooked! Jerbie is a cat which has a life!! We took care and is currently taking care of Jerbie for five years already! She got lost and I found her before. My mom regularly goes to the vet to have Jerbie vaccinated. AND NOW, YOU'RE TELLING US TO STOW OUR PRECIOUS CAT IN YOUR OVEN TOASTER OF A BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT?!?! She's scared of her fellow cats! She likes cold water! THEN YOU'RE TELLING US TO KEEP HER INSIDE A DARK AND EXTREMELY HOT COMPARTMENT FOR THREE, POSSIBLY LONGER, HOURS?!?! ARE YOU FREAKIN'G KIDDING ME?!?!?! Ikaw kaya isalpak ko sa ilalim ng bus sa init ng panahong ito???

I know, we may be in fault as well. We should've asked the moment we got there whether our cat would be allowed in. Should we have, we could have hired another taxi the moment we got there and by the time I am writing this (at 10:30AM), we could've been lounging in my granparents' old home.

I just assumed that Jerbie will be allowed in, since I recall seeing roosters (for cockfight) inside provincial buses before. I also assumed that since Jerbie is caged, and leashed, and is practically mute, she would be allowed in. Apparently not.

How could you let a cat ride the core of a bus?!?

But then again, WHY ARE ANIMALS NOT PERMITTED INSIDE BUSES?! It's not as if we had a pig or a horse with us! It's not as if we did not prepare Jerbie's cage!

So, what did we do? We hired a cab to bring us to Pampanga. We paid P2,000.00 for a ride to SM San Fernando, rather than pay for less than 500-peso ride for two that would have brought us almost a stone-throw away from my grandparents' old home with the possibility of Jerbie becoming a cat mush. We actually thought of going back home even after all those waiting.  We would have rather wasted three and half hours than let our beloved cat die in fear and suffocation.

Even at Barney's Burger, where we had our lunch, we were not allowed in because Jerbie was with us. JERBIE WAS IN A FREAKING CAGE!!!!

It's just unfair! I wonder what PETA and PAWS has to say about these kinds of animal cruelty.

Here's my vlog on our Holy Week vacation, day 1: