Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel felt anxious as she experienced commuting in Metro Manila by motorcycle.
The Filipino-American beauty queen on Tuesday posted a video of her riding a motorcycle taxi where she was seen looking at the roads worried and then closing her helmet.
“Thought being a passenger princess would be nicer than this,” she wrote on TikTok on August 6. It was geotagged in Metro Manila.
The fashion designer also posted the video on Instagram, where she shared her observation about vehicles and their honks.
“And do the honks mean ‘hello?’ Or move out of the way???” R’Bonney said in the caption.
The half-Pinay shared the rest of her thoughts in the video itself, where she wrote the following within the post:
“When you refuse to spend 2.5 hours in the car with traffic but now you have to worry about the upcoming [four] way intersection with no light, everyone ignoring the lane markings, and making it home before it rains.”
@rbonneynola Thought being a passenger princess would be nicer than this 🏍️ #angkas #manilaPhilippines ♬ original sound – GLOSS
In the Philippines, commuters who are in a hurry or who want to get to their destination as quickly as possible often book a motorcycle taxi through a ride-hailing app instead of riding four-wheeled vehicles.
This is because motorcycles, which only run on two wheels, are more agile and responsive, allowing them to accelerate and handle road curves faster than four-wheeled vehicles.
Their smaller sizes also make them easier to steer, as they require less mass to move compared to four-wheelers.
Such advantages have made motorcycle twxis a popular choice among commuters in the metro, where traffic is a constant issue.
Meanwhile, R’Bonney’s comments were acknowledged by Filipinos who agreed with her observations on the road.
“Our Miss Universe, the struggle is real when it comes to traffic in Manila,” a TikTok user wrote with a loudly crying emoji.
“HAHAHAHA, we all be avoiding traffic and rain at the same time (loudly crying emoji). Ingat lagi, Queen!” another user commented.
“So funny, reality hits,” wrote a different user.
Similar comments were spotted on her video post on Instagram.
“Hahahahaha, super relate. I’ll need to pray every time I ride Move It [or] Angkas. 50/50 talaga teh, hahaha,” a Pinoy commented.
“I said my prayers,” R’Bonney responded to the user with a folded hands emoji.
“Experiencing the Manila life in all its glory,” another Instagram user said.
In her past videos, R’Bonney shared that she has ridden a car-hailing service and experienced being stuck in metro traffic.
Her father’s family lives in Malate, Manila, which she would visit in summer during her childhood.
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The half-Pinay has been in the Philippines since April for “special projects” like modeling gigs and guest appearances.
R’Bonney has since extended her stay, sharing that it has always been her “dream” to live in the Philippines.
The beauty queen, who is also a sustainable fashion designer, said one of her goals is to “explore manufacturing and sewers and tailors and what supplies are” in the country in relation to fashion design.
