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Toughest Place To Be A …

Bus Driver

In this programme in the series where British workers accept the challenge to do their jobs in some of the toughest conditions in the world, London bus driver Josh West heads to Manila, the capital of the Philippines and the most densely populated city on Earth.

Josh will be driving a Jeepney, a colorfully decorated, adapted jeep which has no power steering, dodgy lights and an uncomfortable seat. His host is Rogelio Castro and together they brave the chaos of the streets. It’s a hair-raising and often hilarious ride, but Josh also learns about the incredible over-crowding and devastating poverty of Manila.

He forms a strong bond with Rogelio and is moved by the daily struggle of an ordinary Filipino working to feed his family. It’s an emotional roller coaster and Josh returns a changed man, aware that all the separates his life from Rogelio’s is the country he happened to be born in.

Binman

London binman Wilbur Ramirez is heading to Jakarta, the vast mega city that is the capital of Indonesia. For ten days Wilbur works with Imam, one of the army of semi-destitute binmen who collect rubbish in one of the biggest and fastest growing cities in the world.

From the health and safety conscious world of British waste management, Wilbur enters a life of squalor and poverty – staying next to a fly-ridden dump and joining Imam’s back breaking daily round as he collects the rubbish of Jakarta’s wealthy. It’s a moving journey as Wilbur discovers the insecurity and danger that dominates Imam’s life, and his powerlessness to change his circumstances.

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  1. Where’s the link 🙂 ???

  2. Very Touching Documentary, A Real Eye Opener, Guarenteed To Make You Appreciate What We Have Here In The States. Cried A Couple Of Times Watching This Film, Sometimes We Take For Granted Of What We Have Here, And Lots Of Americans Dont Take Advantage Of the Opportunities We Have Here. But Bring A Man (The Phillipine Bus Driver) Here Into The States, And He Would Become Very Successful!. Because He Works Hard To Achieve His Goals. To Support A Family Under Those Conditions Is Harder Than What We As Americans Go Through Even In This Recession. We Just We Went Into Recession, He Lives A Recession Everyday Of His Life. But Because Of His Hard Work, He Achieves Much, And It Really Made Me Appreciate This Film. Really Good Film.

  3. Good Doc’s.

  4. I think Josh is amazing (and sexy too!!). If your reading this Josh, you are wonderful! Great documentary and hugs from Canada 😉

    Amy

  5. interesting documentary.. love the mumford and son’s in the background!!!

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  7. Fascinating documentary. I would like to see more of this series.

  8. Have also spent a couple of years working in the Philippines, including Manila, and while I did drive in the cities – which probably generated more road-rage in me than I have ever experienced anywhere, I would not at all want to drive a Jeepney! Just focussing on the road is bad enough. Trying to keep track of passengers, money and an extremely difficult vehicle to drive would be just that bit too much! The disparity between the wealth & the poverty, like Jakarta, is frightening. I can remember one time standing on a street corner in south Jakarta counting the BMW’s and Mercedes passing by while looking at the shanties that started on the other side of the road. Manila is no different. Excellent programmes!

  9. Fascinating docu. Having worked in Jakarta, Imam and his family are so archetypal of the people there. A huge gulf between those who have and those who haven’t. and the ones inJakarta/ Indonesia who haven’t are some of the nicest, most generous people I have met anywhere in the world.