The Essence of Waiting Shed

Commuting can be a challenge for anyone having to brave the scorching heat or bad weather. Have you tried standing in an open area, waiting for your ride and hoping for a shade?

Thankfully, we have waiting sheds now, because an umbrella is not enough to protect us from the discomfort of standing underneath the sun's glare. Numerous waiting sheds have been built alongside roads for bus stops or waiting line for passengers in several terminals. Even villages have their own waiting shed erected outside their gates. I don't know anyone who doesn't have a clue what a waiting shed is or haven't seen one for that matter. A waiting shed is a roofed-in structure built primarily for the comfort of waiting passengers.

This artifact is often made of wood, glass-like wall panels or steel. Some waiting sheds are open on all sides or have a wall that covers just the back. But no matter how its roof can keep the glare of the sun away, that minuscule shed doesn't always protect you from the rain. Because of its open structure, rain with gusty winds will definitely get you soaked.

In some countries however, you'll find waiting sheds cramped not just with passengers, but with vendors who took it in their minds that it's legal to sell goods unless caught by authorities. So, on a rush hour, the shed does not provide enough space. Still, there are places where sheds have few waiting passengers, especially those built along secluded highways. It's almost scary to be waiting there alone at night with the possibility of being robbed.

Withal, waiting sheds are also used for advertisement. Entrepreneurs have discovered another mode of publicly posting and endorsing their products through ads posted on waiting shed's walls. Yet, business people, vendors and passengers are not the only ones who discovered the benefit of waiting sheds. Politicians have also used this as a way of promoting themselves and posting their candidacy. Some have funded waiting sheds to be built. They improve the look of this sheds by fixing or painting the structure. Sadly, when votes have been given, and elections are over, some sheds seen to be in a sorry state.

Whoever is making gaining profit or benefits more out of the waiting sheds, we don't have a clue. Whether the vendors use it, businessmen, politicians, or mainly for us commuters, be it used for terminals, bus, seaports or airports, as long as they'll build more of it to provide us shade, who would want to complain?