“In a real examination, 50 percent of drivers in the Philippines will fail… They are not only reckless but they are also stupid.” –Senator Majority Leader Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III

With the positive outcome from the recently implemented policies requiring motorcycle drivers to wear helmets and cracking down on jaywalking, Bacolod City is moving towards a citizenry that is beginning to understand the meaning of personal safety and raking in a good amount of funds for the city – enforcing the law is not just about laying down order, it’s also another way for the city to generate revenue without having to dig into the wallets of city residents through taxes or charging fees for everything.
Beyond the rules, there is also the matter of handling the attitudes of drivers. Something recently touched upon by Senate Majority Leader Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III when he discussed having an authentic driving test, which he says half the drivers on the road today would probably fail. “They are not only reckless but they are also stupid,” he quipped – blunt language but backed up by facts.
Yesterday, took to the roads to run errands, beginning around 10:30 a.m. Drove into the Eroreco area, maneuvering the narrow streets outside the Our Lady of Mercy Specialty Hospital. With the roads both narrow and in need to urgent repair, the area is made even tighter with individuals parking along the road. One particular area was extremely narrow, with an SUV parked along the road – with the driver and passengers just sitting in the car – while trying to get through, a car heading the opposite direction tried to force their vehicle in first and blocked the road. Seeing how close everybody was, the idling vehicle opened their window to fold in their rearview mirror and as the opposing vehicle continued to assert themselves, impact was made and rearview mirrors hit.
Prior to the impact, opened the window to let them know there was no space as they pressed forward. In the end, the driver never opened their window. It would be very enlightening to know where they are coming from. Where in their “logic” does it say it is alright to move forward when there is, clearly, no space? What is their definition of “right of way?”
That area is constantly problematic, because of the traffic and poor infrastructure, yet neither traffic enforcer nor barangay police are every deployed – and it’s directly in front of a hospital, a place that should not be so congested, in order to allow the swift admission of patients.
Continuing on the journey, it did not take long before encountering an extremely slow-moving vehicle. There is one frame of mind that says to drive slow, as it is the more careful option, but the speed this particular driver was going, it would appear he had the car in neutral and was just rolling along. At first, assumed there may have been a tricycle or trisicad in front of him, but there was none – the slow pace was all his doing. A clearing showed up and moved around the van, the response? Once in front of the vehicle, he honked.
What is this attitude? Drive slow and inconvenience those behind and when they grow sick of it, the said nuisance gets angry? How inflated is one’s ego that they believe the world is meant to be subservient to their desires?
After that episode, driving passed St. Scholastica’s Academy and towards the University of St. La Salle (USLS), a tricycle driver was riding between lanes, as usual. A woman ahead waved him over and he began to pull over to pick her up. As he was pulling over, he suddenly turned back onto the road and nearly sideswiped the car. Gave him a honk and he went right back to pulling over.
The attitude exhibited is one most tricycle drivers carry around with them, the belief there is nobody else on the road and they are free to swerve in and out of lanes, stop anywhere they place, park anywhere, or drive against traffic and they have no responsibility, the onus is on other drivers to accommodate them – pretty arrogant for a population that begs for sympathy because its their “livelihood.”
With the city working on cracking down on colorum, or unlicensed, tricycle drivers – something that could have been done earlier, but unfortunately it took a rape before anybody decided to take action – one can hope more is done to combat the abuses committed by tricycle and trisicad drivers across the city.
Getting to the light at B.S. Aquino Drive and moving into the center lane, the car approaching from the rear let out an extended honk of the horn. The car was turning right, with plenty of space, it is unclear why he was honking. With the window open when he was sidled next door, asked what was the honking for and he sped off to make his right turn. Again, it would be nice if they would inform others of their logic. Why, when there is ample space to execute a turn, does one honk at other vehicles? Was his van serving as an ambulance and other vehicles are supposed to move out his way? Nobody will ever know since he never bothered to answer the question.
After making the turn, and driving through the ever-treacherous road with pedestrians from the hospitals randomly crossing, cars ignoring the red light and proceeding ahead and nearly hitting traffic making the turn from USLS, and the jeepneys idled along the road who drive into traffic without looking, creating near misses every meter until reaching the Hilado Extension. Just like the tricycle drivers, why do jeepney drivers never look when merging into traffic? Is it the same attitude, they feel no responsibility to be wary of other drivers? There was even a situation along Gatuslao Street, a jeepney went full-speed ahead to cut into traffic, nearly hitting the passenger side of the car – again, when approached for an explanation of their actions, no response.
Finally, heading towards Burgos Public Market, traffic was inconsistent, moving at random speeds and making sudden stops every so often. Moved to the side a bit and saw the line of vehicles was being backed up because of one trisicad driver – one who was not even peddling, just letting the momentum move him along, without a care in the world and (impressively) blocking out the fact that multiple cars were backing up behind him. A classic display of narcissism and self-absorption, again, from a community that claims they deserve sympathy because of hardships – for anybody to be so nonchalant about being a nuisance to others and able to carry on with their own desires and having zero consider for others, those are not the characteristics of somebody “struggling in life.”
Plus, beyond the trisicad, with everybody stuck in the congestion, why were the taxis trying to squeeze passed everybody else and forcing themselves back into the lane? Is there an unwritten rule that all motorists must yield to the demands of taxi drivers? Are city drivers forced to risk being side-swiped by taxis because they have an unrelenting need to push ahead of others? Are taxi drivers not allowed to wait in line like everybody else? – Another so-called humble profession with attitudes of enormous self-importance.
With the city moving forward with this push for law enforcement on the roads, one can only hope real patrols begin to take place and more and more nuisance drivers are forced to face the consequences they are long overdue for./WDJ