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I AM
sure you have heard about it: driving by memory.
That
applies only, though, in Metro Manila.
Driving
by memory means you’ve got to have good memory in order
to survive Metro Manila’s traffic and road system.
How do I
mean?
Or, what
do I mean?
I mean,
you need to know the roads in the metropolis like the
palm of your hand.
Or, if
you can’t be that, if you can’t master the entire
complexities of the Big City’s road network, at least
you should memorize your path in driving to your place
of work and back.
Knowing
your route by heart from home to office and back is more
or less the formula by which to avoid accidents while
you are behind the wheel.
That
means you need to memorize the locations of the
following in order to avoid hitting them, thereby
ensuring a smooth ride for you and your family day in
and day out:
1)
Potholes;
2)
The
concrete-and-wire structures along Commonwealth Avenue
and Edsa that are supposedly reserved for
loading/unloading passengers of public utility vehicles
(PUVs); and
3)
The tiny
islands that are supposed to segregate the buses from
other vehicles plying Edsa.
The
potholes still dot the roads of the metropolis,
including
Makati
City.
In the
olden days,
Makati was the model of road safety and roadworthiness.
When
Mesyong Yabut (bless his soul) was
Makati
mayor, he had a brigade that did nothing but spot roads
that had holes. A hole as small as a one-peso coin would
be immediately patched up.
“That
was done to prevent a small hole from becoming big,”
said Rudy Salud, then the right-hand man of Yabut.
“It’s the principle of nipping it in the bud. It made
sense because a big, gaping hole would always start from
a small one. This approach of Mayor Yabut to the
problem made Makati the envy of many because of its
smooth roads all year round.”
Alas and
alack,
Makati isn’t like that anymore.
Okay,
its main roads are really nice. Spic-and-span. But try
going through Makati’s interior roads and you will see
many streets dotted with potholes.
It’s the
same with many other major cities in the metropolis,
including Quezon City and Manila.
They are
all one and the same: the major streets are
pothole-free, but not the side streets. Mostly, their
major roads look good, but seemingly only for show.
Okay,
maybe, Marikina would be an exception.
I cover
many of the interior roads of
Marikina
regularly because many of my relatives who are scattered
in the so-called Fernando country.
I have
to give it to the wife of Bayani Fernando, known simply
as MCF, who is mayor of Marikina.
Besides
keeping the city of
Marikina
really clean almost all year round, MCF has this good
habit of maintaining the city’s roads pothole-free. I
find it convenient and comfortable driving even late at
night in Marikina because I need not worry about
suddenly hitting a pothole or a hump either in the
middle of a highway or a side street.
How
about those concrete-and-wire structures built by
Fernando supposedly to load and unload passengers?
My, they
are nothing but a piece of junk, not being used at all
and, worse, they cause deadly accidents to unknowing
motorists.
They are
the same as the islands and other concrete slabs placed
indiscriminately along Edsa and
Commonwealth Avenue.
They
never serve the purpose for which they have been
erected.
I live
in a village along
Commonwealth Avenue
and I’ve had visitors telling me about the horror of
almost hitting said structures.
“First
of all, they are unlighted and they seem to suddenly
appear in front of you,” said one friend of mine. “No
wonder I always hear about
Commonwealth Avenue
being labeled as the Death Highway. Is it because of
those structures?”
Those
structures built for loading/unloading passengers are
never used at all.
First,
they are placed in an area where it is inconvenient for
passengers to go to. Why? Because they are placed quite
far from a pedestrian overpass.
Who
would walk “one more mile” to a loading/unloading area
that has no jeepney/bus/taxi in it in the first place?
The PUVs
are immediately parked right in front of the pedestrian
overpass to pick up/unload passengers. Convenience is
the name of the game.
And the
traffic cops?
Well,
they also benefit from this setup because they seem to
apparently collect fees from the PUV drivers for
“illegally” loading/unloading passengers in no
loading/no unloading areas.
When
this will end, only time can tell.
Pee
stop.
Joe
Cajili, the chicken king of Bacolod, said he has learned
to love his Vitara after “trading” his Fortuner to his
son. “My son has a growing family and he says he needs a
bigger ride,” says Joe. “I’m just a father, so I let go
of my Fortuner for his Vitara.” |
