|
ONE day,
my youngest kid Juan Miguel asked me: “What makes you
angry when you’re driving?”
The
question caught me by surprise considering that it came
from an 11-year-old kid who is keen on driving his own
car someday. (He really wants to learn how to drive even
though he can hardly reach the pedals. He’s into karting
and plays all kinds of virtual-driving simulators on our
home computer and in the malls).
I wasn’t
able to answer his question immediately, so I listed my
answers all here:
1.
Drivers who show off on the road.
We have so many of them. Not a minute goes by when you
don’t see one whizzing by in a customized car.
The very
lax issuance of driver’s licenses opens the floodgates
to young (and rich) drivers. We are not against sons and
daughters of the rich driving their own cars for as long
as they are of driving age and are competent. This is a
free country, after all.
But some
youngsters are such crazy speedsters on the road that
they send chills up my spine when I imagine the
accidents they can cause. Many of them have no formal
driver training, they think they are “invincible” behind
the wheel and they seem to get a “high” from driving at
top speed.
2.
Drivers who don’t use their signal lights.
I really
hate those guys who act as though they own the road,
zigzagging in heavy traffic without using their signal
lights.
In many
places in Asia such as Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong,
where traffic rules are strictly followed, vehicles move
out of their lanes only after flashing their signal
lights.
I can be
cool on the street while driving, but sometimes I don’t
give an inch to drivers who want to swerve into my path
without using their signal lights. Those people should
be taught how to use their car’s safety gadgets
properly.
3.
Crisscrossing motorcycle riders.
Many motorcycle riders plying our streets have never
gone through riding school. This is not surprising in
this country where riding schools have only become
popular in the last few years.
This is
the main reason we have so many riders who ignore even
the simplest safety rules when riding their motorcycles.
The exceptions are those who have undergone Motorcycle
101 under companies, which provide clinics for their
buyers as a prerequisite.
4.
Intermittent road construction.
I really hate road repairs that are started and then
stopped by contractors for days or weeks. They are the
No. 1 cause of traffic, whether our officials admit it
or not.
It is an
open secret that road repairs are one of the easiest
ways for those who are in key positions (or those who
give their approval) to earn money. Unless this form of
corruption can be stopped, motorists should brace
themselves for more diggings and repairs—and more
traffic—since 2010 (election year) is near.
In many
developed countries, road-construction projects do not
last long. Work only takes a few days to finish while
patching potholes only takes several hours to complete.
Well,
these are just some of the “nightmares” on the street
that really get into my nerves. The only thing that we
all can do is keep our composure since our personal
safety and those around us depend on it.
Want to
see a classic example of road construction that doesn’t
seem to end?
Take a
look at the one along Pedro Gil in Santa Ana, Manila,
that has already eaten up almost half of the road.
Traffic in the area occurs 24/7.
Motorists have been complaining about it since workers
are almost nowhere to be seen at the site, especially at
night, when there are not enough lights to warn
motorists and pedestrians alike.
What is
the city government doing? Just asking! |
