NOBODY saw me inside the World Trade Center during the recent 2nd Philippine International Motor Show. Nobody here means anyone I know from the automotive industry.

I did that on purpose.

Not that I was pissed off by the security dragnet thrown into the place as a result of the President’s presence as the guest of honor on opening day.

I got carried away.

I forgot that if you are a mere masa, you ought to take things as they come.

The President was there. And so, you have to give way to her every inch of the way. Hand her the pedestal.

Follow orders.

The man in uniform tells you, “You drive this way,” you follow or you run the risk of being tagged a would-be assassin. You could be led into a makeshift interrogation room in the heat of the noonday sun.

Don’t enter here, you follow.

You can’t park here, you follow.

Heed “Off Limits” signs to the letter.

You are media? You are from the press?

Go to hell.

“No media-media here, no press-press with us.”

Still, I lost my cool.

But not aimed at the armed robots.

Since I’m a man with a mission, I still want to live.

So, what did I do?

I left my ride at some place where the men in uniform were out of sight. Next, I walked about a kilometer to get to the venue.

I went straight to the washroom. Washed my face, neck, hair. Almost, I took a bath.

I had a lunch date with Danny “Sir John” Isla of Toyota that day, opening day. I skipped that.

To be fair with everybody, I didn’t present myself to anyone.

Did away with hellos, good-byes. Easier that way.

I just glanced at the booths, cars on display and models and next, I sneaked out of the place.

I had vowed to return on Sunday, August 24, the last day of the motor show.

Broke my promise.

The next day, I was gripped with guilt.

Then, the guilt heightened when press kits arrived one by one from Honda, Toyota and Volvo.

“We missed you during the show,” each one of them said.

Actually, I indian-ed Toyota’s Danny “Sir John” Isla twice.

After failing to show up for my lunch date on August 21 with Sir John, I was also a no-show in the 20th anniversary of Toyota the following day.

I felt bad because of the security hassles at the motor show, I felt sad not being able to attend the Toyota event because I missed wearing my coat and tie—an occasion I always cherish because I rarely wear that costume.

“Remember, we go Japanese casual tomorrow night,” Sir John reminded.

To us in the motoring-beat pack, Japanese casual is coat and tie.

Oh, yes, why did I miss out on the Toyota anniversary?

Not that the President was there again as guest of honor.

Family had done me in. Had to attend to an emergency.

“Family first at all times, Sir,” said Ana Agregado.

Thanks, Ana.

Elijah Sue Marcial was prompt in giving us advice to avoid security hassles on August 22.

“Please be inside the hotel and enter the ballroom now,” Elijah said in a text message. “The program will start in 30 minutes.”

More of an order, if I read it right. Which was good and politically correct, as any event that has the President as chief guest would naturally require the strictest of discipline and decorum.

These are uncertain times. Leaders would have to be secured to the fullest. No room for even the minutest hitch to mar proceedings.

That’s why I can’t complain.

You let out even a whimper and you know not anything about security.

Scanning the motor-show kits I received, and reading the accounts of the motor show from several papers after the event, I can see that Honda’s Jazz was a hit, that Toyota’s concept A-BAT (Man) drew raves and that Volvo’s safety features again grabbed headlines.

I’m glad that there’s a new edition of the Jazz.

When the Jazz first hit the market a while back—when Arnel Doria was still on top of things at every major Honda event, and ably assisted by Tintin Reyes and She de los Santos—the car buffs were a bit skeptical.

But then the Jazz’s versatility would soon create ripples—ripples that soon graduated into waves.

Today, the Jazz is an icon in the small-car segment.

Not only is it strong and fast and macho. Small but terrible. Its being a superb fuel-efficient monster makes the Jazz the King of the Midgets.

In these times of unceasing pain at the pump, the small becomes big. Small in quantity and content, but definitely big in consumption.

Pee stop

Doy Liwag was again a virtual one-man army in ensuring anew the success of the Tito Eduque-Kamayan Golf Tournament at Aguinaldo.  Cheers, Doy! Was I glad to break bottle again with the Lancer-driving Tony S, Innova-driving Jake P.A., Ernie, Joey, Rory, Bart, Boysie and Accord-driving Virgil; I see them all only once a year—at the Kamayan Golf now on its 22nd year.

WHO said the stick shift was dead?

Don’t tell that to Toyota people like Raymond Rodriguez and Jing Atienza. Formula One freaks themselves, they’d be the first to tell you the stick shift is here to stay.

THERE are motor shows and there are motor shows. One could say that each and every one has its own peculiarity. The Tokyo Motor Show is all about technology. In Detroit it is all about power and muscle, while in Paris it is almost always about auto fashion. (What? It is France, after all!)

PGMA airs need for alternative fuels, help from Campi

DURING the recently concluded 2nd Philippine International Motor Show, no less than President Arroyo’s expressed the government’s desire to harness biofuels and encouraged the local automotive industry to offer hybrid cars to the public in order to “free the country” from total reliance from oil-producing countries.

ONE day, my youngest kid Juan Miguel asked me: “What makes you angry when you’re driving?”

NOBODY saw me inside the World Trade Center during the recent 2nd Philippine International Motor Show. Nobody here means anyone I know from the automotive industry.

First of two parts

TO the casual motorist, Stephane Peterhansel may be just another ordinary Frenchman who drives a Mitsubishi Outlander, with a preference for the Mitsubishi Pajero. But to the hard-core enthusiast, he is one of the most decorated drivers in motorsports history.