The Price Of Being In The Philippines

I thought about using this title when I was getting a replacement for my long overdue expired drivers license. Yes I drived with it for quite sometime (and I mean it!). I was trying to finish my blog entry that day but because of untrustful people around I couldn't write the story using my phone cause it will be a target of snatchers and holduppers. But how come I am using the same title again?Here it goes!

It was 8:15 pm tuesday night when Lai texted me she was alone in Cubao (we were exchanging sms before that) and her dinner date cannot be with her.(an INDIAN national perhaps-joke!). She asked me where I am...being the resident "lakwatchera"(person you find in almost every place) of the group she just told me her friend can't make it and she feels alone. So since I was
on my way home (my dad would be happy to see me home before 9pm) and have no other thing to do I decided to join Lai. I tried texting Tet cause I can fetch her but it just happened that she was not answering my call. Called Flor(sorry) forgot its her day-off. After a few minutes Tet returned my call, she just reached home and is not in the mood to go out (I usually have that feeling too when I reach home I will not have the urge to go out). So I think I will be singing,dancing and doing stuffs alone in my car!

Since its a rush hour the traffic was heavy and decided to pass an alternate route. Reached the vicinity around 9, since there's some traffic rerouting I found myself back to the hi-way again! 1 go signal...I was left 3 cars away from the batch that was able to get thru. Go again aha! this is my time...suddenly the red signal was up, I was in the intersection of EDSA and AURORA as in on the middle part with the island and MRT station above it. Normally since there are traffic enforcers (yes they are swarming around that corner around 6 of them) they would signal the other side to delay their momentum for GO! I was left with no choice but to go forward...then a traffic enforcer signaled me to pull over pointing to the red traffic light. Ok ok don't know what's my violation now! He asked for my drivers license and car registration (OR AND CR), well
I'm driving a few month old car 3 months to be exact....here when you drive a good model/new car (I can't call my car a luxury one) they tend to find fault/violations for the driver,their notion?the driver is rich! Ok,eventhough I saw the one in front of me which happens to be a
PUJ (public utility jeepney) pass thru withour any violations.well I know they just want something out of me!

The traffic enforcers said I beat the red light. when I told him my side he said it is prohibited in to go forth even if I was in the middle of the island! Then he passed me to a city traffic enforcer (well in this country different rules apply in every city depending on who the mayor is) got my license ...he was trying to look for something in my drivers license case (nomally other driver's
insert money in this slots if ever they get a traffic violation it will automatically go to the apprehending officer result...no more ticket). I don't practice putting money inside it! Well normally when a MMDA traffic enforcer got you for a traffic violation the MMDA head
recommended not confiscating the driver's license and just issue a traffic violation ticket and pay the dues directly to the bank. Many were positive about this law but not the traffic enforcers....why do filipino bribe these people? It's because when they confiscate your license sometimes its a big hassle locating your license and sometimes even locating the officer. So when the no confiscating of license was approved, at least you can drive with a drivers license in your possession and a ticket at the same time. Now what happened? When I told the officer to just give me a ticket they were shocked! And told me I had a serious violation blah blah blah! Ok I know it already....then when the MMDA said I was within QUEZON CITY, their laws will apply(actually it was a hi-way violation so its suppose to be the MMDA!) so they have to confiscate my license and get it in their city hall. My my!this freaked me out! No way! That city
hall is very far and it will be hard to locate my license .(well of course I know what they want to hear!ok sir here's a small amount of blah blah blah! ok money!!). I got a 100 peso bill and secretly folded it and gave it to the city traffic officer! Both of them are asking each other if its ok (the amount!the nerve! Its like robbing people) when suddenly they realized I have a doctor on call card in my car, I don't know there was a turnaround (I know that amount was small and they will ask for more and threat me with the violation ekek)! Sudden change of attitude! They were courteous! I told them I can give them some giveaways...the traffic enforcer said oh Dra! Sorry, he even told the MMDA Dra is in a hurry! Then the enforcer asked for MOBIC(for pain/rheumatism) from me,and since they thought of me as a doctor told him to go for FLANAX!(our company's product!) Its cheaper and effective! To make it short...I got
used of dealing with this people! Unless I'm really guilty of something I'm a-ok!

This is hmmm my 5th violation in my 10 year driving experience! 1st - entering a one way street in Makati, that same day using mobile phone while driving in Makati, 3rd driving without seat belt in Batangas, 4th disregarding of traffic sign but that time there were 2 of us but the
enforcer didn't let the other "old" car to pull over. I think they just want to get something with the new car! And the 5th was last night but with all the violations...I just got 1 official traffic violation ticket! The price of being a filipino-good or bad?)

Sometimes its really unimaginable...see? I can be a good citizen but with the system we are into I tend to be a bad one! I want to be fair but how can I? They were not in the first place!

I arrived a little late with my meeting with Lai,(9:10) well I called her up when I was apprehended but really its no big deal! I enjoyed chatting with Lai after an hour and a half we decided to leave starbucks and I sent her to the bus station but know what? She stayed 10 minutes more before getting off the car!Hmmmm after doing hazzard lights in Ayala
Ave. everytime I send Flor to work, now I'm upgraded to EDSA anyway it was not the first time...we did that trying to shoot the ijuksa billboard! 10:45pm on the way home...no more crocodiles around reached home at 11:00pm!