News reports more than 5000 smoke belchers caught in Makati. Got a taste of this last Monday, being "randomly" flagged for checking along Gil Puyat Ave. I put quotes at "randomly" because I think they're looking for UV vehicles rather than real smoke belchers like jeepneys and buses. Why? Because jeepney and bus drivers probably don't pay much for the guys' lunch and dinner.
It was an indignant feeling. I don't see smoke coming out from the 2007 Innova I used. I have it regularly maintained, oil being changed every 5000km. And I've never once reached 3000rpm the whole 7 years I'm driving.
It was darn bad luck. I'm near the end of my oil change cycle, I'm pressed for time, and I'm IN Makati at 4pm weekday, and the ravenous smoke hunters are around. (I haven't been in Makati at that hour and day for the past few years!) I was only there to accompany our foreign visitor around the area, and the city gave its best to put a bad taste in her mouth.
Anyway, I failed THEIR tests. I couldn't believe the vehicle was that belchy, when I see jeepneys and bus with their wicked smoke everywhere. They tested at a (for me) unrealistic 3000 RPM. They put a board to seemingly fend off the smoke, though I'm more inclined to believe that board was designed to concentrate the smoke and make people fail THEIR tests. I got an average more than 3.0 in opacity. Must be their machines. It smells more like a cash register.
So there went my front vehicle plate. The guy was very amenable, seeing Angeles City on my license, WANTING to be helpful, hint hint. I dislike that. Fair is fair. Only if they're really fair. I don't believe what they do is about the environment. It looks more like the Php1.499 million. It's about money.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Friday, July 1, 2011
SLEX, New Highway Tops at 100km/h
SLEX from Alabang to Calamba was just newly renovated a few months ago. But today, they're now enforcing a strict 60 - 100 km/h speed. 100 km/h seems just a little slow for a new highway. Why not 110 km/h for a change? At least now there's a minimum speed limit of 60. Although that should have been 80. And it's still so much better than Congressional's 60km/h. Drivers there have a hard time maintaining that 60km/h magic number. It's a really wide highway for God's sake!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Exact Change
It was only fairly recently that the Exact Change lanes in NLEX disappeared. I think it was last year before the festivities of December. I used to hunt for the those special lanes before. But since they've disappeared, I don't miss them at all.
They can save a bit of time, but they also serve fewer people. Now, with more lanes open, all giving change, I think the average waiting time has actually decreased. I still usually pay exact change, even if not needed. But I've noticed the lines actually became shorter now.
Maybe it's luck, maybe it's schedule. Bottom line is right now, I'm still happy with NLEX.
They can save a bit of time, but they also serve fewer people. Now, with more lanes open, all giving change, I think the average waiting time has actually decreased. I still usually pay exact change, even if not needed. But I've noticed the lines actually became shorter now.
Maybe it's luck, maybe it's schedule. Bottom line is right now, I'm still happy with NLEX.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Only After Jeeps are Gone
An American visitor asked my dad once what he thought about the apparent infrastructure or government improvements in the Philippines. He asked in answer, "do you still see the jeepneys?" He continued, "As long as you see them, we haven't changed."
We can't deny the good that the MRT and LRT have done to public commuting, or the NLEX and SLEX and Skyway, despite some controversies. The MMDA at least is giving some effort to transparency, unlike the city governments. And we notice the minor tweaks being done to improve the major highways of the metropolis.
But still iconic to the Philippines is the jeepney. We export the idea of the jeepney as a local pride. It's a love-it-or-hate-it-or-both-at-the-same-time nationalistic manufacture, however anachronistic.
The jeepney is a symbol of the Philippines. But do we still want it to be our symbol? Or has it now become a handicap, bringing us back in time when we were arguably the American pearl of the orient? When technologically, everything else has improved leaps and bounds, we have helplessly, stoically depended on this vestige of both wartime and the glorious days when we were somewhere on top of Asia.
What is it with jeepneys that a lot of people have come to detest?
When I'm driving, I hate how they (and buses) control the average traffic speed with their wasteful driving antics. They sometimes drive too slow, because they're on a hunt. They hog two or three lanes without care to other vehicles. They swerve from Q. Ave's U-turn slots to the farthest lanes recklessly. And they don't even know how to make a left-turn or u-turn properly. They can't be expected to park properly, at most blocking one lane only, to load or unload passengers. They have a discourteous predisposition to split lanes and make three lanes into five lanes, causing severe traffic merge slowdowns. They get out of their lane, without regard to slowing incoming traffic, only get right back, because they see some prospects. And their totally bizarre claims in the TV that private vehicles are the cause of traffic! That does not follow.
When I ride them, I hate the cigarette smoke and the carbon monoxide gusting to my face. I hate it when jeepneys stop at inappropriate places to get passengers, and I dislike the people who do not know how to walk to the right stops or to get down the jeep only when it has parked properly. I don't like seeing mothers in the jeep teaching their children to throw the candy wrappers to the street. I don't like the jeepneys waiting too long at stops. I find the inhumane standard of squeezing 8 persons in a bench designed only for 7 anorexics objectionable. I dislike that they use fake driver's license to get away with their wholesale disregard for traffic rules and etiquettes. And I dislike the traffic enforcers in their pay to let them get away. I dislike them yet I depend on them. For some inexplicable reason, I've found them safer than taxis. But they could still be safer.
So where do we go from here? We're improving the roads, and the rules, and expanding our options. But will there be a place for jeeps in the future? Are we ready to move on to a better model, if there exists such? I'm afraid our politicians do not have the guts to do anything. Jeepney drivers and their families are voters after all. It's a big labor problem.
Is there a way to fix the mess, but still have jeeps? Perhaps the highly competitive jeepney market is an issue. Can the Philippines ultimately, progressively change after all, even if the jeepneys get to stay.
We can't deny the good that the MRT and LRT have done to public commuting, or the NLEX and SLEX and Skyway, despite some controversies. The MMDA at least is giving some effort to transparency, unlike the city governments. And we notice the minor tweaks being done to improve the major highways of the metropolis.
But still iconic to the Philippines is the jeepney. We export the idea of the jeepney as a local pride. It's a love-it-or-hate-it-or-both-at-the-same-time nationalistic manufacture, however anachronistic.
The jeepney is a symbol of the Philippines. But do we still want it to be our symbol? Or has it now become a handicap, bringing us back in time when we were arguably the American pearl of the orient? When technologically, everything else has improved leaps and bounds, we have helplessly, stoically depended on this vestige of both wartime and the glorious days when we were somewhere on top of Asia.
What is it with jeepneys that a lot of people have come to detest?
When I'm driving, I hate how they (and buses) control the average traffic speed with their wasteful driving antics. They sometimes drive too slow, because they're on a hunt. They hog two or three lanes without care to other vehicles. They swerve from Q. Ave's U-turn slots to the farthest lanes recklessly. And they don't even know how to make a left-turn or u-turn properly. They can't be expected to park properly, at most blocking one lane only, to load or unload passengers. They have a discourteous predisposition to split lanes and make three lanes into five lanes, causing severe traffic merge slowdowns. They get out of their lane, without regard to slowing incoming traffic, only get right back, because they see some prospects. And their totally bizarre claims in the TV that private vehicles are the cause of traffic! That does not follow.
When I ride them, I hate the cigarette smoke and the carbon monoxide gusting to my face. I hate it when jeepneys stop at inappropriate places to get passengers, and I dislike the people who do not know how to walk to the right stops or to get down the jeep only when it has parked properly. I don't like seeing mothers in the jeep teaching their children to throw the candy wrappers to the street. I don't like the jeepneys waiting too long at stops. I find the inhumane standard of squeezing 8 persons in a bench designed only for 7 anorexics objectionable. I dislike that they use fake driver's license to get away with their wholesale disregard for traffic rules and etiquettes. And I dislike the traffic enforcers in their pay to let them get away. I dislike them yet I depend on them. For some inexplicable reason, I've found them safer than taxis. But they could still be safer.
So where do we go from here? We're improving the roads, and the rules, and expanding our options. But will there be a place for jeeps in the future? Are we ready to move on to a better model, if there exists such? I'm afraid our politicians do not have the guts to do anything. Jeepney drivers and their families are voters after all. It's a big labor problem.
Is there a way to fix the mess, but still have jeeps? Perhaps the highly competitive jeepney market is an issue. Can the Philippines ultimately, progressively change after all, even if the jeepneys get to stay.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
MMDA Traffic Enforcer Scam
The gullible me got caught more than a year ago for some arguable traffic violation. I got caught turning right on the second lane of the North-bound EDSA to Shaw Blvd. It was 8am in a Sunday morning and traffic is light except for the buses that prevented me from turning using the rightmost lane. As soon as I turned using the second turning lane, I got flagged and told that I swerved. It was a reckless violation that costs 500php. (Wait a minute. Why do we have a two-lane-wide right turn provision from EDSA to Shaw when you can't turn on the 2nd lane???)
I asked for a ticket, and the MMDA guy gave me one. He also asked me to pay for the ticket so that he can give back my license already. And so I thought I was doing well. Since I got the ticket receipt, I thought it was OK.
When I got back home, however, I inspected my first ever ticket in my life and saw that only 200php was written on it. Hmmm, I have some complaining to do. I checked on MMDA to find out that I have no pending dues. That, I thought meant the traffic enforcer remitted my payment fine. But still he must have pocketed 300php of it.
I went to the MMDA headquarters to file my complaints. I thought I would do my country proud to try to do the right thing. A few minutes there however dampened my desire to do just that. It rained hard, and I don't have any idea how to proceed and the people there just seem so unhelpful. Traffic adjudication takes too long that it's difficult to justify it with my precious time.
So I went home empty-handed, willing to forget about the traffic enforcer, curse him, and say goodbye to my traffic ticket and give up any hopes for MMDA.
~~~
Until... I tried renewing my license four days ago. I found out I was on the alarm list. The only possibility was that the cursed traffic enforcer didn't remit the payment after all. I was wrong. He didn't pocket 300php of it. He pocketed everything, and gave me a ticket to boot (which was my fault, because I asked for it, wanting to do the right thing, and got kicked twice instead).
I asked for a ticket, and the MMDA guy gave me one. He also asked me to pay for the ticket so that he can give back my license already. And so I thought I was doing well. Since I got the ticket receipt, I thought it was OK.
When I got back home, however, I inspected my first ever ticket in my life and saw that only 200php was written on it. Hmmm, I have some complaining to do. I checked on MMDA to find out that I have no pending dues. That, I thought meant the traffic enforcer remitted my payment fine. But still he must have pocketed 300php of it.
I went to the MMDA headquarters to file my complaints. I thought I would do my country proud to try to do the right thing. A few minutes there however dampened my desire to do just that. It rained hard, and I don't have any idea how to proceed and the people there just seem so unhelpful. Traffic adjudication takes too long that it's difficult to justify it with my precious time.
So I went home empty-handed, willing to forget about the traffic enforcer, curse him, and say goodbye to my traffic ticket and give up any hopes for MMDA.
~~~
Until... I tried renewing my license four days ago. I found out I was on the alarm list. The only possibility was that the cursed traffic enforcer didn't remit the payment after all. I was wrong. He didn't pocket 300php of it. He pocketed everything, and gave me a ticket to boot (which was my fault, because I asked for it, wanting to do the right thing, and got kicked twice instead).
Beating the Red Light
You're coming up to an intersection. Traffic light is green. BUT unfortunately the other side is full, cars on a standstill. Do you still cross the intersection, knowing there's a big chance you're going to be obstructing the intersecting road once their traffic signal goes green?
I've seen this case too often enough and it's one major cause of heavy traffic in Metro Manila. Perhaps MMDA should just redefine "Beating the Red Light" to "Getting Caught by the Red Light". Then, no matter if it's green or orange. As long as the Red Light catches you blocking the intersection, you've earned your ticket.
That will do good on MMDA's revenue collection. At least until people learn a bit of discipline, and everyone can enjoy a bit less stressful road traffic.
I've seen this case too often enough and it's one major cause of heavy traffic in Metro Manila. Perhaps MMDA should just redefine "Beating the Red Light" to "Getting Caught by the Red Light". Then, no matter if it's green or orange. As long as the Red Light catches you blocking the intersection, you've earned your ticket.
That will do good on MMDA's revenue collection. At least until people learn a bit of discipline, and everyone can enjoy a bit less stressful road traffic.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Clogging the Intersections
Why does it seem that the most common traffic problem I encounter the clogged out intersections? We have those yellow signs on the intersections that says "no blocking" the all important crossings everywhere. And if we've learned to drive properly, I mean not just skills but also driving etiquette, we shouldn't even need those on the roads.
I would think MMDA/traffic enforcers can reach their much maligned quotas better by just enforcing the no-blocking-the-intersection rule. If there's such a rule, that is. If there's none, than they should introduce it as fast as they can. If they do just that, maybe traffic in the Philippines will be much better.
Now what do I mean exactly by this rule? Well, we know the green light means go. What the rule would do is that if you see a green light but you're not sure if you do proceed that you'll be blocking the intersection, then you'll just simply have to wait and see. We need to exercise our brains more while driving anyway.
Why do we need this rule? The time you saved by blocking the intersection but getting an early pass is amplified into time waiting for a lot more cars. Driving is a social exercise. Treat each egregious apathy to other drivers as a personal insult.
I would think MMDA/traffic enforcers can reach their much maligned quotas better by just enforcing the no-blocking-the-intersection rule. If there's such a rule, that is. If there's none, than they should introduce it as fast as they can. If they do just that, maybe traffic in the Philippines will be much better.
Now what do I mean exactly by this rule? Well, we know the green light means go. What the rule would do is that if you see a green light but you're not sure if you do proceed that you'll be blocking the intersection, then you'll just simply have to wait and see. We need to exercise our brains more while driving anyway.
Why do we need this rule? The time you saved by blocking the intersection but getting an early pass is amplified into time waiting for a lot more cars. Driving is a social exercise. Treat each egregious apathy to other drivers as a personal insult.
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