Driving insane – the art of creating new lanes
To be sure: this is NOT a one-way street, and this is not one side of EDSA. This is just a normal country road, as the bus struggling through on the top corner of the picture shows. Most Filipino drivers never take a traffic jam for granted. The most current reaction is to reduce the number of lanes on the other side, especially if traffic is light there. Taking one lane is mostly fine. The picture shows the result when too many lanes are taken or opened: complete madness.
Photo from Lubao, Pampanga in May 2007.
Photo from Lubao, Pampanga in May 2007.
Labels: Philippines, rules and regulation, vehicles
posted by brommel @ 08:08
7 comments
7 Comments:
The angle of this shot looks suspiciously as though it was taken from one of the “new” lanes to me!
Speaking as someone stuck in the same jam, I can’t agree that the blatant selfishness one sees so often on the road here “often works”. Like many things in the Philippines, it “works” for the selfish assholes whose only concern is for themselves (and, despite my joke in the first para, I would not include the noble Brommel in this group) while people with a sense of communal well-being suffer.
I mentioned my horrible experience to a colleague this morning. He said that, while he had experienced many chaotic traffic environments from Cairo to India, he had never experienced anything like the naked self-interest of drivers here. Sadly, I agree with him.
Torn,
I agree that it is selfishness but it is more, it is even the complete lack of what common sense is all about. The only thing what really helps are local (and not corrupt) police men which give tickets to all traffic violators. Even Paris which was notorious for insane driving is calm these days. Why does such insanity continue here?
BTW, on that particular highway were quite a number of tricycles (see also in the picture). To my understanding these tricycles are not allowed on national highways (these regulations do exist in the Philippines).
Last week I saw an interesting article in the Inquirer. 6 out of 10 policemen live below poverty line.
How do you expect them not to be corrupt? When a policeman gives me an (un-official)fine I consider this as my good deed to the PNP...
Imagine, Makati's No 2 cop needs to moonlight as a FX-driver at night...
As usual I tend to put the Philippines in a good light so I will say that traffic can be worser in a lot of other countries!
I guess I will deserve the Filipino nationality soon...;-)
Sidney, I agree that some law enforcers are not adequately paid. I don't blame the single police men, I blame the lack of governance which leads to such results. Get the basics right first. We can have a long discussion on this and how to do it best...
I am happy that I am not in charge of changing the system!
You want the top job? ;-)
I live and i drive at Manila
4 years now without a scratch. How can i manage that? I forgot each and every rule existing about driving. I drive way much more crazy than them.
Born raised and lived for 35 years in a European country i came here as a normal driver. Was stoping on red lights and following the rules i had learned...was about to be killed!!!! Forgot everything and now i am the king of the jungle. My neighbors (all filipino) deny to ride in the car with me, the "gago kano" (the crazy foreigner) i am called. At least i go to my destinations in time and without frustrations of why they blocked me, i am the one frustrating everyone else. If it is to drive in the jungle...adapt the jungle rules.
Joe: So true what you wrote. I also converted into jungle driver. Never had a scratch in the past 5 1/2 years. Anyway, every time when I am visiting 'civilized driving' countries I am getting a ticket now. What do we learn: The existing environment frames its people....
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