parking operators

"The law says paid parking lot operators are liable for carnapping,
vandalism or theft that happen inside their parking lots, despite those
big-lettered signs that say you can't blame them for these.."

From http://mabinihall.com/index.php/2008/10/06/car-park-theft/

Clark, Clark, Clark

I went to Clark Field, Pampanga one weekend. People and I, myself, forgot to remind me that Clark is like Subic. They are "strict" when it comes to traffic rules.

So anyway, it was actually my first time to drive inside Clark itself. I realized in my previous trips, I didn't really "enter the gates" of Clark. I was with 4 friends.

And then, whoah. Highway! Almost like those 4-lane freeways in the US (2 lanes on each side). Seeing the speed limit at 80 (and 60), I didn't think twice about this highway being like a freeway. I thought that 60 was the lower speed limit; that we can't go over 80 kph nor below 60 kph. So I went at 80 kph.

We went under what seems to be a wider highway under construction, it felt like a tunnel. Then there was a curve.

Then there were some orange things in between the lanes, and one car running ever so slowly. I passed those orange things and the slow car, and then we noticed one security-guard-looking guy apparently waving at us. Weird, we thought.

I then saw maybe a couple or three cars stopped, and saw that they stopped because of a red traffic light signal. When the light turned green, another security-guard-looking guy appeared, and this time it was clear he was stopping us. I noticed he had an orange vest that said "TRAFFIC." A traffic officer? So we stopped.

The traffic officer said (in Tagalog), "You do know what traffic violation you committed, do you?" The first thought that came to mind was overspeeding. But, no I don't think I did. So I told the officer, "No, sir." "You were beating the red light." "Did I? I didn't notice any traffic light prior to this last one." My 4 friends all agreed; they didn't notice anything.

"You were." And so my license was confiscated, and I was given a ticket. I was asked to go to the Clark CDC office to pay the fine, and get my license back, in as early as 3 hours from that time. The officer said that the office was open 24 hours.

Because I had to attend to something there at Clark, I was able to pass by the office for my license at around 1am.

The security guard there was asking me like I was up to no good, "What do you need?" (in Tagalog) I told him that I was there to get my license back. The guard reacted like as if the office was closed, as if he was a big "DO NOT DISTURB" sign. "I was told the office is open 24 hours." With that, the guard gave up not being accomodating, and went in the office with my ticket. He came back out and accompanied me in. I noticed that everybody, except for that guard, was sleeping.

I was asked to pay PhP 500 for a beating-the-red-light offense. So I did and was given my license back. I asked for a receipt. The person there said, they can't issue a receipt at that time.

Who is in charge of Clark/CDC? They just stole PhP 500 from me. And maybe they have stolen many thousands more from hundred other motorists, who cannot do anything in the presence of a dozen buff-bodied men with guns.

Two issues here:

1. Why set a maximum of 80 kph on a highway when there's a traffic light up ahead? At least put up a warning sign, 100 meters ahead, indicating that there is a traffic light up ahead. People going at 80 kph cannot also easily notice a YELLOW-colored traffic light box hanging from a cable. If it was on a pole, and the traffic light box was BLACK, it would have been easier. Maybe it didn't help that the sky was a little bit cloudy and lit with... yellow. It was early in the morning. Either they should replace the traffic lights with something more recognizeable, remove it, install warning signs at least 100 meters ahead of the intersection, OR, set the maximum speed limit at 60 kph only.

2. It is difficult that there are "traffic discipline zones" in the Philippines. Duh. Everywhere should be one big "traffic discipline zone." When you come from "traffic non-discipline zones" everyday of the year and then go into one "traffic discipline zone" for one day, it's difficult to adjust. They shouldn't be "strict" only at certain areas around this country. Traffic enforcers should be strict everywhere. The solution needs more than just "disciplining" these people who are supposed to be in charge of disciplining, or correcting these other specific traffic-related issues. A more totalitarian approach is needed.

So many Filipinos who know how to make a car move, very few who know how to drive

Making a car move, and using it to get to where you want to go - that's not driving. Many Filipinos think they're so smart. Bad news kid, HINDI TAYO MATALINO! Oops, I forgot that Filipinos hate being told of their deficiencies. We don't like being nase-sermonan, kahit na mali tayo! We have all sorts of excuses, all sorts of unrelated things to say about the guy who tells us we're wrong and we're stupid.

Anyway, I haven't posted so much in this blog because, there are just too many out there. I haven't done anything "wrong" also, so until then, I guess this blog will hibernate for now.

Let me tell you of this story first of this big fat Filipino. Like many like him, because he's bigger, he thinks he could just get to where he's going, di bale na may masagasaan.

I was at the SM Centerpoint parking, I was waiting for this car in front of me to move out of his parking slot so I turned on the right-turn signal to signal that I was going to park. So the car moved out already, and out comes this Toyota FX on my left trying to get the parking space that I patiently waited for! So I made a maneuver to make sure I get the space.

So I was parked. The big fat Filipino guy went down from his mom's Tamaraw FX, and was telling me, "why did you take that parking slot?" "kanina pa ako nagaantay para dito!" "yung slot don ang inaantayan mo e, hindi yan, ako dapat paparada diyan!"

Eto na naman tayo. Pokenengene. Paano niya "nabasa" kung ano ang iniisip ko. Paano niya sinabing doon ako paparada. Mabuti kung tama yung "basa" niya sa akin. E hindi naman.

Oh well, napikon din ako. Then all of a sudden, he was saying "tara, sapakan na lang!" Pukinanginamo! Well I didn't tell him that. I just ignored him of course. So I walked away. Big Fat Filipino guy was really enraged. He shouted "bakla ka pala e." Oh come on.

So I went about SM Centerpoint, and then a few minutes later, I suddenly realized, that guy might have etched his signature on my car using his keys! I ran back to the car, and it seemed that they were only able to park just then. The guy was still so fucking angry. Fucking shit. I still fucking ignored him. Then his mother who was with him, told me, "pasensyahan mo na yung anak ko ha." I mean, naawa ako sa nanay niya. To see your son go like that. Mabuti kung may punto siya. Wala e! Tangina mo, sana damihan mo kain mo ng chicharon para matuluyan ka na!

The car was safe naman. It's a good thing he's not such an evil genius. I was walking inside SM already, and from about 40 meters away I looked back at them, and there he was, waving his very big, fat arms at me.

Oh well. I'm so mad most of the time when I'm on the road. It's a good thing that most of the time, I am by myself. Maybe that's the bad thing. I hurry up. But I still don't beat red lights even at 4 in the morning.