With as much control as I can muster, I will try not to make this post a rant, but more a discussion on how my experience today relates to the behavior (as I observe) of Filipinos. I do not mean to generalize.
Just a few minutes ago, as I was walking back from school, I almost died. Yes. Once again, some motorist who does not seem to have any care for life or consequence tried to run me down as I crossed Aurora boulevard. And once again, it was a truck.
Now before I get deeper into things, I will express my contempt against trucks and their drivers. Long ago during my days in high school, I was slapped on the left side of the face by a delivery truck's side mirror. It was not what I would call a pleasant experience, but it made me ask questions. The following years were no different, where assorted vehicles of the same type tried and failed to off Keavin Mutuc (consciously or otherwise). However, my questions have been answered, in a manner of speaking.
Question: Why are these truck drivers so eager to run down pedestrians?
These motorists have licenses. They supposedly took exams that would
educate them regarding driving etiquette, say for example NOT running a
red light and almost killing a man trying to cross the street. The balls on nerve of these people. There is an observable carelessness for others that I find laughable for a very collective culture. What could possibly drive them to do such heinous albeit stupid acts?
My best bet would be stupidity. Ignorance would be a perfect euphemism, but I like expressing my thoughts plainly. People are stupid (although not entirely as I could discuss another time whether or not in this same post). The thing with Filipinos is that they have this fear of inconvenience. They are addicted to immediate pleasure. They do not think far beyond the present.
"Kelangan kong magmadali. Kung hindi, kakaltasan na naman nila sweldo ko."
(I have to hurry, or they'll impose penalties on my pay.)
An example motivation why Mr. Truck Driver would run me over. I cannot accept that. It felt more like this.
"Gago ata 'tong batang to ah. Kitang nagmamadali ako, biglang tatawid. Eh kung sagasaan ko kaya."
(This kid must be a fool. He sees my hurrying then suddenly crosses [the street]. What if I run him over?)
Neither statement justifies the act of running a person over, but the urge to avoid inconvenience is there. The second statement is merely my assumption of what that madman was thinking while he drove his truck just inches away from me (had I not jumped out of the way, I would not be writing this). Suppose that he successfully proved that he was king of the road, fusing me with the asphalt, what then?
Would he have the sense to stop his vehicle, take my battered body, and drive me to the hospital, or drive for fear of being inconvenienced (in this case, not wanting to answer for his actions)? Would bystanders call an ambulance, inform the local authorities, take note of the license plate of the truck, and try to secure my body, or just stand by and wait for someone to make a move? Would the authorities bring Mr. Truck Driver to justice?
Thankfully enough there will always be someone who knows the emergency hotlines. The thing is, I fear people would not touch my broken body thinking that if they did, they would be involved in the whole humbug (fear of inconvenience). And should the culprit be caught, will justice be swift and decisive?
Let me segue to an experience that happened to my mom, my sister, and I when I was in my early teens. We were on the way to the reception of a family friend's wedding. At an intersection, a taxi collided with the right side of our car. My mom was semi-conscious, her forehead bleeding. My sister was unconscious seeing as the taxi hit her side of the car. Our car kept moving, but constantly to the left where a bus (which thankfully enough was not in motion) caught and stopped the car.
The nose of our car was a wreck. I had to yank at the door where my sister was a number of times before it gave. I literally dragged my sister out of her seat (I don't remember if I was in shock, or if my sister was just fat. Love you sis.) and looked at the people standing around. They were standing around. If I had not shouted for help, they would have taken their time waiting for someone else to help.
Why I'm talking about this is because it worries me that stuff like these are rampant. It isn't just jeep drivers or truck drivers. Motorists in the Philippines seem to enjoy making pedestrians think twice about crossing the streets.
[If I may, I will express my sentiments in the vernacular] Hindi ba nila naisip na pagsinunod nila ang mga patakaran sa pagmamaneho eh mas dadali ang karanasan nila sa daan? Lagi na lang nag uunahan ang mga bus at jeep para lang makahakot ng pasahero. Hindi man lang nila gamitin mga signal light nila para man lang malaman ng mga ibang motorista sa likod nila na tatabi sila sa kaliwa o kanan. Tapos may mga bus pang alam nang ang sikip na ng daan eh pipilitin pang isingit and kalaki-laki nilang sasakyan. Meron pang mga tsuper na akala mo kung sinong may ari ng kalsada. Basta-basta na lang haharurot. Wala man lang silang konsiderasyon sa seguridad ng kapwa nilang tao. Lagi na lang ang sarili ang inuuna.
Dito ko na rin nakita ang yabang ng mga pinoy. Yabang na wala sa lugar. Yabang na walang kalaman-laman. Kung magmayabang ka man, siguraduhin mo man lang na may ipagmamayabang kang may kabuluhan. Walang natutuwa sa pahabaan ng tite nagmamataas na tanga hindi man ginagamit ang utak. Hindi kayo binigyan ng lisensya para manggago magloko sa daan.
Sa mga autoridad namang aming inaasahan, hinahamon ko po kayong maging masusi sa inyong pamimigay ng mga lisensya. Sana lang ho linisin ninyo ang sistema. Kung maaari po lamang, hulihin ang mga namemeke ng lisensya (ang bumibili pati na rin ang nagbebenta). Sa mga nagbabalak magmaneho, wala pong masama kung sa tamang pamamaraan nating kunin ang ating mga lisensya. Kung may nangongotong man, isumbong sa mas nakaiitaas. Hindi po lahat ng tao sa gobyerno ay tiwali at mukhang pera.
I challenge my countrymen to be responsible for your actions. Ano pa ba ang pinagmamalaki ninyong Filipino Pride kung wala naman kayong paninindigan?
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