There goes the shopping money
It was November sugarday today. And I was able to persuade my father to let me bring the car, and our college friend to bring his son to the mall for us to meet.
fro our house, it usually takes roughly an hour and a half going to my workplace (and this is taking the train and a different route entirely) which was relatively close to the workplace of my friend. I wanted to "experiment" and see if I could drive to Makati City without getting lost or pulled over by traffic enforcers.
I managed to do both.
So we went to my friend's house to pick her kid up and then drove to the mall. I was unfamiliar with the route but didn't really mind since my friend knew the way.
Then I got pulled over. o____O Violation: Disregarding lane marking. Fee: PHP 500
The traffic enforcer was going on about having to take a 2-day seminar shiznit before I could get my license back. I was feeling a bit weird because it was really the first time I ever got pulled over anywhere. And I have been driving since I was 13. But in any case, I thought "okay, I'm not gonna offer monetary compensation to ease my way out of this situation. Let it be said that, at least, one traffic enforcer in the Philippines knows how to do his job with integrity." But then the officer said: "Ma'am pwede naman iwaive na lang natin yung 2-day seminar, bayaran na lang yung violation fee." "Ma'am,if you like we can waive the 2-day seminar, just pay for the violation fee."
My friend and I were said something along the line "Really? We can do that? And get the license too? Now? Pay here?"
And I realized, "What the f*ck. This man is subtly asking for money. And not just any amount, PHP 500." I took a PHP 500 bill from my purse and gave it to him. He then reminded us to hold the baby tightly (my friend was sitting in the passenger seat with the baby on her lap) and gave us direction to where we're supposed to go, blah blah. Then he let us go.
So we went. When we're almost (literally almost) at the mall, we were hailed by another officer. Violation: Baby in the passenger seat. Fee: PHP 1,000
Now after ranting about the bloody traffic enforcer who robbed me of my PHP 500, the baby was kind of scared of me already. Hahaha. When we were hailed the second time, I knew I was not about to shell out the same amount of money or if possible, any amount of money, to get myself out of that situation. The price was very very high. I didn't have that amount anymore thanks to the other officer. I tried to explain that we were already hailed previously and we were let off the hook even if the baby stayed in the passenger seat. They wouldn't have any of it. So I told them we have to talk about it really, I needed my license because I'm leaving the country soon, there was no way I could wait for the seminar shiznit. I told them I already shelled out PHP 500 for the violation fee; they asked for the same amount. I said I don't have that much anymore, if they want, I could give PHP 200. They said okay. When I was giving them the money (my window was rolled down obviously), I was stretching out my hand for them to take it. One officer said "Ma'am, itago nyo yung kamay nyo." "Ma'am, keep your hand off." So I did. the other officer "secretly" took the money from my hand and we were let go.
Aside from ranting about how my money just slipped off my hands like that (and not for something I would have enjoyed, mind you), I just find it so infuriating that the system where we operate just isn't really working even if some people want to be "good citizens". I mean, when I left this morning, I told myself I would not try to buy my way out if I ever did get pulled over. And I didn't; the officer in my first scene of the crime "asked" that we pay for the violation fee.
Which makes me wonder: who corrupts who? I mean, my mother has this speech in a church seminar about drivers offering traffic enforcers monetary "keys" when caught in a sticky situation and she refers to it as something that disconnects us from God. But what if the driver tries to "not bribe" the traffic enforcer but the traffic enforcer "insists"? Shouldn't it be blamed on the officer? And when the driver repeats such act, getting out of a sticky situation by "bribing" the officer, shouldn't it be blamed on the officer who first asked for money in order to "settle things"?
I thought there is a way around this system of "bribing on the road" but now that I have actually experienced it first hand, I am suddenly doubting it. I think the only way to resolve this is either of the following: brainwash people and instill manners and values that SHOULD be possessed by a morally-conscious individual OR just kill everyone save babymakers and sperm-donors who could bring a new race of people; a uniform scheme on all aspects will be implemented by yourself. That should solve all problems. Drastic, I know, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
And so I will keep on ranting about my lost PHP 700. I will keep on telling people that the Philippine traffic enforcers have no regard for rules; they just want to get something extra. I know it will greatly affect their already muddy image, but I really don't care.
fro our house, it usually takes roughly an hour and a half going to my workplace (and this is taking the train and a different route entirely) which was relatively close to the workplace of my friend. I wanted to "experiment" and see if I could drive to Makati City without getting lost or pulled over by traffic enforcers.
I managed to do both.
So we went to my friend's house to pick her kid up and then drove to the mall. I was unfamiliar with the route but didn't really mind since my friend knew the way.
Then I got pulled over. o____O Violation: Disregarding lane marking. Fee: PHP 500
The traffic enforcer was going on about having to take a 2-day seminar shiznit before I could get my license back. I was feeling a bit weird because it was really the first time I ever got pulled over anywhere. And I have been driving since I was 13. But in any case, I thought "okay, I'm not gonna offer monetary compensation to ease my way out of this situation. Let it be said that, at least, one traffic enforcer in the Philippines knows how to do his job with integrity." But then the officer said: "Ma'am pwede naman iwaive na lang natin yung 2-day seminar, bayaran na lang yung violation fee." "Ma'am,if you like we can waive the 2-day seminar, just pay for the violation fee."
My friend and I were said something along the line "Really? We can do that? And get the license too? Now? Pay here?"
And I realized, "What the f*ck. This man is subtly asking for money. And not just any amount, PHP 500." I took a PHP 500 bill from my purse and gave it to him. He then reminded us to hold the baby tightly (my friend was sitting in the passenger seat with the baby on her lap) and gave us direction to where we're supposed to go, blah blah. Then he let us go.
So we went. When we're almost (literally almost) at the mall, we were hailed by another officer. Violation: Baby in the passenger seat. Fee: PHP 1,000
Now after ranting about the bloody traffic enforcer who robbed me of my PHP 500, the baby was kind of scared of me already. Hahaha. When we were hailed the second time, I knew I was not about to shell out the same amount of money or if possible, any amount of money, to get myself out of that situation. The price was very very high. I didn't have that amount anymore thanks to the other officer. I tried to explain that we were already hailed previously and we were let off the hook even if the baby stayed in the passenger seat. They wouldn't have any of it. So I told them we have to talk about it really, I needed my license because I'm leaving the country soon, there was no way I could wait for the seminar shiznit. I told them I already shelled out PHP 500 for the violation fee; they asked for the same amount. I said I don't have that much anymore, if they want, I could give PHP 200. They said okay. When I was giving them the money (my window was rolled down obviously), I was stretching out my hand for them to take it. One officer said "Ma'am, itago nyo yung kamay nyo." "Ma'am, keep your hand off." So I did. the other officer "secretly" took the money from my hand and we were let go.
Aside from ranting about how my money just slipped off my hands like that (and not for something I would have enjoyed, mind you), I just find it so infuriating that the system where we operate just isn't really working even if some people want to be "good citizens". I mean, when I left this morning, I told myself I would not try to buy my way out if I ever did get pulled over. And I didn't; the officer in my first scene of the crime "asked" that we pay for the violation fee.
Which makes me wonder: who corrupts who? I mean, my mother has this speech in a church seminar about drivers offering traffic enforcers monetary "keys" when caught in a sticky situation and she refers to it as something that disconnects us from God. But what if the driver tries to "not bribe" the traffic enforcer but the traffic enforcer "insists"? Shouldn't it be blamed on the officer? And when the driver repeats such act, getting out of a sticky situation by "bribing" the officer, shouldn't it be blamed on the officer who first asked for money in order to "settle things"?
I thought there is a way around this system of "bribing on the road" but now that I have actually experienced it first hand, I am suddenly doubting it. I think the only way to resolve this is either of the following: brainwash people and instill manners and values that SHOULD be possessed by a morally-conscious individual OR just kill everyone save babymakers and sperm-donors who could bring a new race of people; a uniform scheme on all aspects will be implemented by yourself. That should solve all problems. Drastic, I know, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
And so I will keep on ranting about my lost PHP 700. I will keep on telling people that the Philippine traffic enforcers have no regard for rules; they just want to get something extra. I know it will greatly affect their already muddy image, but I really don't care.