More sympathy for the soldier

Ben Contreras

THE recent incident involving a traffic aide and a soldier is unfortunate like many incidents in the past. We are so used to many things ugly that they have become the norms in our daily lives. Years ago, when I was just starting to do traffic, I also hit vehicles with my palm out of anger when motorists disobey or ignore my signals. An elderly trying to help ease up congestion on a voluntary basis should at least get a certain degree of respect or so I thought. I didn’t mind the heat and the dust, not to mention the toxic smoke coming from not well-maintained vehicles. I get happiness by being able to help.

There had been four incidents involving family members that could have been avoided or given consideration. One, because I couldn’t find a parking space after three rounds in Divisoria, I asked my daughter to drive the car while I transact my business with BDO-Velez branch. When I finished my business, my daughter called me that she was apprehended by a RTA enforcer. The offense: obstruction of traffic. My daughter was in the line of vehicles crossing Velez Street. The light turned red when she was in the middle of the pedestrian lane. Her attention was not called. The normal thing for the traffic aides to do was to ask her to turn right, the way we, the volunteers always do under such circumstance. When she finally crossed the street, another enforcer was already waiting to apprehend her.

You know what the enforcer told me when I approach them: “Sir, wala man ko masayud nga imong anak ni.” Even if she is my daughter, I would not have intervened just the same if a law had been violated.

Two, my daughter was issued a ticket for turning left in a no-left-turn street. How could she notice the sign when it was placed across the street and not somewhere when approaching a street that’s more visible? We have many street signs that are incorrectly installed.

Three, my nephew called me that he was apprehended when he parked the motorcycle within the premises of BDO-Velez. His motorcycle was clamped. He was threatened with a P5-thousand penalty. After begging for understanding, he was fined P500 but without a receipt.

I talked to the arresting traffic law enforcer and he said the motorcycle obstructed the flow of traffic. What? What traffic? The pederstrians, kuno. Then, he followed through with a “Wala man ko kabalo imo pagumangkun.” Why, did I ever use influence in any way in the past? Am I that influential? No, definitely not.

Lastly, my son was issued a ticket for parking somewhere on Agudo Drive where he works. My son claims that there was no parking sign in the place where he parked his car. I also know for a fact that there’s been illegal parking going on in that area in the past and could be true until today but have the “blessings” of barangay officials for unknown/known reasons.

Am I complaining that these happened? No! What I am saying is that we are so used to doing nothing about the many wrongs in the city that observance of the law has become a matter of “gana-gana lang” or “sa maswertehan lang.”

Talking of traffic enforcement, we are so used to allowing people to cross the street near or not so near the traffic lights even if the light is green. Traffic aides just watch and do nothing. We are so used to seeing vehicles continue to move even when the light is already red. And our traffic aides do nothing. We are so used to seeing vehicles counterflow on Maharlika Bridge but authorities lift no finger despite complaints from citizens and despite my calls to the Roads and Traffic Administration hotline. Unsay diay mo, walay pulos?

There are good law enforcers and bad law enforcers. There are new faces, new recruits who hold tickets in their hands instead of keeping it in their pocket or waist, or ticket holder. They seem to be ready to pounce on anyone. It’s like Russian roulette. Sa maswertehan lang. Or, are they just trying to make extra money.

Sometimes, we cannot blame some of them. They have an obligation to meet, sort of a racket in the organization, confided a few.

It’s funny that the soldier is getting more sympathy than the traffic aide!

In my next column, I will write more about what we are so used to, and maladies which we do nothing about.