Thursday, January 13, 2005

I was pissed!

Now that it's been two days ago, I can tell about how angry I was last Tuesday. I had to let go off some steam lest i write something very unpleasant and ruin your day. You see, since last year I have noticed this red CRV car in the school's parking lot parked almost sideways occupying two car spaces in my favorite parking space. The first time, I reasoned, either the driver was in a hurry or s/he didn't know how to park the car properly. Must've been a new driver. Well, anyway, it was way too early so I had a lot of spaces to choose from. My first reaction was to look for the owner and tease him/her about the way s/he parks his/her car. i realized later that the car does not belong to any co-worker or even a student. It leaves right after the morning mass is over. You see, we've opened the chapel to residents of the village, and some do hear mass there regularly, the owner
of that red car included. After seeing the same car parked the same way for five times, it dawned on me. The driver doesn't want any other car besides his/hers.

I so much wanted to leave a message on his windshield that goes like, "if you can read this, you will park your car properly next time." I still haven't gotten the guts to do it. Almost did last Tuesday, though. I was taken by surprise that the SLEX would have a counterflow with the southbound vehicles. For some reason or another, some schmuck in the SLEX hierarchy's solution to the heavy traffic for northbound commuters is to open the southbound track and run counter to the flow. Well, he decongested the northbound to about 5 per cent of very lucky drivers alright but totally immobilized us till the end of the Skyway ramp delaying us by some thirty minutes or more. Should I mention that we're all paying a huge sum for
using the highway? Why will they be special? Wby do it at our expense?

Anyway, I was running late that day so who do you think would be happy seeing the red car parked haphazardly again? Just because I had to back out and find another parking space which was almost filled by now, I was late for five minutes. Not a good sign to someone who's in charge of giving out excuse slips for tardiness, is it?

So, to all you drivers out there, be considerate and responsible. It's time that we learn respect and road courtesy.

13 comments:

Dr. Emer said...

The day that Filipino drivers learn courtesy and respect for traffic rules and fellow drivers is the day we can call for a nationwide holiday to celebrate.

Walang disiplina ang mga Pilipino.

rolly said...

Doc, in fairness, pagdating ko sa school this morning, maayos ang parada niya. For the first time!!! Mukhang napagsabihan. hehe

batjay said...

narinig ko na yan sa US a few times pag nagpa-park: let's take 2. meaning 2 slots para di nga ma damage ang kotse nila. medyo inconsiderate nga. buti na lang at kagalang galang kang teacher. kung ako yung naroon eh baka ma drawingan ko ang wind shield niya sa 1st offense.

na kwento ko ba sa iyo na after xmas, inabot kaming 4 na oras from southwoods to pasig? that's the same time it takes for me to get from NAIA to our flat here in Singapore.

Anonymous said...

tito rolly!!! di bagay na galit ka, kahit entry lang s blog mo...

landyo... kakatuwa ka kagabi!!! (jay and jet, yes, gumimik ulit kami) mwah!

anyway, balik ako mamya.. babasahin ko yung entries mo... pasyal muna ako kasama ng hubby ko?

for the meantime, gawa ka muna ng bebeh...

JMom said...

Unfortunately, I have to agree with Bayi, rudeness is not confined to Filipinos. It's rampant here too, especially among the giant SUVs. Not only do they guzzle gas and emit pollutions, they also take up too many spaces in the parking lot. This is also common for very expensive cars, they intentionally take two spaces to keep from getting dinged by their neighbors. Irritating as heck, especially when you're running late, isn't it? Sometimes I do understand road rage ;)

G. said...

i have actually approached someone who's done the same thing and said 'do you need help parking your car?' just coz it's annoying as hell.

cathy said...

naku titorolly dito rin ganyan. ilang beses na akong nakaaway yong kapitbhay namin na madalas yong bf niyang
puti ay nagpapark doon sa labas ng aking garahe.

Minsan pinatow ko nga.

rolly said...

Batjay Nakakainis yung ganon di ba? Akala mo sila lang ang anak ng Diyos. Actually, nung dumatiing kami, sabi ni Mickey who was sitting beside me, "Pa, kung dun ka kaya mag-park sa harapan niya. Tingnan natin kung makaalis siya." Hmmm, medyo sinister yatang mag=isip tong anak ko a. Babatukan ko sana e. Sabi ko na lang, "We are not that kind of people, anak."

Pepsi Iisa lang ang solusyon pag matraffic ang pagpasok. Pumasok ng mas maaga! Yes, let's hope no untoward incident happens our way.

Bayi I'm sure they're all over the place. Human nature, probably. It's just that it's so disheartening that you have to encounter these kind of people especially during the time you are in a hurry.

Anonymou Although you haven't signed your post, I would assume you're Dindin. Toni's been here before and she signed her post. So had Melissa. Actually, tamed ako nun kasi overwhelmed ako na ako lang ang lalaki. Although sanay naman ako na ganon, kaya lang siyempre nahihiya pa ko. Mahiyain ako sa totoon buhay e.

JMom Yes, I have to agree. They're all over the place. Don't you find them annoying? What? Because they have more in life, they have the license to look down on their fellow beings? They can do what they want and that because their car is expensive, it means chances are we can't pay the damage once we dent their cars? How much arrogance are we willing to put up with?

G That's a good one, G. The insult is very subtle.

CAthy Whay am I not surprised? Hah! Akala ba nila kaya nila ang pusa?

Svelte Rogue said...

i can get lessons from you (apart from the many others in your blog). kapag dyan ako nagmamaneho, sobra akong demonyo. ewan ko ba, i don't like myself like this, so one of the nice things about being carless here (wherever i am right now, hehehe) is that i have less stress from driving. shempre nakakamiss, pero kapag naaalala ko ang mga bagay na ganyan over which i have no control, i'm filled with a helpless sense of frustration and rage. my favorite imagination nung nasa pilipinas pa ako was this: i would shoot out the tires of the offender. tapos the car would spin round and round until dumating ang pulis (ngek, incompetent din pala ngyuk ngyuk ngyuk). kasi kung patayin ko sila in my head, kakatakot. at may anak pa man din ako, so ayaw kong ma-pick up niya yung ganon kong vibes. :) haba ba? :) glad to know you've gotten this off your chest. ako nga, yung pagsigaw sa akin nung isang bruhilda na belgian dito sa bangko ay nakakapang-galit. sinabi ko sa kanya, "you don't have to yell; i can hear you perfectly well." sobrang recent pa, kaya di ko ma-blog. baka kung ano't ano pa ang lumabas. kelangan kong i-keep up ang appearances na nice girl (ngek) ako.

Jillsabs said...

leave that note tito rolly. for all we know, maybe the driver thought he wasn't bothering anyone. at least with the notice, he/she has no excuse to act ignorant

Cerridwen said...

ohh tito rolly, talk about insensitive drivers! we have designated parking at work and since my promotion I have been moved to the secured level parking and the lot assigned to me was next to the owner of this red convertible mustang and the freakin car always occupy the my parking space that i have to park so close to the wall. I have always adjusted to it and ignored it but last week he occupied so much of my space that it took me forever to squeeze in. I inquired who owns the car and that took a lot of work! Found out it is a Judge in the other building who had problems with another Manager due to the way he parks. I e-mailed him with a descent request never got an answer. The following day he did the exact same thing! I headed to his office since I had to park in the public parking just to make it on time at work. Politely left a message on the door of his chamber to please move his car and that I am parked in the public parking. I went out lunch time to move it and at my parkign space he left a note that said "I prefer to keep my car scratch free, park carefully and request a new space by tomorrow" GGgrrr!!!!! I took it to the Presiding Judge and he informed me I wasn't the 1st one to complain. He allowed me to park at his space and he wil park at my space. 3 days later I received an e-mail saying I can park back in my space with no problem - that judge was moved to the back space where he can occupy the whole back parking for himself without worrying any scratch on his car! no one parks beside me now hehehe

rolly said...

Svelte You better learn how to keep your cool when you're driving. MAs mahirap kung maaksidente ka o mapaaway ka. You've heard of road rage, right? Meron bang ganyan sa Belgium? That's where you're at, right?

jillsabs I really like to but a good part of me doesn't want to. Mahiyain ako sa personal e. Tanong mo pa kay Drago. :-)

Cerridwen That judge is a complete a**hol*. How can someone be so rude and arrogant is beyond me. I'm glad you've found a way to get rid of him.

jane said...

dear sir rolly,

magandang araw sa yo! maedyo ngayon ko lang yata nabasa na nainis ka ah. major kups siguro yang drayber ng CRV na yan. i have this minor thing against SUVs and their drivers, lalo na ng mga drayber ng mga ga-higeteng SUV tapos sa city naman pumaparada, kaasar. ang lakas lumamon ng space.
pero bilib naman ako sa pagtitimpi mo. kung ako yan malamang nasulatan ko na ng lab letter ang drayber na yan eh.
kumusta na ang pagtuturo? ako andaming nangyari the past two weeks pero mababadtrip lang akoi kapag naalala ko eh. magbabasa na lang ako ng mga blogs ninyo, hehe