WHY the small motorcycle riders (especially the delivery riders) get away with speeding, reckless driving, stopping inside the traffic boxes on intersections, weaving in and out of lanes, insisting on occupying the small spaces in between cars (moving or in traffic) whether on the left or right sides (endangering their passengers), not staying on their motorcycle lanes, motoring without helmets, insisting on stopping in front of cars at stoplights (forget the pedestrian lane), speeding ahead even on red lights? Is it because the traffic enforcers, policemen, lower-level authorities and even soldiers ride motorcycles, too?<\/p>\r\r
Come to think of it, why does the Land Transportation Office issue them drivers' licenses when it is very obvious that these riders are totally ignorant of driving rules and seem to be guided by the urgent need to go to the bathroom?<\/p>\r\r
Why do grocery carts have that one misbehaving front wheel?<\/p>\r\r
Why do politicians mouth motherhood statements, of improving the lot of their constituents, and yet give \"ayudas\" mostly in cash (isn't this illegal?) to the indigents and squatters (this is what they really are) in exchange for votes? Is it the overwhelming desire to win more wealth and power?<\/p>\r\r
Why do local government units allow squatters to build shanties and makeshift flammable houses next to each other, even beside the waterways and esteros, thereby resulting in floods, fires, loss of lives and material possessions?<\/p>\r\r
Why are streets and roads still dirty with plastic and paper litter, full of potholes? Is littering a victimless crime?<\/p>\r\r
Why do service drivers spit on the road during traffic?<\/p>\r\r
Why does the phone battery die when you're lost or in a nighttime emergency situation? Phones have an uncanny sense of irony, choosing to nap right when you need them to guide you home.<\/p>\r\r
Why do people insist on speaking English in spite of their bad grammar, spelling and pronunciation, behaving like persons of authority and insisting on being respected?<\/p>\r\r
Why, in spite of the much-improved warning systems of DOST\/Pagasa\/NDRRM, people tend to not believe them and not heed their advice until the last minute? The ma\u00f1ana habit is still very much alive.<\/p>\r\r
Why is it so hard to plug in a USB on the first try? Inserting a USB is the mystery of modern times, a riddle as old as the USB itself.<\/p>\r\r
Why do we still not have a successful steel industry? This core industry is a basic determinant of a country's progress.<\/p>\r\r
Why, in this digital day and age, some establishments do not accept IDs saved in mobile phones, and still demand a physical ID, especially when paying with credit cards?<\/p>\r\r
Why, in spite of presenting senior citizens\/PWD credentials, do some public establishments and parking lots do not extend discounts accorded by law?<\/p>\r\r
Why do banks have more empty desks than tellers? Especially when you are in a hurry.<\/p>\r\r
Why do we press the elevator button many times? We hold a firm belief that by repeatedly mashing the button, the elevator will sense our urgency and arrive faster. Also, why do some people press the \"UP\" button when they are on their way down, and vice versa?<\/p>\r\r
Why have some social media platforms become the equivalent of tabloids and gossip columns?<\/p>\r\r
Why do traffic enforcers allow people to drive electric scooters in major roads and high-speed areas?<\/p>\r\r
Why are professionals like lawyers, teachers, medical practitioners, and the like, required to take exams for licensing to be able to practice their profession, but politicians aren't? Even drivers need to be licensed.<\/p>\r\r
Why does the line you choose always move the slowest? Somehow, you manage to pick the one line with the cashier on their first day or a customer with panic-buying instincts.<\/p>\r\r
Why are squatters and those without income tax returns (except retirees) allowed to vote? This is one democratic policy I fail to understand even in my old age.<\/p>\r\r
Why do we instinctively look at our wrist when someone asks for the time, even if you are not wearing a watch? Believe me, I have done this so many times with a twist and it never fails \u2014 I look at my wrist (without a watch) and loudly announce the wrong time (usually a very late time) and with 100 percent accuracy, the people who heard you will look at their wrist.<\/p>\r\r
Why is today's political arena the most toxic? Filipinos are known to be emotional but hey, didn't our parents tell us not to wash our dirty linen in public?<\/p>\r\r
Why do the best ideas come right when you are about to fall asleep? Your brain loves the drama of delivering genius solutions right when you are least prepared to write them down.<\/p>\r\r
Why does the GPS always lose signal right when you are at a confusing intersection? GPS thrives on suspense and love to keep one guessing at the most critical times.<\/p>\r\r
Why do you always forget someone's name right after you just met them? Or is it just me?<\/p>\r\r
I purposely mixed the serious with the funny. Just to confuse you further. The Philippines, in a nutshell, right?<\/p>","article_custom_fields":"{\"\":[\"\"],\"seo_meta_keywords\":[\"\"],\"seo_meta_description\":[\"\"],\"seo_meta_title\":[\"\"],\"sponsored_flag\":[\"\"],\"offer_flag\":[\"off\"],\"featured_article_flag\":[\"\"],\"drupal_json\":[\"{\\\"type\\\":null,\\\"properties\\\":{\\\"PUBLISHED\\\":0,\\\"PROMOTED\\\":0,\\\"STICKY\\\":0},\\\"fields\\\":[]}\"],\"wp_custom_json\":[\"{\\\"type\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"fields\\\":[]}\"],\"article_tags\":[\"\"],\"show_image\":[\"off\"],\"Disable_Ad\":[\"off\"],\"disable_player\":[\"off\"],\"column\":[\"\"],\"kicker\":[\"\"],\"edel\":[\"\"],\"delu\":[\"\"],\"delt\":[\"Read this in The Manila Times digital edition.\"],\"premium\":[\"off\"],\"Redirect_URL\":[\"\"],\"Registration_required\":[\"off\"],\"background_image\":[\"off\"],\"user_needs\":[\"\"],\"page_number\":\"0\",\"initial_publication\":\"\",\"date_created\":\"2024-12-19 22:34:55\",\"date_modified\":\"2024-12-19 22:36:11\",\"last_modified_user\":\"Severino Frayna\",\"section_color\":\"\",\"target_page\":\"0\",\"cxense_metatags\":null}","cms_type":"live","author_id":2511,"section_id":13,"seo_meta_keywords":"Just,asking...","seo_meta_description":"","seo_meta_title":"Just asking...","publish_time":"2024-12-20 00:07:00","related_articles_ids":"","article_tags":"","sub_section_id":6,"visit_count":90,"sponsored_flag":0,"offer_flag":0,"featured_article_flag":0,"media_gallery_flag":0,"video_gallery_flag":0,"highlight_flag":0,"top_story_flag":0,"is_updated":0,"is_old_article":0,"old_article_id":0,"article_byline":"John Lesaca","ts":"2024-12-20 19:30:23","last_edited":"2024-12-19 22:36:11","alt_publish_time":"2024-12-19 22:36:19","image_path":"{\\\"image_path\\\":\\\"manilatimes\\\\\/uploads\\\\\/images\\\\\/2024\\\\\/12\\\\\/19\\\\\/496934.jpg\\\",\\\"cms_type\\\":\\\"live\\\",\\\"small_image\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"is_updated\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"image_cropping\\\":\\\"{\\\\\\\"original_image\\\\\\\":{\\\\\\\"image_original_width\\\\\\\":1200,\\\\\\\"image_original_height\\\\\\\":630,\\\\\\\"icd_image_type\\\\\\\":\\\\\\\"original_image\\\\\\\"},\\\\\\\"main_image\\\\\\\":{\\\\\\\"image_main_width\\\\\\\":1200,\\\\\\\"image_main_height\\\\\\\":630,\\\\\\\"icd_image_type\\\\\\\":\\\\\\\"main_image\\\\\\\"}}\\\",\\\"is_copied\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"media_type\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"image_caption\\\":\\\"John Lesaca\\\",\\\"image_alt_text\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"image_count\\\":1}","author_name":"John Lesaca","section_name":"Opinion","sub_section_name":"Columns","slide_show":0,"breaking_news":0,"visit_count_update_date":"2024-12-20 19:30:23","old_cms_article_id":null,"permalink":"2024\/12\/20\/opinion\/columns\/just-asking\/2025218","show_image_in_thumb":0,"api_status":2,"a_custom_data":"{\"exclude_from_gallery\":null,\"lead_image_id\":null}","publication_id":2,"max_publish_time":"2024-12-20 00:07:00","page_number":"0","homepage_article_flag":0,"article_shortlink":null,"cropped_image":0};
WHY the small motorcycle riders (especially the delivery riders) get away with speeding, reckless driving, stopping inside the traffic boxes on intersections, weaving in and out of lanes, insisting on occupying the small spaces in between cars (moving or in traffic) whether on the left or right sides (endangering their passengers), not staying on their motorcycle lanes, motoring without helmets, insisting on stopping in front of cars at stoplights (forget the pedestrian lane), speeding ahead even on red lights? Is it because the traffic enforcers, policemen, lower-level authorities and even soldiers ride motorcycles, too?
Come to think of it, why does the Land Transportation Office issue them drivers' licenses when it is very obvious that these riders are totally ignorant of driving rules and seem to be guided by the urgent need to go to the bathroom?
