ONE FOR THE ROAD
Last Thursday, I was test driving the all-new Chevrolet Tahoe from Manila to Tagaytay and back. I was enjoying the drive immensely until we got to C5, just by the Mckinley Hill turn off by the British embassy. Traffic was heavy, and the line to turn left was at least three to four cycles of the traffic light long, so I decided to go straight instead and take my chances with the Market Market exit. Apparently, there is no greater crime.
Despite the fact that I used my signal light and patiently waited for a gap, according to the gaggle of enforcers that were gathered at the intersection, this was reckless driving––ironic, considering that three of them had to dart across two lanes of moving traffic to jump in front of my three-ton vehicle to tell me that.
Now even though I was quite far back, I cannot be sure if where I changed lanes was within a solid line or not, so I immediately handed over my license and didn’t contest. We all make mistakes, after all, and so the best thing to do in a situation like this is to not dig a deeper hole and just be as cooperative as possible. Besides which, under the single ticketing system, enforcers are no longer allowed to confiscate your license and force you to go to city hall to pay for the violation, so it's very straightforward. Or so I thought.
Fast forward 10 minutes and I’m still on the side of the road, on the innermost lane—aka the fast lane—fully stopped and causing traffic, because this is where the enforcers instructed me to be while they debate the heinousness of my crime. Again, as frustrating as it was, I didn’t want to argue, but it seems a little ironic to accost someone for changing lanes because it will impede or obstruct the flow of traffic, only to instruct the same car and driver sit on the fast lane for 10 minutes while the “negotiation” takes place.
Despite me repeatedly asking for my ticket at least five times, we still had to go through the whole dance of “where did you come from?” To “Are you from this area?” Or “Are you a Filipino?” “Is your passenger Filipina?” I politely asked for them to just issue the ticket so I could be on my way but I was told repeatedly that they need to confiscate my license and I need to go to Taguig City hall to pay my fine and retrieve it. And that fine would be somewhere near ₱5,000 because there was an “abrupt change of lane” which would involve another charge of reckless driving.
I asked him how changing lanes using a signal light could be considered reckless driving and he just said it just is; so by definition alone, it is as serious as driving against the flow of traffic or running a red light and he needs to confiscate my license. I asked him if he was aware that the 17 mayors of Metro Manila, including the mayor of Taguig, have agreed to suspend the confiscation of driver’s licenses as part of the single ticketing system (STS). He said he is very aware of that, but reminded me that Taguig has its own system and laws, despite also being part of the STS and the same Metro Manila Council that prohibits confiscation of license. So same same but different.
To cut a long story short, they eventually let me off without a ticket or taking my license once I asked who I can quote regarding Taguig’s exemption from the STS, despite being part of it.