lost in transportation (+ the four corrupt traffic enforcers)

April 11, 2007

it was just last week when ace was trying to remember a quotation (and i was trying hard to fill in the missing words) that goes something like this, "a minute may seem a lifetime and a lifetime may seem like a minute." 

(we never got it correct; but you got the idea) *wink.

hours ago, i experienced (almost) eternity in three hours.

let the story take off where it all began.

 

my first stop was central market (in recto) to pick-up the signature frame for our amway event. i'd been to central market for so many times. i was confident i knew how to get there. that's why when i arrived at doroteo jose, i immediately felt something was wrong. i should have alighted one station before (at bambang). the solution was simple, i thought (that's why i didn't panick)–to ride a jeepney back to bambang. when i reached bambang, i was still in a wrong place. my heart and mind started to jump like a kid who just received a christmas gift. my confidence was starting to go south.

finally, i saw the building (which was my clue many years ago everytime i went to central market) and i followed the voice within. taxi is scarce in that area. there weren't any jeepney passing either. i didn't want to take any chances, that's why i walked the mile. i just promised to myself to reward him with a mouth-watering halo-halo topped with two scoops of ice cream later. 

when i reached juderey frame shop, i was secreting sweat big time.

after which, i went to divisoria to buy the things that had to be bought.

i was in a hurry because i didn't want the moon to catch me while i was still in the place.

had a wonderful solitary dinner at terriyaki boy - binondo. i ate like i've never eaten before. gyu asupara, gyuniko terriyaki, a serving of gohan, a glass of mango shake, and two glasses of iced-cold water.  after that gustatory delight, i had a long phone conversation with my best cousin (if there's such a thing), ate ara.  a perfect way of ending a day of walkathon.

at 07:20pm, i bade my cousin farewell. i had to bill out.  i wanted to go home early to take the much-needed rest.

(speaking of which, excuse me for a while, i'll just prepare my eye wrap). 

(going back…)

since it was a "business area," i thought it would be easy to hail a cab. i thought wrong, terribly wrong.

i crossed the street and passed the mini park in the middle of binondo.

at around 07:30, it started to drizzle. water couldn't stop me from getting a cab. i so desperately wanted to go home.  thinking i outlasted and outwitted the rain, nature gave its final blow — strong rain poured. and just like that, i ran to the nearest shelter.

while watching nature lash its "wet" fury amidst the summer season, i was warped back to my school days. the aroma of the rainwater smelled the opening of school. and i thought that i would never be back in school (not unless i enroll for a MA). i realized how much i terribly miss going back to school and all the preparation that went along with it–buying black leather shoes, covering my books and notebooks with plastic, buying school supplies, etc.

ten minutes passed. the pouring of rain seemed to go stronger.

i decided to contact my cousin (the one i was in phone conversation with moments ago).

i wanted to be distracted.

after exhausting all means of distraction i finally came to realize that i had to accept my fate. i had to wait a li'l longer; or so i wished.  nothing is "li'l" after the rain.

when the downpour came to a halt, i went out to the street to snatch that elusive white public vehicle.

i was in for a stiff competition with other commuters. amidst the storm i remained calm. i didn't want to waste what was left in my energy aqueduct.

the clock hit 08:30 still in binondo.

08:55

09:14…i started singing a worship song, "Jesus, the Sweetest Name of All;" was it a call for help or a sound of desperation? probably both. 

09.30…started thinking, "things happen for a reason."

09:45…something happened.

out of nowhere, four traffic aids appeared across the street; on the island in the middle of binondo district. they started calling passing vehicles to pull over.

i wondered why.

the journalist in me was awaken.

they first called private vehicles. i was anxious to know the reason. apparently, the "violators" drove pass even if the light was on red signal. i watched other vehicles being pulled over for the same reason.

suddenly, when one of them asked a cab to stop, his peer shouted, "hayaan mo na 'yan, taxi lang yan." the one who asked the cab to pull over let the driver go. then, he said to his peer, "nakikiaalam ka kasi, eh! hindi ko naman titicketan! wag ka na mangunguna!" he was furious to his peer. that's the time i told myself that these four were doing something illegal. 

i still observed.

after a while, they stopped a truck. i was playing games pa nga. i was guessing what was the violation. i thought the truck was pulled over because of the truck ban. i was wrong. four bigger trucks passed by and they didn't even bother to look at it.

something fishy was really going on, i thought.

like a kid with a short attention span, the four goons switched to another set of "violators," the motorbikers.

i became bold at the time. when they stopped two innocent bikers, i walked near them. but i acted as if i were still hailing a cab.

i heard one of the enforcers (i felt he was just acting), "ano ba 'yan? yellow light na, go ka pa rin…wag ka na magdahilan. lisensya mo." the fearful guy helplessly offered his driver's license, "sir, di ko talaga nakita. ito oh, kilala ko 'to sa city hall." 

then the enforcer replied, "sino ba 'yan? di ko 'yan kilala. wala akong kilalang ganyan." then he switched to a tune of a tamed lion, "kasi naman kayo mag-iingat kayo. madulas ang daan. o sige, pagbibigyan kita. ingat kayo sa daan ah. pero, di ko kilala yung sinasabi mo." 

i was infuriated at this point.

i wanted to get their names and to make use of the IPATROL mo text service by ABS-CBN and Globe.

i didn't have to hear the other conversations when i finally saw one of the bikers giving his hard-earned P60.00 to the enforcer.

i said to myself,"this is the reason why i'm still here." 

i was able to catch a glimpse of the name tag of one of the enforcers, "MALIWAT." the other guy didn't have a name tag at all. the other one i supposed, "TRINIDAD," but not sure of this. the fourth guy was on the other side of the street. he was patrolling their motorbikes.

after less than an hour, at 10:05,  probably they already had something to buy for their respective families, they disappeared in the same way they appeared.

minutes later, i finally got hold of a cab.

i'd been asking God why he was punishing me for the past three hours.

then that incident happened.

certainly, things happen for a reason.

(now, it's up to me whether i'll do something about it or will let it go…)

 

*sparkles.