It’s them VIP lanes, stupid

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I’M sure you’ve asked it so often, or at least heard it too: why does it seem like our traveling politicians never pick up anything of the best practices from abroad that they see from their travels that we could implement here?

Actually, to say never is not fair. We have had a couple of things picked up, and one I can name is the intent of this administration to get our airport run like Gatwick in London. Now, I’ve never used Gatwick so I have no idea what that’s like, but at least that’s one instance where you see the President intent on adopting the best practices the Brits have at Gatwick and seeing if they’re doable here.

‘… these VIPs have a VIP lane (or at least a system) wherein someone can help usher them through the process, sometimes bypassing the whole line of travelers completely by going through a different, VIP way.’

Because they aren’t always for many reasons: background, training, technology, funding, culture, and, of course, intent. I am sure that in almost any government in the world there are pockets of resistance to change among the bureaucrats, except that maybe there are more and bigger pockets here — in more senses than one.

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And you and I know what has to go into them pockets, yes?

But I think there’s a simpler reason why many of our neighbors have advanced tremendously in the last 20 or even 10 years when it comes to infrastructure and utilities and public transport while we have moved at a snail’s pace (relatively speaking) and that simple reason is this:

It’s the VIP lanes.

Think about it.

If all our public officials, save the President and the Vice President, the Chief Justice, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, have to go through the things you and I go through — traffic, immigration checks, customs clearances, waiting for luggage, etc. — I suspect we will have far better systems than we currently have, in far less time than you can say “The Team Unity is United no more.”

Have you ever seen a social media post of a congressman, a senator or even a mayor lined up in Immigration at any of our airports? I haven’t, and yet what a mega PR boost that would be for any of them, yes?

But you don’t see any. And that’s because these VIPs have a VIP lane (or at least a system) wherein someone can help usher them through the process, sometimes bypassing the whole line of travelers completely by going through a different, VIP way.

Do you see them at baggage claim? I don’t. And that’s because they have someone to make sure their baggage is properly picked up and delivered to wherever they are.

And do you see them stretching their necks at the arrival area scanning for friendly faces of relatives and friends eager to get their pasalubongs? You don’t because they’re ushered directly to their waiting SUVs parked where “No Parking” signs abound but the cops don’t want their careers to end right then and there by ordering the waiting convoy to “drive around again.”

So why would they care that our Immigration system is an embarrassment of snake lines when our neighbors are automated; why should it matter that our walkalators don’t work and our baggage carousels are so few and far between; why should it matter than the arrival and departure areas are so poorly designed for the Filipino culture of hatid and sundo en masse — when they don’t have to go through the sh*t that you and I go through?

Take away the VIP lanes and then all of us are VIPs.

And watch how things will change so quickly before you’re even done saying “The Team Unity is United no more.”

It’s them VIP lanes, stupid.

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