‘Am still hoping that if there’s a place where the right of way is observed properly it will be in BGC.’
DRIVING around BGC yesterday, I had a couple of nice experiences — very rare when driving around Metro Manila or other parts of the Philippines.
One was when I was getting to an intersection. The car ahead of me slowed down and I looked if there was a traffic light. Nada. Then he stopped. And then I saw why: there was a young lady about to cross the pedestrian lane. He let her. And only after she passed did he proceed.
I was happy. That’s how it should be. Motorists give way to pedestrians almost always when they’re about to cross the pedestrian lane. Almost always because when there’s a traffic light, that changes things.
The second was at another intersection. I was maybe the third car turning right and merged with another group of vehicles on a street perpendicular to ours.
Again, there was no stoplight.
I was happy that the motorists ahead of me — most of them anyway — merged with the other group of motorists using the zipper principle, one after the other alternately. Two didn’t follow the rule but everyone else did. And I was happy too. Because if the zipper principle were to be adopted by every motorist, then maybe 20% of our traffic woes would disappear. (The 80% from the yellow boxes!). Life would be much easier, yes?
But admit it — very rarely do Filipino motorists honor the zipper rule. Unless it’s imposed on them. Even in mall parking areas where two or three lanes of vehicles approach a pay booth, you’ll see many a motorist refuse to give way in a zipper manner. I think their attitude is, “If I give way what assurance do I have that the next guy will give way to me?”
But this is not only a matter for vehicles only.
So, I was amused but not surprised when, at the intersection of 5th Avenue and the Fort Victoria condo, I stopped to allow a Caucasian to cross. He did — but started walking briskly to get out of my way! The man has adopted the Filipino psyche that even at a pedestrian lane the vehicle has the right of way, and the poor pedestrian better get out of the way as quickly as possible.
Am still hoping that if there’s a place where the right of way is observed properly it will be in BGC. BGC should truly be a Global City in all respects.
