However, this morning I decided to be a good citizen by using pedestrian cross walk. As waited until the other cars acknowledged that I was about to cross, when they slowed down I walked. However, as I got towards the end, I noticed a car that didn't seem like it was slowing down and wanted to speed through the gap between me and the curb. As it neared, I reared back suddenly as the car honked at me to move away. It suddenly screeched to a stop an inch away from my legs. I got so furious, the feeling undid me. I started yelling profanities at the driver.
I discovered a while back, how easy it is to get your license in the Philippines. In fact, it requires no knowledge of driving whatsoever. All you need is money.To become a licensed driver in the Philippines, you need to pay for your application and you must take a written test to show that you are a "competent driver." At the same time, however, people will also offer you the answers to the test questions for 600-800 pesos. Unlike the DMV at home, where you actually had to prove your driving ability by sitting in a car with a test facilitator, here in the Philippines the process is quite different -- as long as you have the cash, you can pass. I guess this is also indicative of the Filipino mindset where you can buy anything with money, buy off a ticket, buy a license, etc. It promotes nothing but corruption and people WONDER WHY THE PHILIPPINES IS SO CORRUPT. The people who advocate against it are playing the same card and using money to their advantage.
Getting around Manila is also such a pain in the ass. The roads are not wide enough, traffic stops because bus drivers and tax drivers think they can swerve in between lanes every other second, and the trains are unable to meet the capacity of rush hour commuters. Buses along EDSA like to take their sweet time loading and unloading passengers and many drivers won't bother to use their signal sign to move in between lanes. Really? Is this necessary?
The Philippines government spends so much money every year on "beautifying" the roads. One mistake they made was putting a stinking train in the middle of the highway! (e.g. EDSA) How can you possibly expand the train's capacity in the future? Especially when the Philippines' population is expected to double in the next couple of years? Wrong move in that aspect.
EDSA/MRT Train
Getting around the city requires several transfers, which is such a struggle considering you have to factor in heat and availability of transportation. During rush hour, I have to set aside at least an hour and a half of travel time to get to and from work, plus the extra 30-45 minutes of waiting for a seat to car pool home.
In my frustration, I tell myself...I will earn enough money to get a car and hire a driver so I won't have to sweat to and from work every day. Then I realize, parking and gas is so expensive. So either I sweat out my misery or I shell out around 200-300 USD on parking, gas, and car insurance. Not a viable cost option at this moment in my life. The best thing to do is suck it up and bring an extra shirt to work every day to dry out the sweat and grime from every day commute.
Yes, I am officially a hard core Urbanista. If I add that to my CV will it add any weight? I wish.