I told my husband that he'll likely be unable to drive in the Philippines. He said, "Try me."

     Famous last words.

     My friend Dr. Carlo Cornejo, who is a gastroenterologist in the Philippines, recently visited the USA.  Check out his Facebook Note  about "after driving for close to a month in the streets of the US of A, you get to notice how obscene the driving is here back home. The differences are so glaring, it's actually very humiliating to be called a Filipino driver ... or to even DRIVE in the Philippines."
Dr. Carlo Cornejo

 1) there are no traffic rules in manila. only suggestions.
2) that STOP sign is optional.
3) when you YIELD, there is always that driver behind you who will blow his horn.
4) there are taxi drivers who drive ON the dividing lines, shifting to that lane which seems faster than the other at the last moment.
5) that BUS is king, you do not exist for them.
6) the FAST LANE on the left is always occupied by the slowest drivers.
7) PEDESTRIANS are a nuisance and are treated as such. cross the road at your own peril, even if they have right of way.
8) MOTORCYCLES weave in and out of traffic. when they hit your car, they can always make a quick getaway.
9) POLITICIANS who serve the highest office of the land think they are above traffic and violate rules at will with their rude police escorts.
10) AMBULANCES are trapped in traffic, despite their sirens indicating they are carrying a dying patient.
11) on a wide open road, expect that TAXI to suddenly stop in the middle.
12) they will stop you and check your car for emissions, despite the fact that they let the puttering JEEPNEY with their black smoke pass.
13) cutting lanes is the rule. follow the rules, and you're a SISSY.
14) an avenue with 6 lanes allows only 3 lanes of use, as people who want to ride that BUS occupy the other 3 lanes. where did that sidewalk go?
15) despite the fact that only 3 lanes are of use in #14, 5 cars actually pass abreast of each other.
16) STREET NAMES can change at a moment's notice. depending on the whims of the street-namer.
17) that ONE WAY becomes TWO WAY today, then ONE WAY again the next. wow, the traffic cops are getting a field day.
18) that NO LEFT TURN sign is hiding behind a bush, or has faded paint, or is too small to see from 5 feet away... take your pick.
19) when it rains, the POLICE scamper and hide.
20) when the sun's out, the POLICE are sitting in the shade, like a tiger waiting to pounce.
21) change one lane when a police officer sees you and you are CITED for swerving, despite the fact that the definition of swerving is rapidly changing 2 lanes or more.
22) GPS technology will not catch on. lost? roll down your window and ask that tricycle driver. and don't forget to put your car near the curb, ok?
23) an average driver does not know how to PUMP gas.
24) if you try to pump gas by yourself, the gas station owner will think you're STEALING.
24) if you try to pump gas by yourself, the gas station owner will think you're STEALING.
25) you see the same man BEGGING for money to travel home to the province at the same place everyday for the last 5 years. do you really want to go home?
26) there are some streets where children will WASH your car at stoplights using dirty soap and water, and shout curses at you when you shoo them away.
27) some will steal your SIDE MIRRORS at a stop light.
28) bus drivers will go to heaven EXPRESS. they cause so many prayers to be said.
29) road BARRIERS can come up overnight. there is no driving on automatic pilot.
30) nearing ELECTION time, road repairs crop up... even if the road was fine in the first place. traffic worsens... flooding happens. these are incentives for NOT voting for those in power.
31) that GRAY HAZE is not morning mist. it's greenhouse gases ... mutated.

     Wow. This has gotten to be a long list already. And i'm not even half done yet.

     It is no wonder driving here is not for the faint-hearted. It takes guts and a lot of skill. Make it driving in Manila, you can drive the world.

     Well, maybe not in INDIA. but that's another story.

mood: refreshed tags: dr. carlo cornejo, philippines