Traffic

Traffic is the Filipino answer for being late. And it's true! At least most of the time. You have not truly earned your driver's licence until you have driven an automobile in the chaos that Filipinos call traffic.

4 lanes of traffic headed in one direction, 6 vehicles, side by side heading down the street and another 6 moving in the opposite direction. Lane markings are suggestions only and 3 of the 6 vehicles are straddling the lines intended to separate them. Wait! there is an opening. Quick jump into it quickly before someone else does. Signal lights? What are they? You don't have time to use any signal when you decide to make that lane change in case smeone else gets there before you do. Just honk. He who honks first has the right of way, unless soneone else is bolder and takes the opening first. How about that motorcycle? Into the far lane, across the front end of the semi and back into the right hand lane, moving quickly down the street in the short opening that appears and then a quick weave to avoid the pedestrian trying to cross the street. Why is that bus stopping in the intersection? To pick up passengers and not give up his lane of course. Tricycles move along in front of automobiles slowing them down to a speed that a 100cc Honda can maintain while carrying a side car with two passengers inside and another on the saddle behind the driver.

Traffic in the Philippines biggest city,Manila, is chaos defined. There appear to be no rules for how drivers use the space designated for automobiles. Cars, trucks, tricycles, jeepneys and buses battle for space and have little time for any pedestrian brave enough to try to cross the road while the autos speed by. Only the bold survive. You must move quickly to assert yourself if you wish to maintain your place in this traffic nightmare.

Any urban designer who could pass his Ph.D, would never design a system that resembles the Manila model.

And yet it works! There do not appear to be any more accidents than there are in other places. people manage to get to their destinations, slowly for sure, but they do get there. How can that be?

I maintain it is because Filipinos are courteous. They will ease off on the gas to let someone in. They will move aside to allow the overtaking vehicle room to avoid a head on collision with oncoming traffic. They will wave to the vehicle behind to let the driver know that it is safe to pass. It is this basic sense of courtesy that lies deep within the Filipino soul that allows them to manoevre through this traffic chaos.

Manila traffic is the perfect metaphor for the Filipino character. Wildly independent with an anarchistic streak, Filipinos are quick to disregard the law if they do not see any sense for the law in question. But their deep sense of politeness and courtesy rein in their wilder free living spirit in order to help their neighbours.  This dual nature both creates the traffic chaos witnessed by westerners and makes it work in a way that westeners are unable to understand.

So being late due to traffic is a perfect excuse for a Pinoy. All his friends understand, and if it is more excuse than reason, all his friends have used the same excuse anyway.