oops, i did it again! and again!

I flashed my I.D. card together with my license to the traffic enforcer to escape apprehension, did it thrice.

Not that I am proud of it. This is more of a confession.

(1) Beating the red light (At Kalayaan Ave. in Makati City). The traffic light turned yellow when I was about to approach the intersection. The other cars stopped while I went faster.

When I was way younger, like around 9 or 10 years old, I saw this commercial on the television which really appealed to me. It stuck on my mind . It shows the green traffic light turning to yellow. Then a question was posed: “slow down” or “go faster?”

Young as I was then, I felt I was truly being asked to choose. So, I made the decision that yellow light means “go faster.” I would not want to be left behind waiting for another turn to go. Time is gold and I cannot afford to waste a minute.

(2) Beating the red light again. (This time at Shaw Blvd., Pasig City) Hay, hay, hay. There goes the light again turning yellow and I went faster. Then goes the young officer, looking dead-serious, gesturing me to pull-over. Ayos! Mukhang matino ang binatilyong traffic enforcer ng Pasig. At mukhang marami rami na rin siyang nahuli that day. “Dilaw pa po kasi iyong ilaw, sir. Di ho ba, pwede pa akong umabante? Ayun na. At kailangan talaga niya akong paliwanagan na yellow light means “go slow then stop.” Going faster results to accidents. Tsk. Tsk. Siya, siya, hindi na mauulit. Salamat at gumana naman ang mahinahong pakikipag-usap. Nahiya na ako sa sarili ko. Marami ang nakatingin sa amin- mga pasahero sa jeeb sa kabilang linya. I must have disappointed them, I didn’t hand some cash to the young officer. Iyon ang hindi ko ginagawa at hindi gagawin, ever.

(3) Breaking the number-coding scheme. I was caught at EDSA, near Pasay Rotonda. The last digit in my plate is 2 and in the cities of Pasay and Makati, plates ending in 2 should not be on the road on Mondays from seven in the morning until seven in the evening.

It was 7:20 a.m., I was traversing EDSA, and at 7:20am, my plate did not escape the sharp eyes of the MMDA-traffic enforcers assigned in Pasay. Oh, well. I was rehearsing my excuse since my clock ticked 7am. I changed route and I didn’t know I would be caught on the road at past seven in the morning. Good thing I was near my office, about 5 minutes away. They bought my defense after taking a good look at my ever-helpful I.D.

Ang aking realization, hindi rin pala maganda sa pakiramdam ang palaging lumulusot. Sana wala ng 4^th flashing (of I.D.).