Stop feeding the monster this 2011

As sure as they must have produced nods of assent, one imagines the diverse wealth of opinions expressed within “Backseat Driver” to have raised eyebrows and hackles. Truth be told, laments your Star Motoring family conscripted to tons of paper have fallen on all sorts of ears: the deaf, overly sensitive, and understanding ones. We’d like to think that sometimes they inspire actions that affirm our belief in reason. Other times, frankly, inaction makes us doubt reason exists at all.

We’ve heard it said so many times (it must be true, then) that how we conduct ourselves behind the wheel says a lot about our culture as a people. Balikbayans who flew in before the holidays shook their heads not just over the monstrous traffic but the utter lack of discipline on the road. Relatives who have been so accustomed to living in the US doggedly refused to take the wheel here in the Metro.

Can you blame them? Buses making multi-lane changes, taxis choosing hapless passengers or charging them an arm and a leg, traffic enforcers lying in wait with less than noble plans, jeepneys stopping in the middle of streets to get or let off passengers, motorcycles weaving in and out of lanes within inches of your car, and other sundry sights are sure to give anyone the heebie-jeebies.

“So, no thanks. You do the driving,” they would say.

The last few days of 2010 (and the first ones of 2011) provided more or less blissful road experiences – for the simple reason that it seemed everyone was out of town or holed up at home.

That dreamy EDSA Zen is sure to be short-lived as the wheels of industry and commerce grind again. Grind. That’s how we will once more traverse our major thoroughfares. Welcome back to the jungle, baby.

But if there is something to be learned on the road over the few days of respite from traffic, it should be this: people generally choose to screw up traffic. Gridlock happens not just because there are lots of vehicles. It’s because drivers refuse to yield. Yes, yield – as in give, magbigay. ‘Tis the season for giving.

After all, no genius can solve the traffic problem if drivers refuse to drive conscientiously. Star Motoring chief Dong Magsajo got it right when he suggested simple traffic courtesies like the zipper method of merging. It doesn’t take mind-blowing eureka solutions. The sooner we stop behaving like hyenas going gaga over a recent kill, then maybe, MAYBE, there is hope for our streets.

Before Christmas, Joyce and I went to the Mall of Asia early to beat the crush of shoppers. We found a spot on an upper floor, and walked to the elevator area – mulling over whether to take it or the flight of stairs instead – when we saw a maroon City pull into a handicapped parking area. “Let’s see if this guy should really be there,” Joyce said as she tapped me.

Sure enough, a woman got off the car, then bounded over to the elevator just as it was closing. Wow. Did we just see that, I thought. That woman didn’t deserve to park her vehicle there. What if someone who really needed that slot arrived? What then? Did she think about the consequence of that uncaring, senseless action? Her mind obviously processed her deed as such: need to park, see parking area, park now.

After a few hours, Joyce and I walked back to our ride and again spotted the offending City – still sitting proudly in the slot its owner didn’t respect or deserve. We couldn’t resist, so Joyce scribbled a note and clipped it on one of the car’s wipers. It read: “Are you really handicapped? Next time, park properly!” If it were up to me I would have thrown in a few choice terms of abuse as well, but that would have blurred the point. Still, I could only hope the sentiment would be drilled into her thick skull.

Why can’t people just be, well, decent? Why don’t we obey the rules when others can do so most easily?

Why, when given a chance, should we cut into a line of patiently waiting vehicles? Why do we love beating the red light? Why do we think we are entitled to counterflow when everyone else has to sweat it out in traffic? Why do we park irresponsibly – sometimes occupying two parking slots -- or even pressing inconsiderately up against the adjoining vehicle so that the driver can’t even open his door? Why do we think we are not responsible for the plight of other people? Why does our own convenience and comfort take precedence over everything else?

These irritations may seem minor, but isn’t being inconsiderate the ultimate foundation for more malevolent events – such as road tragedies? When people make a habit out of counterflowing, isn’t that a recipe for a head-on collision? When we are overcome by impatience and we regularly reward this monster, aren’t we an accident waiting to happen? We reap what we sow. Garbage in, garbage out; chaos in, chaos out.

If we know and hold on to but one thing these days, it’s this: the new year brings in new hope.

Here’s a resolution: let’s all try to be more patient and giving towards each other on the streets. Ease off on the horn, try the zipper method (that means merging alternately), and please, just please, park considerately. Surely, these small things will be good for our collective health and peace of mind.

Just as the baby perennially used to represent it, each new year is fresh, untainted, and full of promise and life. How we nurture the baby with our deeds inevitably shapes its “adulthood.” If we want 2011 to be a beautiful year, we should be damn well ready to put in the work to make it so.

By all means, be a safe – and considerate – driver!