Uncommon sense for the common driver

The 15 minutes of fame (nonetheless forever etched onto the worldwide web) for the State U law student who drove his car into deep water was a glimpse not just into human psychology (how we react under pressure) but good ol’ fashioned common sense. Regardless of your take on the succeeding maelstrom of condemnation, pity, and mockery, what happened to that hapless motorist is inarguably a valuable lesson that bears repeating.

If there’s one nugget of wisdom we ought to learn from that floating sedan and its defiant driver is that you don’t tempt the fates. Just because no one waves you away from a flood doesn’t mean you can go around testing the waters every chance you get. There’s a reason we get a niggling feeling. It’s our instinct telling us: “Whoa, hold on Nellie!” You might be getting yourself in a world of hurt out there. It may be said that fate may favor the brave, but out on the road all indications say it favors the wise.

That future lawyer’s experience should at least serve as a reminder for us to heed the wisdom of our instincts. For the thing with common sense is that, sadly, it’s really not too common.

Flood avoidance. We start our list with this precious gem, of course. When you see rising water on the street, exercise extreme caution. Common sense tells us to check out if other vehicles are venturing forth and are “surfacing” easily. Check out the tires of said vehicles. That will give you a good idea of depth. If you’re driving a sedan and you see SUVs backing off, that means you should, too. Never be the first to wade in. It’s not worth the trouble just to save a few seconds off travel time.

Overtake smart. We have lots of long, two-lane main roads in the country. I know the temptation is great to overtake a chugging tricycle or slowpoke jeepney. Still, do so safely. Never do it while at a bend or curve where vision of oncoming traffic is non-existent. Head-on collisions are never pretty – and are notoriously unforgiving. Be especially wary at night. Again, would you risk life and limb for a few seconds?

Gas up. One of my uncles would famously quip, when prodded to gas up, that the E stood for “enough” and F was for “finished” I haven’t had the misfortune (knock on wood) of running out of gas, but it’s not so hard to imagine the hassle of trooping to a gas station to buy gas for your car stranded in the middle of nowhere. Don’t wait until the needle reaches that letter. Gas up before you regret it.

Mind the traffic light – always. No matter what time of the day it is, never ever beat or run a red light. That’s just plain stupid. Let other morons do it all they want if it makes them giddy. That’s always an accident waiting to happen, and a ticket that’s just begging to be written.

Bus sandwich. Don’t let yourself be the filling in a bus sandwich. It won’t be your brightest move to take bus drivers for granted. Many of them don’t even bother using their side mirrors (or mind what they see in them). I’ve had so many near misses with these geniuses. Always drive defensively. Steer clear of bus lanes. If you have to venture there, be especially alert. The gap between two buses is the worst to get caught in. Consider it a circle in Dante’s hell. Most of them don’t stay in a lane for very long, so there’s a good chance you’ll be squashed.

Tunnel vision. When traveling inside tunnels, switch your lights on. You may think that it’s pretty stupid to have your xenons burning while in a lit tunnel (especially during the day), but that extreme contrast of sunlight followed by sudden relative darkness is jarring to anyone’s eyes. That means it is doubly important to stay extra visible as your eyes adapt to the drastically dimmed illumination.

Lock up. What was that song that went something like paranoia isn’t funny if it’s real? Oh, well, I’ve seen it more times than I care to remember: Street kids running after taxis and opening their doors to get at the belongings of a passenger within who neglected to lock the door after getting on board. Be especially wary of the EDSA Guadalupe Bridge.

Enforcer alert. Don’t play patintero with your friendly neighborhood traffic enforcer. If he flags you down, acknowledge then make a turn signal so you can pull over safely. If you think you didn’t do anything wrong, then all the more reason not to flee from the scene. Fleeing can earn you a ticket, you know.

Pedestrian lane awareness. Your instincts should be sharp enough to warn you to slow down or be extra wary when you see zebra stripes on the asphalt. Pedestrians have the right of way here, and no amount of honking will speed some of them up. Do you really want to play chicken with them? You will lose every time.

Smile for the TV. And, oh, just in case one of those TV reporters gets up your grill after you do a “Wow Mali,” make sure you smile for the camera and crew – not blame them for the mess you got yourself in. That’s pretty common sense right there.