From a Biker’s Point of View

Lately, I’ve been receiving emails and text messages regarding articles in the newspapers and magazines against motorcyclists. Most notable of these are opinion columns written by noted columnists calling motorcyclists as "pests" on the road. Many of my biker friends, as well as my "brothers" in the motorcycle community, have been asking me to hit back, especially since I am an avid motorcyclist myself.

Now, before I do, I’d like to tell my fellow journalists and columnists that not all bikers are like that. Also, I’d like to paraphrase a part of the Holy Bible where it is written that "whoever does not have a single speck of dirt cast the first stone". Of course, these words were spoken by Jesus to the crowd who were about to stone Mary Magdalene. And you know what happened — nobody was unblemished enough to throw a single rock at her. Not even an opinion columnist.

However, from where I sit every time I ride my Yamaha Virago 535, I tend to agree with these peeved writers who see bikers as "pests" because quite frankly, some bikers are really pests. These are bikers who do not wear regulation helmets properly or who do not wear any helmet at all, bikers who recklessly swerve in and out of lanes, bikers who speed through stop lights and go against the flow of traffic, bikers who ride without lights at night, bikers who don’t know how to share the road with other road users and practice plain old road courtesy and bikers who do not generally respect traffic laws. I find myself wishing that I could ride alongside these pesky riders so I could kick them off their bikes.

But since I can’t do that out of respect for the pest, err…the biker’s life and safety, I do the Next Best Thing — I try to set an example. Take note that the operative word here is "try" because sometimes I find myself becoming another "pest" on the road, especially when I’m in a hurry.

Anyway, even when I’m in a "pesky" rush, I ride with safety in mind. Every time I ride my bike I wear a DOT-certified helmet securely strapped to my head; I wear a zipped-up mesh riding jacket with reflector strips and elbow-, shoulder- and back-protectors to protect my upper body; long pants and riding boots to protect my legs and feet; and riding gloves to protect my hands. Some may say that wearing these gears are sometimes too much for a short ride but statistics show that most fatal motorcycling accidents happen near the victim’s homes, meaning that most fatalities were just out for a short ride, thus they weren’t wearing any gear. Remember Jay Ilagan?

Sure, some of you may say that riding gears are expensive but what price do you place on your safety? If you can afford to spend thousands of pesos on motorcycle accessories or on customizing your bike, then why not spend your money wisely? Why not invest in helmets, jackets, boots and gloves instead? Or better yet, why not enroll in a motorcycle rider safety course where you can learn the proper riding discipline and road etiquette?

Bikers who think they are exempt from traffic laws always get my ire. Whenever I’m at a stoplight waiting for a green light, there will always be bikers who will just speed off and cross the intersection even when the light’s still red. I try to reprimand those offending bikers when I catch up with them at the next intersection while I wish beneath my breath that those who I couldn’t catch up with learn their lesson the hard way, especially when the offending biker is a helmet-less motorcycle cop. After all, policing our ranks is one way of assuring other road users that we motorcyclists are a disciplined bunch. Unless, of course, the rotten egg in our bunch is a motorcycle policeman who don’t want to be policed.

Alas, that’s the sad part. How can you expect motorcyclists, or any motorist for that matter, to follow the law when the enforcers themselves are the ones breaking it? You commonly see motorcycle cops violating traffic laws or escorting some godd@mnsonsofb!tches swerving in and out of traffic and harassing tax-paying motorists and motorcyclists just so their convoy could slice through. Didn’t the President order them to stop using their sirens during escort services? Are they above the law? Why don’t these godd@mnsonsofb!tches suffer the same traffic mess (which they helped create anyway) like the rest of us?

And speaking of the law, who were the bone heads who thought of implementing contradicting traffic laws in different municipalities pertaining to motorcycles? Several city councils have implemented city ordinances that do not adhere to national traffic laws or to each other. In many cases, various city ordinances pertaining to helmets and pillion passengers (back riders) contradict each other that you need to carry two helmets (an open-face and a full-face helmet) and plan your trip with your pillion passenger (where he/she rides with you and where he/she gets off and takes a bus to catch up with you in the next city) whenever you traverse two or three cities in Metro Manila just so you could satisfy these stupid uncoordinated ordinances. Where do they get these stupid ideas? Is this stupidity all that we get for our taxes?

Luckily, traffic enforcement is so poor when it comes to motorcycles because let’s face it, traffic enforcement is generally just plain poor. We have the MMDA and the uncoordinated LGU traffic squads to thank for that.

Unless of course, you’re riding around Makati and the MAPSA spots you. Recently, the City of Makati came out with an ordinance against noisy motorcycle exhaust pipes which penalizes the rider with a stiff fine of P2,500. Many small bike riders are crying discrimination because the exhaust pipes of muffler-less buses and jeepneys, as well as those of coffee-can-sized mufflers of rich boy-racers and wealthy big bike riders, emit more annoying and deafening exhaust noise than those emitted by their motorcycle’s puny single-cylinder motors. To make matters worse, MAPSA confiscates the licenses of first-time offenders, which is legally improper and highly questionable.

But what legally constitutes a noisy exhaust pipe? Does MAPSA have a sound meter that can show readings in decibels (dB) where the exhaust system in question exceeds the prescribed legal noise limit? And what is the prescribed legal noise limit anyway? Have they defined one? If they had, does it conform to internationally-accepted standards? If they haven’t, where do they base their charges? If the apprehending MAPSA officer uses only his ears as the basis for apprehending a violator, wouldn’t it be too subjective? Wouldn’t it constitute what is legally known as "hearsay"? Just wondering…

Obviously, the author of this Makati ordinance as well as the people who approved it, are not motorcyclists. Because if they were, they would understand why bikers opt for loud noisy pipes, which is to make motorists and other road users notice them. You see, in this day and age of unruly and disrespectful road usage, motorcyclists use whatever leverage they can to be noticed on the street so that they can ride safely. And if safety dictates that "Loud Pipes Save Lives", then most riders will opt for aftermarket "open" mufflers. As they will opt for other means of attracting attention, just to be safe on the road.

And the motorcyclists’ attention is what many lawmakers should not neglect. After all, because of the spiraling cost of fuel, the motorcycle population is annually growing and organized biker clubs are growing along with it. There are now nearly two million registered bikers nationwide, and with an average Filipino household of five family members, these bikers and their families, if they can get their act together, account for about 10 million votes come election day. One-eight of the country’s population is too large to be ignored.

So, from a motorcyclist’s point of view, a lot of work, as well as a lot of understanding and cooperation, must be done to correct the current system. In a nutshell, bikers should police their own ranks and learn the proper ways of sharing the road to get the respect of motorists and other road users. Likewise, motorists and other road users should learn to respect the rights of motorcyclists while lawmakers should safeguard these rights. Enforcers should not only enforce the law but follow it, too. Easier said than done and a motherhood statement, I know, but we all have to start somewhere.

And what about those unruly and pesky motorcyclists who continue to violate traffic laws and ignore common road courtesy? Let the pens of opinion columnists, provided they follow traffic laws themselves, slay these "pests" before they get slain on the road. They deserve the bad publicity either way.

Last week, Andy Leuterio wrote about car servicing outside the "casa" and generated a hundred million replies in the process (okay, I exaggerate, but you know what I mean…). We’ll print just one of the many messages asking for the address of MSG Motorworks, and answer just this once. We aren’t endorsers but we know when you guys want something, it’s hard to deny you. So…

Good day, sir. It’s so enlightening every time I read your column. Keep up the good work. Can I ask for the complete address of Lito Galvez of MSG Motorworks? — 09209274135 (MSG Motorworks’ address is 39 Mariveles St. Mandaluyung City, with telephone number 534-0622. You might want to try texting 0917-9829157 also for appointments. Good luck trying to get through!)

I agree with what you wrote about "casa" maintained cars. Some dealers just charge too much and insist on their own brand. — 09194909804

Would love to know the price history of Japanese cars since their 90s entry. I think it would be a worthwhile read. — 09178875940 (We think so, too. That’ll take some tweaking and tuning, though. Definitely not a one-shot article. Tell you what, we’ll try to work out a consistent editorial standard for it, then eventually make it a regular thing. How’s that?)

Why is the Honda Civic SiR so expensive even if it is six to seven years old already? — 09167725107 (It’s got a cult following. It’s the single, most responsive stock Honda Civic ever sold via the legitimate dealerships in the Philippines. Rabid Honda fans understand and accept this as a fact of life.)

I own an Opel Astra and I hear that I’m stuck with the "casa" because Opel uses computers. Is this true? — 09175225523 (Mechanically, no. Your suspension system and mufflers, for example, can be easily worked on by non-Opel trained mechanics. Your onboard computer, which regulates your car’s fuel injection process, however, is best maintained by the "casa" for your own protection. Apart from the service records, they also have warranties on it.)

Speak out, be heard and keep those text messages coming in. To say your piece and become a "Backseat Driver", text PHILSTAR<space>FB<space>MOTORING<space>YOUR MESSAGE and send to 2840 if you’re a Globe or Touch Mobile subscriber or 334 if you’re a Smart or Talk ’n Text subscriber or 2840 if you’re a Sun Cellular subscriber. Please keep your messages down to a manageable 160 characters. You may send a series of comments using the same parameters.