‘Ay mali Pam’

If DPWH Secretary Singson and MMDA Chairman Tolentino would graciously welcome this humble suggestion, might I suggest that all pedestrian crossings in Metro Manila and the country be slightly elevated and designed like the “rumble” lanes that we see here and there. As a regular pedestrian, I’ve often wondered how we could “mechanically” make drivers understand and appreciate the fact that they have to slow down and respect pedestrian crossings.

Since we have reached a point where the only way to educate drivers is through mechanical solutions, I figure that by actually raising pedestrian lanes by 4 to 6 inches and designing them in slices that would “rumble” the car, drivers will slowly get the point and learn to stop or slow down. This idea of course comes from what the developers at Bonifacio Global City did at High Street as well as SM particularly here in Lipa City, Batangas. By making their pedestrian lanes higher than the road, they created a mechanical and mental reminder to drivers to slow down at that particular crossing.

Since pedestrian lanes are at intersections or “slow” areas, the raised design won’t necessarily make traffic any slower, but would greatly increase the safety of pedestrian crossings and slowly but surely educate and remind drivers to slow down or stop.

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While we’re on the topic of mechanical or engineering solutions, the Sy family should invite the Secretaries from the DPWH, DILG, DOTC and the Chairman of the MMDA to SM Lipa City. In fact, they should invite President Noynoy to SM Lipa where a “unique” two level parking garage is currently being constructed reportedly to serve as a Bus/AUV depot on the ground level and a parking garage on the upper level.

Unlike normal parking slots, the ground level slots at SM Lipa are wide and long enough to park buses. By investing on such a project, SM provides both convenience and security to travellers and mall patrons. This project, if it is in fact going to be a full time Bus terminal, should eventually give more than ROI or return on investment for the SM group since all buses do pay a parking fee for every bus and since Lipa City has become a commercial and transport hub, that amounts to a lot of buses daily. In addition to the terminal operations, SM Lipa also gets to build an additional parking level for their customers.

 What will be attractive to bus operators and drivers is that the facility, ideally, will free them from extortion, kotong and barkers who bite into their earnings on a daily basis. If there is any solution that will help ease traffic, minimize street level corruption, bring benefits to the public, the SM project is something that should be part of all national and local government projects. As they say at SM: “We got it all for you”.

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One thing I have to say about the people at PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is they never run out of ideas that grab media attention.

The latest of course was the presumably well-intentioned letter of a former Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson inviting President Noynoy Aquino to dinner, if he’s ever in her part of the world to talk about Mali the elephant at the Manila Zoo. To say that a lot of people have treated the letter and the dinner invitation with tongue in cheek would be an understatement, and it teaches us that we should be very careful that good intentions don’t backfire.

In terms of media attention and publicity, the invitation from “Pam” soon became Spam, both the canned variety and the one we dislike on the Internet. Once the invitation from Pamela hit the front pages, people with fertile and comic imaginations soon thought up of dialogues and scenarios between our bachelor president and the buxom Baywatch graduate while having dinner by candlelight. I wonder how long before Jay Leno and the competition picks up the story and turns it into comedy.

Knowing how they operate, they will probably do a sketch where P-Noy and Pamela are having dinner by candlelight with Mali the elephant waving a huge palm frond to fan the two at the Manila Zoo elephant enclosure! For whatever it’s worth, PETA and Pamela certainly got their two minutes of fame, while others had a few days of comic imagining. Unfortunately for PETA and Pam, everyone else except the President volunteered to take up the invitation.

 I have no doubts that Pamela Anderson’s efforts were genuine and sincere and if her star or sexy powers can help, why not. Unfortunately instead of advancing the cause or bringing focus to the objective, the sexy image of Pamela Anderson and her dinner invitation diverted the attention and unwittingly undermined the PETA agenda.

Perhaps PETA would be far more effective if they actually make an offer to buy “Mali” contingent on the plan of relocating her. Many wildlife and environment conservationists have adopted the “Buy and save” approach and this might show both sincerity and capacity on the part of PETA. Otherwise, critics will prove PETA to be nothing more than publicity seekers.

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This being the season for travelling, it might be good for all travelers to be conscious of their conduct while on the move. Please remind yourselves as well as others that seats at airports are for humans and not for bags or baggage. It’s safe to say that we are all guilty of this oversight and sometimes gross insensitivity to others. People should not have to ask if the seat is taken just because we parked our bags beside us. I know we do it for security and sometimes for hygiene, but experts tell us that you are safer placing your bags in front of you instead of beside you. As for hygiene, if you want a clean bag, clean it.

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