ON MY way to the drug store, riding my bicycle, this boy suddenly jumped in front of me. I squeezed my brakes but it was too late. I hit the boy. I was so scared because we were in the middle of the road. The cars behind were swerving a little, last second turns of the wheel to avoid us.

There he was - the very 'hard-working' traffic enforcer. While the whole incident happened, he was leaning on the wall watching it all as if he were watching a TV show at home.

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I looked at the traffic enforcer who was oblivious to what has happened near him. When I finally called him to ask for "a little help, please," he straightened up and asked, "Why? What's the matter?"

At the intersection, motorists were zooming unmindful of the traffic lights. So much for traffic enforcement here.

Instead of buying the pain reliever, which was the reason why I was on the street, I bought the boy some band-aid.

I was furious at the traffic enforcer; I walked up to him and told him he wasn't doing his job properly. He took off his sunglasses to glare at me. His eyes were all red. He must have been sleeping when he was supposed to be working, his shut-eye concealed by his dark glasses as he leaned on the wall.

Is this the public service that these 'public servants' are doing? Maybe they feel they are the once that are supposed to be served. Having the power to give tickets doesn't excuse the fact that they are public servants and that they should serve the public.

Aren't these enforcers paid by our taxes? Is this where our taxes are going? If the money that we're giving to the government for public safety will go to people who won't even give a damn about the safety of the people, then I'd rather not pay my taxes when the time comes that I am capable of doing so.

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* Sunday Essays are articles written by Ateneo de Davao University college students for their basic journalism subject. (Kevin Mikhail H. Gomez)