Thursday, April 17, 2008 Calinao: Balasubas By Nick Prill Calinao Free and Easy
STROLLING down Session Road one afternoon, I chanced upon quite an amusing site. A rather well-groomed and decently dressed man who seemed to be in his late thirties or early forties was yelling "balasubas" to a cabbie while holding his "dirty finger" up high.
Despite the negative gesture, I honestly could not blame the man who was leisurely crossing the street when the cabbie "cut-through" just inches in front of him with utmost disregard to the pedestrian lane just moments earlier. No wonder he was "pissed."
As if adding, "insult to injury," the cab driver stared at the pedestrian, rolled his window down lower, spat on the pavement, and accelerated away. I had the impression that if only the cab driver was within arms-reach, the man may have "beat the hell" out of him.
As a result, I ended up observing the streets with a keener eye. To my disappointment, I noticed that quite a number of motorists, particularly cabbies and young drivers of "elegant and sporty looking wheels" treated pedestrian lanes in a similar manner. Well I guess that is why they called "kings of the road." It's a pity that pedestrian lanes are not manned by traffic enforcers.
There were also observed instances when motorists, particularly cabbies "slammed their breaks" so close to the crossing public as if they were inducing heart attacks. They do not deserve their professional drivers licenses. Man!!! They do have a false sense of "feeling privileged" on the road.
These "kings of the road" not only jeopardize the safety of pedestrians, they also give a bad impression against other public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers who are courteous and responsible.
While others tag them as "kings of the road," there are those who call them "snakes on the streets." Some of these PUVs seemed to have developed the bad habit of shifting lanes like "side-winding rattlers" in a "licensed fashion." Man!!! Some of them literally adhere to that false sense of "feeling privileged." In fairness to cabbies, a lot of express route jeepneys do the same without even bothering to utilize their signal lights.
Poor pedestrians, motorists and courteous PUV drivers who are unwilling victims of the many "balasubas drivers" in the city.
Now since these arrogant, discourteous, and irresponsible drivers are so Damn Good at what they do...they might as well change their trade names to "balasubas taxis" and "walang modo jeepneys" for hire.
In terms of finding ways to convert our roads and streets into more perilous areas for pedestrians and other motorists; I got one line for these "balasubas and walang modo" drivers..."Damn they are Good."
