I was ready to let the issue go.
No wait. Make that, I had decided to let it go, because, after all, I’m not one to obsess.
Seriously.
Not even when it comes to one of my pet peeves like, say, illegal parking, specifically on R. Landon.
You know, that road that undulates from Osmeña Blvd. to Jakosalem St.
Before, it reminded me a little of San Francisco.
Not the town in Camotes, where I heard the only mode of transportation is habal-habal unless, of course, I was misinformed. I actually mean the city by the bay. In California.
The whole stretch used to be lined with post-war houses that have long since been demolished, most of them anyway, making it look like the painted ladies of Alamo Square.
I said “look” because R. Landon is a far cry from the idyllic-looking row of pastel-colored Victorian and Edwardian homes.
But I digress. So where was I?
Oh yes. Illegal parking and how I had decided not to write about it because, frankly, I was beginning to scare myself.
I shouldn’t get riled up when I see violators, but I do. And only because many flagrantly ignore the “no parking” signs. Even when these are on tow-away zones. Like what’s happening on R. Landon.
And yet... nothing.
I thought the Cebu City Transportation Office would act on the problem after it clamped two ambulances that were parked outside a private hospital last month.
If they could do that to ambulances, what’s stopping them from doing that to regular vehicles?
But it turns out that some vehicles are more regular than others. Especially, if these are parked in front of offices that are connected to the Philippine National Police.
It doesn’t matter if the vehicles have red or ordinary plates. Oh no, they just sidle up perpendicular to the legally-parked vehicles and pretend they’re not occupying almost a whole lane.
Never mind the pedestrians who have to carefully avoid whizzing motorcycles and cars, some of which are just inches away.
Stupid of me to think that would change after the mayor announced that no one would be exempted, and I guess by no one what he really meant was the hospital management that refused to pay business taxes to the City and, together with five other hospitals, filed a case against the City and asked the court to stop the local government from collecting taxes from them.
Although, I did hope Osmeña was serious. That was why I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Of course, the mayor has more pressing matters to attend to. There’s criminality, uncollected garbage, the death of his former close-in aide, the upcoming ABC elections, and so on.
And that’s why I will let go.