FRIDAY’S editorial asked if Davao's perpetually lawbreaking PUV drivers were “stubborn or simply tough”.
None of the above. And nor are Dabawenyos lawbreakers by nature as is proved by the millions of OFWs who observe their host nation's laws to the letter.
Why the sudden change in outlook? Because they know that in Europe or Arabia or the USA the nation's laws are enforced. Break them and instantly you're in front of a magistrate, thrown in jail or maybe worse.
Back home they know that the law is either ignored or negotiated away -- a phenomenon which can be observed at the very highest levels of our government.
And it's not only the rules of the road that are ignored. How many times have you seen, on decent residential subdivisions, a vacant lot suddenly turn into an industry, usually a noxious one, say a junkyard with all its attendant horrors?
The owner will live elsewhere -- he or she doesn't want a junkyard on their doorstep with its filth and noise, containers parked on the street and ten-wheelers destroying the subdivision's roads. Residential subdivision rules are pretty strict about what you can or cannot do but hey, they're only written down laws, who down at the barangay hall or SP building are going to get out of their chairs to implement them?
There's a huge great church just been built on a blind bend of the Mandug road complete with carpark for its moneyed congregation who reverse out into the traffic. On a blind bend. How on earth did the church get planning permission or a building permit?
Friday's editorial was aimed at Davao's taxis and obviously written by a non-driver, quote -- "Taxi drivers behave during the day".
They might when it comes to the ferrying of passengers but their driving is, if anything, worse during the day when there is so much more traffic. Their favorite trick is to turn right from the outside lane “cutting up” any unfortunate in the slow lane. Or overtaking traffic stopped at a pedestrian lane, anybody on the crossing forced to jump for their lives.
How do we get Davao's miscreant drivers to toe the line? By taking them off the road. If a jeepney breaks the law, pull it over and off the road. Park it up and confiscate the driver's license for a week. Second offence a month (Any offense). Third offense license taken away permanently. Irrevocably. Forever.