'The Trap'
I WONDER IF it is the policy of the city of Makati but to me it doesn’t make any sense at all. I wonder if Mayor Jejomar Binay is even aware of these abuses by his City’s traffic enforcers.
I am referring to some of the questionable apprehensions done by the almighty yellow boys of Makati. These are the the much dreaded MAPSA traffic enforcers. I call them ‘almighty’ and many motorists dread them because no amount of reasoning will make them change their mind when they apprehend a motorist for even the slightest, and often even questionable, infractions.
Friday is my “number coding” day so what I usually do on Fridays is go to Global City before 7:00 AM, have breakfast at ChowKing, work at StarBucks, and then proceed to the office as soon as the 10-3 “window” opens.
Take note that there is no number coding “window” in Makati. This is fine with me and I won’t begrudge Makati’s traffic planners and policy makers for this non-conformance to MMDA’s general rule.
So what I do on Fridays as soon as the 10-3 window opens is to go to my office in Port Area Manila from Global City without traversing Makati.
The fastest way to go to Manila from Global City without passing through Makati is to take EDSA all the way to Roxas Boulevard. But to go to EDSA from Global City (which is part of Taguig) you will pass by a short stretch (just about 50 meters) of Kalayaan Avenue.
And that’s where the problem arises. You see, Kalayaan Avenue is part of the sovereign territory of the MAPSA (mind you, I didn’t say “sovereign territory of Makati” because I personally do not believe that Mayor Binay is condoning these terroristic acts of the MAPSA).
This short stretch of street is a trap zone. If you are (un)lucky, a bunch of Yellow Boys will be waiting for you right after you turn left into Kalayaan and before you reach EDSA. Your violation? What else but disregarding the number coding ordinance of Makati. No amount of reasoning nor appealing will make these Yellow Boys budge. You have three options:
(1) Stop, open your window and immediately offer your license (spare yourself trouble of arguing or appealing your case, it’s futile)
(2) Bribe them
(3) Run away
With neither shame nor guilt I admit to choosing the 3rd option — ALWAYS. And I’ve been doing this for several weeks now. Most of the time the MAPSA Yellow Boys do not notice me pass by because they are already busy with a number of apprehensions. At least twice the MAPSA Yellow Boys tried to flag me down but I was lucky because the traffic light always seems to cooperate with me. In other words I’ve been lucky so far.
I don’t recommend this to all motorists, though. The success or failure in doing it depends on several factors including the timing of the traffic light in an intersection in Kalayaan before you get to EDSA, your risk appetite, and how badly the Yellow Boys need their ‘commission’ from their traffic apprehensions (you may have a better chance right after paydays than nearing paydays, for instance).
>Marisa: Thanks for commenting on this blog post. Your points, as with the others’, are well taken. I would like to state for the record, however, that I advocate neither bribing law enforcers nor disobeying traffic rules.
Regarding bribing, I just stated as a fact that bribing the traffic enforcers is one of the available options that motorists have when apprehended. I did not recommend that they take this option.
As to disobeying traffic rules, my argument is that it is completely senseless to apprehend motorists for number coding violation on that particular short stretch of Kalayaan avenue. I am not a lawyer but I think the classic case of “the spirit of the law should take precedence over the letter of the law” can apply here. What will those apprehensions accomplish? Will they significantly reduce traffic in Makati? In my opinion, that the MAPSA may apprehend motorists for number coding violation on that particular stretch during the 10-3 window is very much contestable. Although you will have to pass by the ground level of Kalayaan to go to EDSA from Global City, the “intent” and “design” of that road system is to directly connect Global City to EDSA. In other words, that portion can be “technically” considered as part of EDSA in the same manner that the entry and exit ramps to and from EDSA are considered parts of EDSA.
>Marty: I envy you for being able to talk your way out of the MAPSA Yellow Boys sometimes. I guess it depends on oneself’s convincing powers as well. And good looks perhaps.
>Bobit: Huwag namang sagasaan. At the end of the day these MAPSA Yellow Boys are also people. I don’t advocate any form of violence towards them.
>Korina: I won’t disagree with you with the ‘terrorist’ label, both for the MAPSA Yellow Boys and the MMDA Blue Boys and Ladies. They sow varying degrees of terrorism though. As far as I am concerned I’ve had better chances of appealing an apprehension with the MMDA. I also agree with you that some of them (MMDA mostly) don’t even know their traffic rules.
I can’t believe you are advocating disobeying traffic rules and even bribing law enforcers. You are teaching a very bad example to young people. You have kids, don’t you? I hope they won’t emulate you.
MAPSA, MMDA… They are all the same. I don’t think they even know the basic traffic rules yet they act as if they own the streets. Terrorists.
Walanghiya talaga mga mapsa boys na yan. Sa halip na ayusin ang trapic delihensiya lang ang alam gawin. Sarap sagasaan.
Haha. I hope I am as brave as you. I’ve also been victimized by the Makati yellow boys a number of times. But I am able to appeal to them and they let me go sometimes. So I guess swertehan din the same with the MMDA.
Haha. I hope I am as brave as you. I’ve also been victimized by the Makati yellow boys a number of times. But I am able to appeal to them and they let me go sometimes. So I guess swertehan din the same with the MMDA.