Old Habits

Quirino Avenue, the main road that leads to our place in Novaliches has had some serious facelift recently. In the old days it used to be a two lane asphalt road that became notorious for its heavy traffic at almost any hour of the day.

Today it has been widened into four concrete lanes, two on each direction. In fact just the other day, I noticed that a thick white line at the middle divides the road into each direction.

I suppose that line was drawn so that oncoming traffic (on one side) will be confined to two lanes, just like the other side. One would expect that with that line traffic would not be as bad especially during rush hours.

That's what one would expect, not what really happens!

Old bad habits do not easily die! Drivers who have this bad habits (bastos, I call them) cross the white line and disturb oncoming traffic, which, in turn, disturbs the flow of traffic on the opposite side because vehicles on the other side also cross the white line.

Each side ends up occupying three lanes instead of two. Each side is therefore left with a single lane.

The worst part is that traffic enforcers themselves often direct drivers to cross the white line and occupy one lane of oncoming traffic during rush hours. So it is not really difficult to imagine how order can be maintained in Quirino Avenue.

I always stay on the "right" side of the line, preferring to be on the safe side rather than disregard the thick white line which many bastos drivers do.

This is what Lewis Carroll said: "The 'selfish man' is he who would do the thing, even if it harmed others, so long as it gave him pleasure: the 'unselfish man' is he who would still do the thing, even if it gave him no pleasure, so long as it pleased others".

Novaliches drivers passing through Quirino Avenue should all be "unselfish". Hope springs eternal!