Huli… na naman!

I had a meeting today at 3pm in Las Pinas. My car plate ends in 1 but since the meeting is at 3pm, I thought it will be okay to take the car since I’ll be in my meeting place at 3pm anyway. Eksakto sa coding window.

I left the house at 1pm. By 2:30pm, I was in Filinvest exit. Feeling ko maalanganin ako sa coding because of the Zapote road traffic so I was considering parking in SM Southmall and just taking the cab from there. At 2:48pm, I was stopped by a traffic police. Nangatwiran pa ako na 2:48 pa lang naman and magpa-park na lang ako sa SM, which is around a 100 meters away (so near yet so far!). Then the traffic police told me that they don’t have coding window in Las Pinas! Pucha!

He got my license. I was telling myself not to give money (you know, to help in the country’s advocacy for “No wangwang, No kotong”). He was telling me that he would give me a ticket. He knew I was from Project 8 so alam niyang malayo. Sabi niya kunin ko na lang daw sa Miyerkules. Hindi daw pwede bukas kasi day off niya. Hay naman! In the end, he said paying the fine to him would cost Php300. I showed him my wallet na Php120 lang ang laman. Sabi niya pwede na daw yun. Talaga naman! Then, in fairness to him, he asked for a piece of paper and told me to show the paper to whoever would stop me next. Sabihin ko lang daw dumaan na ako sa kanya para hindi na ako hulihin. Aside from the fact that he got my momney, he was actually courteous. And so I went on my way.

Around 10 meters before I was about to turn left to the village where I was going, another traffic police stopped me. Direcho siya. He’ll give me a ticket daw. I showed him the signature. Hindi niya tinanggap. Bawal daw yun! I knew that! * Insert tone of exasperation here* He didn’t even hint about payments. Basta he started writing na. Seeing no way out, I cried. Well, you know, I really have a healthy fear of authority (kaya ako good girl most of my life). When he saw me, he asked why I was crying. Sabi pa niya, masisira daw foundation ko kasi nangingilin na yung luha ko. Sabi ko lang ang layo-layo pa ng pinanggalingan ko tapos lahat ng pera ko binigay ko na dun sa isang traffic officer. He told me na sana nagpa-ticket na lang ako at hindi ako nagbayad. Then sabi niya, “Ma’am, wag kayong iiyak. Traffic violation lang naman ito.” Then he gave me back my license, patted me on the arm, and sent me on my way.

So now, I’m here at a restaurant in BF, whiling away time until 7pm. With my luck with traffic police today, pag lumabas ako, baka mahuli na naman ako ng mga dalawa o tatlo pang beses.