We have just emerged from Holy Week (Easter to you) in this intensely Catholic archipelago of 7,107 islands. Traditionally this involves a mass exodus to the provinces on the Thursday to reunite with families and leaves a blessedly traffic-free city for Good Friday and Black Saturday. Doing 160kph down Ayala Avenue (Manila's Oxford Street but a lot smarter) is a real possibility, indeed I speak from experience.
The brand new resurfaced North expressway (thank you Leighton Asia) carried 186,000 vehicles on Thursday. On Good Friday almost none, thus it was our 3 Harleys cruised its length at 170kph while cops on their KMX 125's and in their Nissan pickups waved feebly at us but could never catch us (regular limit is 100kph max, 60kph min).
But to the point of the post: Lovely holiday signs by the roadside: interestingly in this country of 600 languages and dialects -- all in English (or sort of)
Remember someone is waiting for you at home
Tailgating is discourteous (58 million drivers must have no manners then)
Drive now, text later (but my mistress is asking where I am, my wife is in the back and if I don't text her back she's gonna call me and I am in the proverbial)
Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheels (sic)
(might involve a few contortions and whoever conceived that must surely own The Doors' Greatest Hits)
Don't throw your litters (visions of multiple kittens being ejected from AUV's)
Drink a lot in hot weather (well I'll subscribe to that)
Check your breaks regularly (lost me there)
Speed may thrill but speed may kill
Do not drink while you are driving (wot, not even water?)
Switch off your car TV (huh?)
Leave your guns at home (a bit late if you've already brought them, Whoops I've got that Glock 9mm in my glovebox and I don't have a licence for it)
Your wife and babies are your responsibility (indeed and if only I'd figured that one years ago before 20/20 vision set in)
Signal when changing lanes (this practice is unheard of and the more expensive the car the less likely the driver knows what that lever on the left is for)
God be with you (driving among you guys, I can only echo that sentiment from the heart...especially when Growlette takes the wheel......)
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas. Love the place.
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Great post, Growler.
"If you drink, go public" - Honk Kong
I tried for days to connect motoring and the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous, that is).
"Go by public transport" would have been clearer.
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>>>>If you drink, go public" - Honk Kong
LOL, can't you just picture Nathan Road (or worse Causeway Bay on a Sat afternoon) filled with rollicking drunks?!
I always chuckled at that sign in all Hong Kong elevators --"when there is a fire do not use the lift" The "when" bit, i mean.
But to motoring. I used to drive daily down Tai Hang Road from Cavendish Heights to Harbour Road Wan Chai by the Convention Centre, where my office was. As you know the flyovers and roads round the Island are cleverly designed and constantly merging and I always liked the HK "zipper" method, where one gave way to another in the heavy traffic so you all kept moving. Even the notorious HK taxi drivers observed it and you always gave the rotual wave when they let you in. Here you'd die waiting if you were polite so you just charge in with a thickness of one paint skin to spare while the so and so behind blares his horn and you hope he doesn't have a gun. I had a big Toyota Crown so that had a bit of presence. Managed to drive 2 years without a licence and got away with it.
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