Nasty, nastier

There are little things that we see daily that gets into our nerves and even if we know that removing or correcting these things do not need much effort on the part of government or of people responsible for them, we wonder why those responsible do nothing.

Some of these are merely nasty, others are nastier and more are simply outrageous.

Take the case of that manhole at the corner of Lacson and 12th Street that had been open for months, or covered with a piece of plywood. Whose is that? The signs had been rammed down several times and then raised again. There is no sign whose manhole this is, probably the owners know they can be subject of public ridicule. Nasty people indeed!

Baciwa’s early morning water can be nasty. Would you like to wash your face with murky water coming out of the faucet? Not only was the water brown but smells like swamp gas, the odor we call “lang-ug”. A friend explained that he had been asking Baciwa to flush out their main line, but despite several calls to Baciwa, nothing was done.

Months ago someone told of a morning when the water was dirty and cleared only after a minute or so. That means wasted water but money for Baciwa. Isn’t that nasty of Baciwa?

Nastier are policemen who cross the street right at the middle of the intersection. They walk as if having a romantic evening by the moonlight while motorists wait for them to get off the way. Yes, there are several of these incidents but the nastier one was at the intersection of Magsaysay and Araneta. The green light was on but vehicles could not move because the two policemen in uniform probably on their way to report to duty are taking their sweet time.

And speaking of policemen, how many times have you seen them riding in tandem in a motorcycle without the required helmet? Ah, many times indeed, and these nasty policemen (at one time their MC has no plate) are supposed to enforce the law!

The association of tricycles wants to have their cake and eat them too. They demand that the old fees, raised to P600, be revoked and returned to P300. The increase is less than P1.50 a day but while we may sympathize with them, their nasty members make people puke.

They charge high as they please especially at night, or when they notice that their passenger is new in the area and they charge double. This nasty practice already makes them recover any P300 a year increase in fees.

 Why should the city turn back the clock for them when we are all paying a higher fee this year? Let them act as law-abiding citizens (like observing traffic rules and charging what is lawful) and people will sympathize with them. If the city gives in to them, there will be no end to demands for roll back of the fees by every affected business or individual.

How about the Bacolod Traffic Authority enforcing traffic rules at the downtown area by really, really not allowing vehicles to park at where they ought not to? The nastier part is that traffic enforcers are standing near illegal parked vehicles. Are blinkers enough to authorize these parking for a long period of time?

By the way, whatever happened to the tow trucks? The city has plenty of illegally parked vehicles, junk cars, trucks and jeeps on the road and disabled vehicles being repaired right on the street.  These are potential source of income for tow trucks but the best way of clearing the streets.

And while we are on BTAO, why are “watch your car boys” still directing traffic and their number had increased and had invaded such areas as Queen of Peace Church, the San Sebastian Cathedral, the LTO office, around the city’s commercial district and, of course, Libertad and Burgos markets, to mention .

 The number of children begging in parking areas is growing and they can be nasty in their persistence until one gives them money. Their ages range from six to twelve years and higher. The older ones direct traffic to get the car in or out.  What is the city’s social welfare office doing?

Northbound jeeps have developed a nasty habit of waiting for passengers, not at terminals, but at the U-turn slot in the highway. They are creating a traffic hazard in this area because they clog the left side of the highway. This ambush for passengers should be stopped now before they become difficult to correct.

The entrance to Goldenfield commercial complex at the Araneta side is often blocked by nasty taxis, particularly at night. The place is usually dark and in a rainy night, girls working there are a pitiful sight as they try to cross.*

back to top