Some experiences while driving in Davao City

[jimeve]

1 minute ago, Tommy T. said:

Yeah... and how! But it's worse in Manila, I have noticed. I will only ride in taxi's there...

I have only drove in Dumaguete and that's bad enough. i would never drive in Manila. 

[Tommy T.]

2 minutes ago, jimeve said:

I have only drove in Dumaguete and that's bad enough. i would never drive in Manila. 

I drive us to Mati every few weeks and really hate it. Almost get run over by the buses and vans and some maddog teens on motorcycles driving so fast and truly reckless, in my opinion. Only to have to crawl along behind the really slow motorcycles and tricycles in every little burg along the way, all driving in the left lane... Then L asks me why I take a few hefty shots of Tanduay after we arrive at our destination... "Because my muscles are all tightened up and nerves are jittery!" "Oh...she says," and understands.

It makes my past times driving a truck in Chicago or a taxi in Washington state seem tranquil and relaxing by comparison!

[JDDavao II]

6 hours ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Are we all saying that the Police are Corrupt even in Davao 

Bribery is like horse poo after a parade. It's all over.

[Arizona Kid]

On 7/4/2019 at 7:36 AM, Tommy T. said:

I am not a professional driver. But I have driven hundreds of thousands of miles in USA, maybe 10's of thousands of miles in Australia and New Zealand and a few thousand miles in Canada (eh?).

But the driving here in Davao City seems a bit crazy.

Over a year ago, I was driving with my partner in a borrowed Wigo. I came up to an intersection (one of the few with an actually working stoplight). The light was red. Then it turned green with a left turn arrow and I was turning left. The light was green for maybe 15 seconds, then turned yellow and almost immediately red. I started my left turn after the car in front of me while the light was still green. It turned yellow while we were in the intersection and red before we got through it.

Sure enough, there were three or four CTTMO guys lying in wait just after the intersection. One of them waved us over (the windows were tinted dark, so he could not tell if I were Filipino or foreigner). He asked for my driver's license - Washington State - and then asked how long I had been in Philippines. Knowing that the law states that a foreign license is only valid here for 90 days and that I had been here for almost a year since last entry, I lied through my teeth and told him - only one month sir. That seemed to satisfy him...for the moment...

Then he told me something to the effect of, "You ran a red light so I will write you a ticket for reckless driving... How do you feel about that?"

I was gobsmacked... reckless driving? What? I tried to explain about the light, but he would have nothing of it...

So he repeated himself, "I will write you up for reckless driving. You will have to go to the LTO on Monday (this happened on a Friday) and appear to pay your fine....blah blah blah... How do you feel about that?" I told him that, "Okay, I am not happy about it, but if that is what you have to do, then I guess that is what you must do." L then piped up and explained to him that we were going to be away for a while and that would be such a hardship to us... He listened but remained stone-faced.

He then said the same thing one more time about the reckless driving and a ticket, always including, "how do you feel about that?".... I repeated myself too - okay, then you will do that.... I then also told him that I would really be grateful if he would not do that and keep him in my prayers. (yeah, I was laying it on thick now)...

He seemed to consider and then he handed me my license and said, "Okay, you can go."

Later, L told me that the guy was drunk. She somehow could tell by his manner, I could not. We also agreed that he was looking for a bribe. I am paranoid about the laws here and just would not even try that - with my luck, I would try a bribe and then be brought up on charges of attempted bribery. When I told some American friends of mine later, they said, yeah...he was looking for a bribe... just give them 1,000 pesos and they will be happy... Sorry... I was just too cautious to try that and never will.

Since then, L told me she has seen this CTTMO gut regularly showing up at her school when there is food prepared for some event and the local police and CTTMO guys are okay to share in it... Just a comment here.

I have been pulled over more times here than ever in 30 years driving in USA...

I was given a ticket for "Obstruction," while waiting with flashers blinking for L on a street where jeepneys routinely stop and wait for minutes.

I have talked myself out of two tickets - one for speeding (54 in a 40 zone)... Okay, that was legitimate... but the guy was nice and let it slide. The other was another "obstruction" when I parked on a sidewalk where my Filipino said it was okay and legal to park. Again, the CTTMO guy was cool and let me go without the ticket.

Two years ago, I was driving my motorcycle with L on the back and we were pulled over by a sortof checkpoint. The police checked my license (of course, I had only been in the country for 40 days(?). Questioned L about who I was and where we were going, then let us go. 

What sometimes gets me is when I sit at a stoplight and then the light turns green and I see jeepneys, taxis and motorcycles obviously running the red light just as I start to go on the green... Never a cop when you need them!

Okay... I guess that was a rant. I am done now. I will enjoy my Starbucks coffee...

Just do what I do. I hand them my fake drivers license, let them think about it when I say I will fight the ticket in court, and then pay them on the spot for whatever the fine might be. It's the way it works here so don't try to rock the boat. You will not win. 

[JDDavao II]

5 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

I drive us to Mati every few weeks and really hate it.

I decided early on that I will not drive here. I was a perfect driver in the US with no moving violations, no accidents.

I was a great match for Seattle driving when I arrived there: conscientious, anticipatory, used my turn signals like doing so would get me into heaven, kept an eye out for people who even looked like the might want to use a crosswalk (zebra).

But here? Shoulder driving? Sidewalk driving? Having to force your way out into traffic at uncontrolled intersections? Blowing by women in crosswalks carrying babies? I can't do it. I would cause accidents just because i'm compelled to follow rules. 

There's my terrible hearing too, in a place where more often than not, use of the horn signals some insanity to follow.

I've been here five years in Davao and i still shake my head at things I see every time we go out in a taxi.

[Tommy T.]

1 hour ago, JDDavao said:

I've been here five years in Davao and i still shake my head at things I see every time we go out in a taxi.

Thanks for your input JD... I have been here only 3 1/2 years and from Seattle many years ago. I used to sometimes think there were some poor drivers there - not any more. Two years ago I was there and was overwhelmed by the courtesy and professionalism that most drivers showed. Culture shock from here. Yes... turn signals...left turn from left turn lanes, right turns from right turn lanes...actually driving between the lines and no jeepneys or tricycles... A rule I remember from long ago was that, when driving, I was to never pull in front of someone or do anything that would make them have to hit the brakes. Here, it's as if they wait for cars to come then jump out in front then go super slow - as if being slow was the way to stay safe...

When L is with me as I drive, she is sometimes even shocked by some really stupid things she sees - especially people trying to cross MacArthur Hwy. after dark where there is no crosswalk or lights and wearing dark clothing. We have had a few rather close calls. I found I have to drive assertively in order to get anywhere. And yet I am always trying to think of the absolute stupidist thing people will do, because they rarely disappoint. I have had people step right out of jeepneys in front of me - not look at all, then just start crossing the street. If I toot the horn they either look annoyed or shocked that they are not the only ones on the road...

Ah... you forgot to mention the flashing headlights... Does it mean to go or stop, thank you or f*** you? It seems to mean something different every time... Or maybe I am the one too stupid to understand?There I go ahead with another driving rant...sorry...

 

[jimeve]

19 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

Ah... you forgot to mention the flashing headlights... Does it mean to go or stop, thank you or f*** you? It seems to mean something different every time... Or maybe I am the one too stupid to understand?There I go ahead with another driving rant...sorry...

That got me too, when I first drove here when they flash their headlights. Should I stay or should I go.

[Tommy T.]

1 minute ago, jimeve said:

That got me too, when I first drove here when they flash their headlights. Should I stay or should I go.

And I notice that, whenever one of the thousands of Fortuner drivers meets me on a narrow road, mostly they just stop and sit and wait for me to make the move. I think they are scared to death and want me to be the one at fault for scratching their precious car that they have taken out a loan for over a million to pay for it?

[JDDavao II]

1 hour ago, Tommy T. said:

Ah... you forgot to mention the flashing headlights... Does it mean to go or stop, thank you or f*** you? It seems to mean something different every time.

I did forget that! Pretty sure it means "I'm proud that I found my high beam switch."

[Mark Berkowitz]

5 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Two years ago I was there and was overwhelmed by the courtesy and professionalism that most drivers showed. Culture shock from here. Yes... turn signals...left turn from left turn lanes, right turns from right turn lanes...actually driving between the lines and no jeepneys or tricycles

Yeah Tom, I went through that culture shock back in January, when I landed in the USA and rented a car.  Besides all of the things that you mentioned, other drivers would actually give way to me--e.g., drivers on the opposite side of the streets would actually stop for me (and make friendly hand gestures for me to make a turn), when I was signaling to make a left turn (across heavy traffic) into a shopping center... nothing at all like the Philippines, and I don't ever want to drive again in the Philippines.  I'll be renting a car with a driver when I go back for a visit.