Ems was hit by a car tyesterday

[stevewool]

Emma was hit by a car yesterday and thankfully she is fine , she was shaken but not hurt .

We was walking with friends along the road where everyone else was walking as the pavement was full of parked cars, as we was walking this car was driving off the pavement parking spot onto the road, we noticed this and turned to go down the side and then behind this car and onwards to our destination, as our friends had past this car suddenly the car reversed quick quickly backwards hitting Emma and sending her to the floor, I managed to grab her before she hit the ground and pull her to the side.

Well you can imagine what happened next , I flew at the car banging and shouting to stop and yes it did stop, but the driver did not get out of the vehicle, in the meantime not one person intervened or helped ‘ maybe if there was blood or death they would have been out with the mobile phones then).

By this time Emma had sorted herself out and was telling me she is fine and let’s just go, which I was doing but as we got past the vehicle and another parked vehicle this drivers door suddenly started to open slowly and the old man who was driving started shouting , Emma returned the shouting and as I understood he was saying he was reversing into the gap and it was her fault , so that’s when I got involved again, again Emma got my arm and said let’s go and all this time this man just sat in his car shouting at us, ok I am in a different country and yes you here about murder and guns and yes he could have had a gun too, but there is rights and wrongs , what would have happened if the vehicle had hurt Ems or our friends I dread to think, as this was a big 4x4 

After only being here a short time I do take care crossing the roads as you have too as 99% of the people here who drive anything motorised only think about themselves and what they have to do, plus the vehicles are to big for the short arses to control.

Anyway like I said Emma is ok and that’s the most important thing.

[Tommy T.]

Sorry to hear about that Steve. Yes, even being careful here may not be enough sometimes. Glad she is okay. Of course the old man wasn't at fault - he was driving the big 4 x 4...Might makes right here, I think...

[manofthecoldland]

In my home country, drivers are ALWAYS expected to cede to pedestrians, by law and custom. Not so here. I hold my breath every time I'm in a MNL cab going down pedestrian crowded side streets. The auto/walker minuet is a mecho-dance they seem to engage in here with great skill, timing and poise. Maybe that's why dancing is taught at an early age in the schools,..... it being a crucial survival skill. I always expect to see injury but its like watching a bull fight where a whole population is in the ring, deftly and barely avoiding the horns.

 

[stevewool]

5 minutes ago, manofthecoldland said:

In my home country, drivers are ALWAYS expected to cede to pedestrians, by law and custom. Not so here. I hold my breath every time I'm in a MNL cab going down pedestrian crowded side streets. The auto/walker minuet is a mecho-dance they seem to engage in here with great skill, timing and poise. Maybe that's why dancing is taught at an early age in the schools,..... it being a crucial survival skill. I always expect to see injury but its like watching a bull fight where a whole population is in the ring, deftly and barely avoiding the horns.

 

This is the problem and everyone keeps telling me and us, we are not at our countries anymore where there are rules that many of us follow , the only rule I have seen here by motorists is a red light junction where they do stop , but once it goes to green it’s back to mayhem and every lane no matter which way they are going is used.

[Tommy T.]

I was almost hit by a motorcycle on Sunday afternoon while walking in a parking lot to a shop in a strip mall. The guy cut right in front of me actually brushing me a bit then stopped to park right in front of me so I had to walk around him. I looked at him and said loudly - you almost hit me! Be more careful! He said, "Oh...sorry..." Not much sincerity there. Then he walked into the same shop to buy something as I was checking out and I told him again that he almost hit me and again he said sorry. But he was a bit contrite and maybe a bit embarrassed since I called him out in the shop where others heard. He was maybe 30's in age?

[Tommy T.]

3 minutes ago, stevewool said:

This is the problem and everyone keeps telling me and us, we are not at our countries anymore where there are rules that many of us follow , the only rule I have seen here by motorists is a red light junction where they do stop , but once it goes to green it’s back to mayhem and every lane no matter which way they are going is used.

I heard from a friend when I first arrived here and bought my motorcycle that there really is only one rule: Don't hit anybody!

[Tukaram (Tim)]

Glad she is ok.  There is a definite traffic food chain and here in the PIs pedestrians are the very bottom. 

 

2 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

I heard from a friend when I first arrived here and bought my motorcycle that there really is only one rule: Don't hit anybody!

I had a good lesson about that, on my bicycle. I was next to a jeepney heading into our town plaza. A sikad (the bicycle w/sidecar) coming towards us, carrying 2 very young kids, does a quick u-turn in front of us. The jeepney squeals on his brakes and I skid over to the curb.  I may have let out a polite "what the f#$!!!".  The sikad driver did not say anything but his expression and body language said it all.  'Basically... no one got hit, so what is your problem?'  That seems to be the common attitude. There is no problem, until there is. 

The whole attitude seems to be a holdover from their Spanish colonial days. I am bigger/richer/more powerful than you - so I can do what I want. 

[manofthecoldland]

From what i see first hand here and on many Asian country vids, crowded, limited space maneuvering conditions  breeds a totally different set of mental and operational attitudes toward anonymous peds and other drivers. They are viewed more as animate obstacles getting in your way and often relegated to the same level as straying animals ..... dogs, chickens. etc. that ought to move out of your way at the last second or deal with their self-inflicted consequences. And they most always do just that. So when accidents do occur, people are quick to blame the victim. They see things very differently here at times and in certain situations that to Westerners would see as clear cut wrong and lacking in consideration for the safety of others. 

For that and other reasons, I dot't drive here, but we rely on a personal service trike relationship with an older, financially struggling  friend couple.... neighbors who depend on us to a great extent, and in return provide us with unlimited service in terms of time and distance. 

For us and our situation, it is safer, more convenient and cheaper then the other options and alternatives. 

[GeoffH]

Sorry that Ems was hit but glad that she's ok Steve!

[intrepid]

1 hour ago, stevewool said:

This is the problem and everyone keeps telling me and us, we are not at our countries anymore where there are rules that many of us follow , the only rule I have seen here by motorists is a red light junction where they do stop , but once it goes to green it’s back to mayhem and every lane no matter which way they are going is used.

From my observations of rule/traffic enforcement it appears there are none,...only suggestions. 

Edited January 7, 2020 by intrepid