Can You Dig It?

Have you ever noticed that the shortest distance between two points always seems to be under construction? I don’t know about you, but in my universe, every drive I take seems to be punctuated by unfinished road works, abandoned election promises or lofty DPWH ideas that just ran out of cash or care. Then I get somewhere around the halfway point of my trip and it becomes a full stop.

Take the Nichols Bridge as an example. Or Sales Bridge, as it is officially named. I’ve reared two children since they started the rehabilitation. I may send one off to college by the time they finish it. I mean, seriously; what in andoks are they doing? Some days they are at it hammer and tong, next, there’s not a hard hat in sight. For months. I know that it must have a lot to do with the NAIA 3’s airport squabble, but heck, a regional trial court case moves faster than these guys. The only thing slower is the traffic they cause.

Mother Nature has nothing on these guys; a typhoon may rip through the country tearing down billboards, knocking over power poles and damaging roads, but at least it doesn’t ask for a big, fat, juicy budget to do it. Plus, at least there are weather bureaus that can predict when they arrive, unlike a politician’s whim.

In fact, a recent study has revealed that while the biggest challenge facing road engineers in most developed countries are earthquakes, in the Philippines, it is far worse. Not just do we have to deal with a six month wet season, heavy flooding, the potential for earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and killer typhoons, but at some point, every barangay will most likely be hit by the greatest human disaster of all time – a committee.

A couple of years ago, a colleague emailed me out of sheer desperation once he run out of hair to pull after his street (Miami St.) in Quezon City was dug up for “improvements” and then seemingly abandoned halfway through. He (and his neighbors) were forced to park their cars along the main roads, which led to conflict with the owners of the businesses that occupy it. They were also subjected to harassment by building owners, and because their cars were exposed, they inevitably fell victim to various crimes including vandalism and theft. They turned to their local government. They called, they wrote, they texted. Nothing. The subscribers could not be reached.

Familiar? Ah, I can feel your blood pressure rising already. I’m willing to put a month’s pay that you have your own harrowing experience you wish to share. But save it. My inbox is full. Pick a number and fall in line. Our office hours are between 9:00 am and 9:02 am. All complaints will be entertained then, after a 45-minute voice prompt asks you everything from your mother’s maiden name to the preferred breakfast cereal of Buddhist Eskimos facing an Alaskan winter.

Trying to get information regarding the status of any of the road project for this article was like trying to get the launch codes for nuclear missiles. What gives? It’s just a flyover, or a broken pipe for crying out loud. Not a threat to national security. Anyone would think they were digging up area 51.

There really should be some sort of a public forum before roads or bridges are “improved” and work (for lack of a better term) is undertaken, don’t you think? I’m not saying they should put it to a vote, just a realistic venue where residents or those affected can be informed of the proposal as well as the estimated completion date, and can interact accordingly. It can even be done online. Anything. So long as people have decent access to information. They could be building a freaking theme park or the Sky Mall of Asia in the Nichols interchange for all I know – it would be nice if I was clued in.

The other day, while driving home, I needed to take an alternative route to avoid a massive build up near my village. I turned down a side street that I normally avoid because it is so narrow and cars park along both sides. I suffered my way through with both side mirrors folded in, inching forward about as fast as drying paint. I was crawling just centimeters away from the parked cars and couldn’t help but wonder if it was worth the stress or if I would have saved any time at all. As I negotiated the last bend, I noticed a light at the end of the road. It was a construction light; a solitary naked bulb dangling over an impassable and closed road. The geniuses had dug it up and left it. There was no other way out but to reverse the entire length back. But by now, I had a line of cars that followed me. It took over an hour for us to make it back out.

You think they could put a sign? Something before you enter the dead end road? Hello? Talk about redundant. It is as useless as those MMDA signs that are built into those concrete blocks that say, “Concrete barrier ahead.” It should read, “If you can read this, it’s too late.”

I guess the key here is transparency. If you happen to be an elected official with a grand plan of improving your district, but will obviously need to inconvenience your constituents temporarily during its construction phase, try letting them know the how, why and when, and you may be surprised at how cooperative and understanding your voters will be. Please don’t confuse this with just putting a picture of yourself on a little billboard by the construction site – that just gives motorists a face to identify the last hour of toxic traffic with.

Also, let people know what’s in it for them. Don’t patronize them with an artist’s unrealistic impression that is haphazardly splashed alongside your picture; give them a website address or something where they can get useful information. If it is to widen a road or to improve drainage, they may be willing to sacrifice a bit. So long as it is within reason. And lastly, and most importantly, finish the job off, instead of allowing the broken earth to age naturally, presumably to cure the soil underneath before you finally decide to lay concrete over it.

I know you may say that you are already doing this, but it shouldn’t just apply to massive projects that already get media coverage, like an MRT or Skyway or something; you may also argue that plans are available at the city hall or the barangay office etc, but it is obviously not accessible enough. And let’s be realistic. People are getting feral precisely because they have wasted precious time and gas stuck in traffic, you can’t expect them to now throw good time after bad looking for these places and trying to extract information from the city engineers office, wherever that is. Look at what happened to me while attempting to for this article. My hair wasn’t always this grey.

And just in case I still need to point out the painfully obvious, kindly do the job properly to begin with. Twice a year, the foot of the Sales Bridge coming from the highway on to the service road is resealed before and after the rainy season because it usually looks like a scene from the Apollo moon landing. There are potholes the size of Volkswagens. Just think: one small step from the government is a giant leap for us motorists. I don’t know what methods or materials are used to fix this tortured patch of road but it seems like it was built by a hundred of the most brilliant and renowned engineers, who got really drunk, and were given an hour to fix it while wearing oversized boxing gloves.

We’re not asking for much; we just want to be able to go from point A to point B one day without having to negotiate our way through the whole alphabet, that’s all.

Here are some of your Backseat Driver reactions/comments/questions from last week…

Great article Mr. Manny de los Reyes! At least there’s a guy who knows that European cars are nothing compared to Japanese cars like Lexus. – 09164617616

What is the meaning of SUV, AUV and sedan? Thanks. – 09066992001 (SUV is an internationally accepted acronym for Sport Utility Vehicle. AUV is a locally coined acronym for Asian Utility Vehicle referring to vehicles made specifically for the region that approximate an SUV’s performance but does not cost as much. Sedan is the term used to refer to a car with a fully enclosed passenger compartment, a permanent roof, four doors, front and rear seats and a separate trunk. Meanwhile, the following two reactions to a motoring related issue is a great example of why Backseat Driver is so great – we can agree to disagree.)

The idea of a ban on motorcycles carrying kids is a great one. The kids don’t have a choice and I have never seen one with a helmet. – 09286149001

Senator Bong Revilla’s filing of a bill prohibiting a child riding a motorcycle is anti-poor. Some Filipinos cannot afford a four wheel drive vehicle like the Senator. – 09156709355

What wonderful cars those Imprezas are. In the hands of Russ Swift, indeed power and capabilities need not be loud and boastful. Imprezzive! – 09202664571 (Check out the accompanying story on this page.)

Speak out, be heard and keep those text messages coming in. To say your piece and become a “Backseat Driver”, text PHILSTAR<space>FB<space>MOTORING<space>YOUR MESSAGE and send to 2840 if you’re a Globe or Touch Mobile subscriber or 334 if you’re a Smart or Talk ’n Text subscriber or 2840 if you’re a Sun Cellular subscriber. Please keep your messages down to a manageable 160 characters. You may send a series of comments using the same parameters.)