The RubeTube

I commuted to the Mandaluyong City Hall today to pay off the fine for my traffic violation and get my license back. It turns out that my fine was actually 500 pesos, not 250 as the traffic officer told me. But since I've been making a concerted effort lately not to be an asshole, I just shrugged and paid up.

The whole process was quick and painless. It took around 10 minutes from the time I entered the Mandaluyong Traffic and Parking Management office to the time my driver's license was released. It also helped that there were very few criminals in the office with me at that time.

Labels: bureaucracy, driving, traffic violations

Today, I became a third-rate criminal, a felon of the lowest degree, barely a menace to society, charged with the least of all evils known to man: (click for a better view)


Ah, my first traffic violation. I unwittingly went straight in the counterflow lane at the intersection of Julia Vargas and San Miguel Avenue, unaware that it was a left-turn only lane despite all the blaring signs along the road. Never mind that every day, hundreds of cars commit the same traffic violation. (When I was pulled over, I was quick to point out to the officer the car that was following behind me, which then got promptly pulled over as well. A miniscule victory, but a victory nonetheless.)

When I told my officemates about my experience, the usual reaction was, "Why didn't you just run away or pay the guy off?" To which I replied in the most self-righteous tone I could muster, "I want to be a part of the solution, not the problem." Besides, if I did something reckless, my 250-peso fine could easily turn into a 250,000-peso disaster.

Tomorrow, I shall go out and (literally) pay my debt to society. And get my license back. To be honest, I'm not mad at the world or even at the officer who gave the ticket. On the contrary, I'm excited to experience something new... even if it involves long lines and idiotic bureaucracy.

Labels: driving, traffic violations

After I drove Andreé home late last night, I ran into a hellish traffic jam approaching Ayala, which is something you certainly would not expect at 11 in the evening (on a non-Friday). I was actually quite happy at this turn of events, because I finally had an excuse to cough up 85 bucks and get on the Skyway.

I turned right at Ayala Avenue and found my way to the Skyway's on-ramp at Arnaiz Avenue. Home in 20 minutes. Sweet.

Labels: driving, highways, Skyway

Since my Dad hasn't been at home for a week now, I have had the privilege of being the lone person in the household with a driver's license. In short, the family car is at my disposal. I pay for the gas, of course.

I had to take a call at around midnight earlier tonight and I decided to take it at the office where I don't have to bother with using a calling card. Fortunately, I could bring the car to work so I had the flexibility of going home late.

And everyone knows its such a pleasure to drive at midnight, when nothing can stop you on the road. I was able to get home in a mere 20 minutes, from Ortigas to the gate of our house in Sun Valley, Parañaque. It sounds like I drove very fast, but the trip was only 16 kilometers, which means that I averaged a very pedestrian 48 kph.

(Also of note: It was the first time in my four month at HP that I stayed in the office until past midnight. It may sound like a terrible deal to you, but actually I've been quite lucky so far. Many HP-ers experience their first "midnighter" by their first month on the job, including those not on a morning shift. That shouldn't scare you from applying with us though.)

Labels: driving, HP, work

I took a day off from work yesterday to take one more step towards total freedom. That is, to apply for a driver's license.

My dad is currently on a business trip so I figured now would be as good a time as any to get a license, with the car being underutilized and all. With the help of A-1's corrupted non-divine intervention, the process was painless. It took the entire afternoon, but I was able to walk/commute away with a spanking new temporary driver's license. Why a temp? Because the LTO somehow managed to botch up my license and get the details wrong, which means I have to return within a few weeks time to get my license card.

My timing for getting a license was perfect; I was able to use it before it was two hours old. As soon as I got home (and after asking permission from my dad), I hopped into the family car and took it out for a spin: Andreé and I had a party to go to in the evening.

I hadn't driven in over a month but my confidence level was nonetheless sky-high. The traffic was horrible, and the engine stalled a couple of times, but I was able to pick up Andreé and arrive at the destination (relatively) unscathed. More firsts: I stopped for gas for the first time ever, and at long last, I was able to drive Andreé home.

Labels: :D, driving

I drove my dad to the airport (business trip to Cebu) earlier today. Unlike my last driving stint, this time I had to drive the whole trip from start (from home) to finish (back home). I was really apprehensive about taking the car out because it had been two weeks since the last time I was at the steering wheel, but I decided to accept the job because I needed to get some practice in anyway. My brother willingly agreed to accompany us and act as secondary navigator.

The trip to the airport was tense because my dad is a terrible backseat driver, nitpicking at everything I did. The trip back home was similarly tense because I didn't have a driver's license yet, just a student permit. I'm glad to report that my brother and I got back home without much incident.

Driving = FUN!

Labels: :D, driving

On our way home from church yesterday, I asked my dad if I could drive us (five of us: me, Kuya, Ate Tricia, mom, dad) home. Just to see if he'd trust me enough to put our safety in my hands. He (reluctantly) agreed. We made the switch after a brief stopover in Rustan's Magallanes and it was probably less than ten kilometers to home.

Following the advice of my driving instructor Alfonso, I tried to keep it relatively slow and safe: no overtaking, no changing lanes, no shifting past 4th gear until told to. His advice made a lot of sense: if I went ahead with my own driving style and my dad found it too reckless (for him), then I won't get a chance to drive the car again for a long time. But less than a minute into driving, he told me to speed it up and do some lane-changing and overtaking. We ran into a bit of a roadblock near Sun Valley but I managed to get past it. By the time we got home, my mom was sweating profusely from nervousness but my dad told me "Pasado na. (You pass.)" He did give me a few tips about following jeepneys and trikes but aside from that, I'd say he was very proud.

Later in the evening, my mom and dad left for a four-day travel tour of Shanghai, China. They're traveling with their mahjong barkada so they're in good company. It's been a long time since my parents went on a vacation together and they really deserve this break.

Before they left, my dad told me "Ikaw na bahala sa sasakyan. (You're in charge of the car.)" Yeah right, as if I'd pay for the gas.

Labels: :), driving, family

Today was my final day of driving at A-1 driving school (here's for my "first day" entry). I finished up the last three of the fifteen hours that I signed up for. I was glad to pair up with Alfonso for one last time; he's been my instructor for all but two of my fifteen hours. He's a really great instructor and by the end of driving school we were casually chatting about non-driving topics, including mahjong, his pastime.

I'm very confident now with my driving. There are still a few mistakes here and there but mostly due to inexperience. I can handle everything now: humps, overtaking, rainy weather, highway driving, uphill/downhill, backing, maneuvering, and all sorts of parking procedures. I even changed a tire today just for practice (not because of an actual flat). And I finally graduated from the "10:10" steering wheel position to a more comfortable "9:15". Alfonso was really tough on me in the beginning but in my last five hours he already said I was ready to drive in "the real world".

I've always been a quick learner and I managed to get the hang of driving relatively easily. Part of the reason why is that driving feels like solving puzzles to me, and you know how much I enjoy puzzles. It's like "How do I make the car do this?" and "How do I get from point A to point B?" Driving's a challenge for me and that's what makes every driving session fun as well.

Next step: finish the requisite A-1 classroom lecture on road rules and driving etiquette. Then it's time to get a non-professional driver's license. And finally... get something to drive? Uh oh.

Labels: :), A-1, driving, learning

Today was my first day of driving at A-1 driving school. I've been meaning to learn how to drive as soon as I had loads of free time, and I totally blew it because now I'm already employed. It's still not too late because I can still hope to finish before the work piles up.

I signed up for 15 total hours of driving (for 8,200 pesos) the previous Saturday and I attended the two-hour orientation this past Thursday. I spend my first two hours earlier this afternoon. I got started on a Toyota Altis (2005 model, I think) with manual transmission, under the guidance of my driving instructor Alfonso. My legs were a bit long for the driver's seat even if I pulled it back as far as it can go. Oh well, nothing I can do about that.

I did my driving along Doña Soledad Avenue (near SM Bicutan), in a nearby subdivision whose name I forgot, and the busy Bicutan instruction. Here are the lessons which I "passed":

• Pre-driving check-up routine, a.k.a. BLOWFATCH (tm)
• Identifying the car controls, pedals, and dashboard instruments
  
• Steering wheel handling (10:10) position and turning
• Observing safe following and stopping distances
• Proper way of shifting gears (only up to 2nd gear so far)
  
• Maintaining lanes
  

And here are the topics which Alfonso said I need practice on:

• Starting and stopping procedures (i.e., without killing the engine)
• Left and right turning

Also, we did a little of the following:

• Uphill/downhill driving
• U-turn
• Parking (not parallel)
  

All in all, considering that I have zero driving experience, I think I did well in my first two hours. It was a little nerve-wracking, but I had loads of fun even if the engine died a couple of times. But nothing a little practice can't fix. I don't have my own vehicle but I can still take my Dad's car out for a spin from time to time. As the song goes, "Gusto kong matutong mag-drive kahit na wala akong kotse."

Labels: A-1, driving, learning