DO NOT Ask for Directions in Manila and Pasay!!!

[marg]

This happened two days ago to Cecile Van Straten, one of the more famous Bloggers:

Traffic was bad in Manila, but moving. Somewhere along Recto, our driver felt lost and rolled down the window to ask directions from a traffic enforcer. Instead of helping us, the traffic enforcer told him to pull over and started to scold him about some traffic violation we were not aware of.
Our driver tried to reason calmly as the traffic enforcer continued to yell and power trip.
Of course we are well aware he could be calmed down by some kind of bribe money, which I hate.
So I pulled out my Press ID and told him I was covering an event at this place and I was going to be late.
Upon seeing my Press ID, the traffic enforcer changed his voice, gave us directions and let us go.A few minutes later, the same thing happened on Rizal Avenue. Our driver felt lost, rolled down the window to ask help from a traffic enforcer. I was shocked when instead of helping us, he told us to pull over again.
He started to scold my driver in a way that made me angry. So I pulled out my Press ID and told him the same thing, that we were going to be late for an event. But seeing my ID only made his voice louder, and I lost it.
I told him we had not violated any traffic law, and I can’t believe he is the second guy doing this to us in the same area. I told him I would take his picture and told him, “Huwag kang rumaket.”I was kind of scared but more angry about the bribe situation. I just find it ridiculous that these people are supposed to help us, and making us pull over to scream at us really just worsens the traffic.
As our voices got louder, I think he realized he wasn’t gonna get any bribe money from me. Finally I said good bye to him, and he said the same thing! Thank God it was over, and we left.

I onced stopped for directions in Pasay and the same thing happened to me. I thought it was a fluke until I read the above.

BEWARE