Counter Flowing: A Way of Driving Now?

[architect]

Last Wednesday (Dec 19) I got stuck in traffic along Santolan by Camp Aguinaldo going to EDSA. From 11:20 to 11:38 am, while sitting idly in my car, I saw several cars go counter-flow and sped past me, including two convoys of red-plate vehicles. As the number of counter-flowing cars seemed unbelievably high and since the traffic in my lane wasn't really moving, I decided to jot down the plate numbers of the cars going counter-flow. From 11:38 to about 11:45, I was able to list down the ff:

Blue Revo with wang-wang XFD 98*
Tan Hilux Pick-up ZHT 37*
Maroon Mitsubishi Pick-UP TET 98*
Maroon Toyota Sedan YTM 71*
Dark Colored Sedan ZAC 42*
White Fortuner with loud horn ZEE 68*
Maroon Nissan Patrol ZAP 86*
Army Truck SFN 35*
Grey Nissan Van 617* (blue plate)
Beige Honda CRV ZHL 83*

As I don't have any proof (in the form of video or photographs) I have left out the last digits.

There were also about 3 - 4 jeepneys with dirty dilapidated plates that were basically unreadable. However, there were actually about more than ten others whose plate numbers I didn't catch simply because they were too many and going too fast for me. The counter-flow lane ultimately became a solid third lane going towards EDSA, leaving the opposite direction down to one lane. Eventually, traffic in that direction backed-up as cars turning left from Santolan to Cubao were blocked from doing so. That's when the traffic enforcers decided to get the traffic moving and I reached EDSA within a minute or so.

While I know a lot of drivers go counter-flow in lots of areas these days, I was quite surprised at the percentage of drivers who do so. But when I think about it, what is of more grave concern is the angry glare counter-flowing drivers often give you when you don't give way even though it is very clear you have the right of way and they don't. As I very seldom give way (except to ambulances and cars with their hazard lights turned on - I give them the benefit of the doubt), I am often at the receiving end of such stares. And the thing is that I often get these from employed drivers and women drivers as well, not to mention countless motorcyclists. It is as if anarchy is the rule of the streets these days, which, if true, is sadly ominous for the country.

[mackvil]

Actually here in Las Pinas (specifically along alabang-zapote road)... traffic enforcers are the one who instruct for the counterflow the vehicles....

ganun na talaga panahon ngaun dahil sa traffic....

[sea.piper]

Sir, alam ko ganyan talaga dyan sa Kanto nang Boni Serrano (Santolan) Edsa. Pag nag Go na mayroon na talagang nag counter flow. Wala pa naman akong nakikitang hinuhuli dyan na nag counter flow. Ang problema dyan kapag nag red light na. Nagiging 3 lane na lang. So yung galing nang Crame going to Camp Aguinaldo ay na stock, pero pwede ka naman huminto sa gitna nang EDSA at timing ka na lang kung wala nang dumadaan na sasakyan. At ganun din ang nagiging style sa kabilang kanto. pag nag GO, 3 lanes narin ang nangyayari.
Ang problema pa dyan ay yung mga jeep na nag aantay nang pasahero papuntang Cubao. Yun ang binabantayan nang mga traffic enforcer doon.

[garyq]

arkitek: malungkot talaga coz' pag mga ganitong times lumalabas worst sa mga Filipino drivers. Hindi naman lahat pero madami. Cant understand why naka pila lahat waiting for their turn to go tapos biglang may counterflow tapos sisingit. I really think hindi mo kailangan maging matalinong tao para malaman na mali yung ginagawa mo. Kahit hindi matalino siguro basta sibilisado at desente, alam mo na mali un. Sad to say but it reflects the state of our nation. Maraming walang disiplina. Pag mas trafik, the more we have to enforce the rules--if not chaos and anarchy will reign in our streets.

[Innova_Boy]

dapat kasi lahat ng roaDS NATIN lagyan ng center islang para mawala counterflow, most of the roads that have counterflowing activities are those that have no incoming vehicles on the opposite direction, resulting in counterflowing of the available space...


WBR,

[mackvil]

minsan ang nagpapasimuno kasi ng mga counterflow na yan eh yung may mga wang wang... dapat i-pagbawal talga yan and strictly enforce... tapos isa pa yung mga govt officials na may mga wang wang.. teka OT ata ito... hehehe!

[architect]

*sea.piper

But I have seen the traffic enforcers flag down counter-flowers from time to time. Actually I pass there around once a week, especially if Katipunan/White Plains Ave is clogged up.

So when do they make the arrests and when do they allow counter-flowers? If I am not mistaken, I used to see no counter-flowing signs. Well, they might have taken those down then. At any rate, I will try to check for those signs when I pass there again, although this will be most likely early next year already.

Still, thanks for the clarification.

[architect]

minsan ang nagpapasimuno kasi ng mga counterflow na yan eh yung may mga wang wang... dapat i-pagbawal talga yan and strictly enforce... tapos isa pa yung mga govt officials na may mga wang wang.. teka OT ata ito... hehehe!

Actually d ka OT. Tama ka dyan.

It was after two convoys of red-plate vehicles went counter-flowing that a lot of vehicles did the same. In so many cases that I have seen, it is usually an escorted vehicle, or a red-plate, that starts the counter-flow. Others take advantage and follow.

[architect]

Pag mas trafik, the more we have to enforce the rules--if not chaos and anarchy will reign in our streets.

That is what worries me - anarchy in traffic situations is an extension of the broken windows syndrome. If left unchecked, it may lead to a vicious cycle that would result in a worse situation.

[n5110]

dapat kasi lahat ng roaDS NATIN lagyan ng center islang para mawala counterflow, most of the roads that have counterflowing activities are those that have no incoming vehicles on the opposite direction, resulting in counterflowing of the available space...


WBR,

sa tingin ko hinde ito ang solusyon sa problema. dapat kasi tigilan na ng mga pulis ang mga buhos pag rush hour, hinde naman ito nakakatulong sa traffic flow, akala mo lang nakakatulong dahil ang tagal mo na stuck sa traffic. kailangan dyan hulihin at ticketan at multahan ng malaki, tignan ko lang kung di tumigil yang mga ogags na yan.