Running a Red Light

**banks3** · July 1st, 2007 05:01 PM

Hey Tsikoters. First time here, first post. Goon Squad HQ intrigued me because as a motorist myself, I feel that I can share and benefit at the same time from this part of the forum. It also feels good knowing that some people can share the same sentiments about driving in Manila.

A few weeks ago, I made a left turn on E. Rodriguez coming from the street McDonald's/KFC were on. I am not entirely sure of the name, but it's the one beside Quezon City Sports Club. I am not even sure that it is running a red light. I was already in the middle of the intersection when the light switched from yellow to red. Anyway, if I knew there were guys in yellow (usual color you'd see along E. Rod), I wouldn't have made the turn. There was a big vehicle in front of those officers so I never really saw them.

One of them flagged me down and this is how it went:

Me: Tawagan ko na lang po si General Razon (Now there is a real Gen. Razon out there, but my uncle told me he could use that name and call him instead so he could pretend to be the real Razon)
Yellow: Ah, si General Razon.
Me: Kilala niyo po?
Yellow: Oo (First option has now been exhausted since he knew him after all). Bakit, sinabi ba niya na umano ka ng red light? Traffic violation lang naman to, wala naman to. So ano gagawin natin dito, Starbucks na lang?
Me: Mahal dun. (At this point he has my license)
Yellow: Di ko naman kukunin lisensya mo eh, titiketan lang kita.
Me: Boss wala po akong oras kumuha nyan sa city hall. Abala lang po yan. Araw-araw po pasok ko, Monday to Saturday. Hanggang 4pm. (Of course I was lying, it's only until Friday)
Yellow: Ayoko naman sabihin mo na hinuhuli lang kita para makakuha ng pera.
Me: Eh boss wala naman ako sinabing ganyan eh. Ikaw nagsabi nyan.
Yellow: O sige, naging estudyante rin naman ako eh. Alam ko naman yan. Pero pag-graduate mo sa nursing o doctor..
Me: Ako bahala sayo boss. Libre check-up.
Yellow: Wala naman ako balak magkasakit.
Me: Check-up lang. Malay niyo diba? O paano po? Pang-Starbucks? (I wasn't serious about Starbucks lol)
Yellow: Ah eh mahal naman dun. Kung ano lang magaan sa loob niyo.

P50 and off I go. It did help that I was still wearing my uniform and I showed him how thick my book was.

Anyway, I was wondering how to deal with this sort? I knew that the light has turned red when I was in the middle of the intersections, but I don't think it was red when I made the cross.

Sorry if my first post is so long. I hope it's okay.

**torque2006** · July 1st, 2007 07:05 PM

1. Know your traffic rules.

Red: Stop
Yellow: Yield, give way
Green: Go

If you have passed the intersection lane before the red went on, then you're good to go. This is also where the "myth" of yellow means "go faster" (which incidentally was taught by some poorly trained teachers in the primary level, would you believe).

Yellow was established as a transition point between the stop and go, therefore it means you have to yield, or slow down so you can give way to the vehicles on the road perpendicular to you which are preparing to move.

Also use the search function, there are other threads about this.

2. Knowing you were right and pleading your case using a valid argument would suffice. No need to name drop since you were right.

3. DO NOT PAY OFF ANYONE, EVER AGAIN IN YOUR LIFE. Corruption starts at the grassroots. If nobody pays them off, would anybody really ask for a few bucks?

OT: I was apprehended by Makati Traffic Enforcers a few months back on a ghost violation (no right turn on red signal when there's no sign whatsoever, and it's 10:30pm.) I was telling him there was no sign, and there was an island cut so that vehicles can go right anytime with care.

The guy wanted me to step down from the vehicle, I said no. He called two other guys. And he was discussing the steps, like i would need to get my license from the city hall, i'd have to pay the parking, fine, plus the time i'd waste getting my license. in short, he wanted to help me in the name of public service.

what did i do?

i told him to issue me a ticket.

did i contest it?

i could've, because i know people from the inside. but i didn't. why? because this cycle would never end if we don't stop it.

how old am i?

i'm 21. and i'm sick and tired of the philipppines being in the top 10 corrupt nations in the world. yeah right, i'm idealistic. so is my dad, my brothers, my friends.

hopefully we infect all of you with our idealism.

**banks3** · July 1st, 2007 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by torque2006

1. Know your traffic rules.

Red: Stop
Yellow: Yield, give way
Green: Go

If you have passed the intersection lane before the red went on, then you're good to go. This is also where the "myth" of yellow means "go faster" (which incidentally was taught by some poorly trained teachers in the primary level, would you believe).

Yellow was established as a transition point between the stop and go, therefore it means you have to yield, or slow down so you can give way to the vehicles on the road perpendicular to you which are preparing to move.

Also use the search function, there are other threads about this.

2. Knowing you were right and pleading your case using a valid argument would suffice. No need to name drop since you were right.

3. DO NOT PAY OFF ANYONE, EVER AGAIN IN YOUR LIFE. Corruption starts at the grassroots. If nobody pays them off, would anybody really ask for a few bucks?

OT: I was apprehended by Makati Traffic Enforcers a few months back on a ghost violation (no right turn on red signal when there's no sign whatsoever, and it's 10:30pm.) I was telling him there was no sign, and there was an island cut so that vehicles can go right anytime with care.

The guy wanted me to step down from the vehicle, I said no. He called two other guys. And he was discussing the steps, like i would need to get my license from the city hall, i'd have to pay the parking, fine, plus the time i'd waste getting my license. in short, he wanted to help me in the name of public service.

what did i do?

i told him to issue me a ticket.

did i contest it?

i could've, because i know people from the inside. but i didn't. why? because this cycle would never end if we don't stop it.

how old am i?

i'm 21. and i'm sick and tired of the philipppines being in the top 10 corrupt nations in the world. yeah right, i'm idealistic. so is my dad, my brothers, my friends.

hopefully we infect all of you with our idealism.

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it!

**froshie1** · July 1st, 2007 11:46 PM

Sana hindi ka na nagbigay ng P50.00.

**OTEP** · July 2nd, 2007 12:07 AM

If you're in the medical field, you can invoke your right of way. Of course your right of way is only valid during emergencies pero kung ginagag0 ka din lang naman ng enforcer, gag0hin mo na din lang siya. hehehe.

It worked for me once during my student days.

Kotong cop pa nakatapat ko (nag-iimbento ng violation).

**mbeige** · July 2nd, 2007 10:16 AM

Meron talagang yellow boys dyan sa kantong yan. Usually marami din nag double left turn, taking the 2nd lane to make a left. I usually take the inner lane para masmabilis. The outer left turning cars usually get jammed sa mga pinapara ng mga yellow boys.

Torque, you're a brave man. But not a lot of people have the resources you probably have. Just my opinion but I don't think it will ever end dahil parating mayroon maghahanap ng paraan makalamang. Ganyan ang ugaling Pinoy. Kudos to you.

Kung gusto mo makalusot sa yellow boys dyan make a left sa mga kumakaliwa if you're from the same road going to E. Rod. Yung first left turn will lead to an exit point sa tabi ng Caltex, iwas stop light pero gitgitan lang dahil marami ayaw magpadaan.

Yellow boys patrol that intersection, ticket man or kotong. Others will take the alternate route. Either way it's not helping dahil the alternate route will create more traffic (the stop light is meant to control the flow of traffic di ba? pero dun sila nagpipiyesta).

**IMm29** · July 2nd, 2007 01:52 PM

If you're at the intersection before the yellow light turns red, then there's no violation there. So I don't think it's running a red light. You can contest that. Good luck tho. Iwas pusoy na lang. Don't force the situation if the light is already yellow.