BY: Jullie Y. Daza
WHAT if people residing in Makati worked in Makati, and those living in Manila went to school in Manila?
What if friends in Quezon City stayed in QC to shop, watch movies, eat out, socialize, pursue their vocation? (And why is it that friends in Makati want their QC friends to go to Makati but they “will not drive all the way to QC” to be with their out-of-town friends?)
What if everyone started their Christmas shopping early, like today, whether cheapy-cheapy or luxuriously, and shopped in small doses on Sundays and Sundays only? After all, the malls have been exploding in holiday mode since September! This way, the shopper won’t feel the pinch too much too soon. (For a while there, I had resented the enforced, premature pre-arrival of Christmas, and then I took the long view that a three-month shopping period would lighten Santa’s load in his gift-making factory, whether it’s Santa Claus or Santa Ninang or Santo Papa.)
What if we cut down on meetings in locations too far or inconvenient for the attendees? A gracious host or hostess should appreciate the meaning of hospitality cordially extended to one and all, especially in this season of aggravated road travel.
What if ambulances did not sport tinted windows, as they all seem to? Is tinted glass a medical requirement for emergency patients? Peace on earth and goodwill to all, but I’m maliciously inclined to think ill of sinister-looking ambulances after they’ve been known to carry drugs and convey mayors on a joyride.
What if mayors stopped allowing abusive barangay officials from using alleys and eskinitas for their own sari-sari stores and bingo games, wakes, sing-alongs, beer gardens, etc. in the name of “community spirit”? The Christmas spirit may be upon us, but those narrow little streets do alleviate major traffic woes, when left to function 100 percent as passageways and not as entertainment hubs.
What happens between now and Dec. 31, 2017, before the excise tax sends customers rushing to buy new cars? Levy Espino, showroom salesperson of Nissan dealer Leo Lei on UN Ave., won a prize for selling 15 cars in one month – do we salute or pinch her for being a traffic enabler? Jobert Entereso, service adviser of the same company, was named champion in his category. What drives you guys?