It was a Sunday and we were going to Glorietta to buy stuff for me to bring to the US. More stuff!! I haven't finished shopping for my sister and cousins hehe. They just can't get enough polvorons and pancit cantons and other cheap Philippine thrills. It's ok since they are kinda cheap and I know I will miss them too when I go. So there we were cruising along EDSA nearing the turn to Ayala. This area is kinda confusing since it's right before the tunnel and you have to stay in this one lane between the lanes heading down the tunnel and the fricking yellow bus lane until you see the dotted lines which mark the area where its legal to turn. Now I've passed this area a million times but it's still confusing because a lot of private cars enter the yellow lane sometimes and the MAPSA or MMDA guys let them be. We don't know if it's already legal to do that or not. Like the pink fences, traffic law in Makati sometimes changes without notice. Or maybe we just think they do. EDSA is just a riot.
My mom and I were chatting up a storm and I was dodging buses and taxis and didn't notice that I was already in the yellow lane until the oh-so-familiar figure of an MMDA traffic enforcer started flagging down the car. So naturally, I slowed down. I was preparing to park the car by the curb together with my speech and excuses when my mom told me to make a run for it. And being the obedient daughter, I stepped on the gas and drove like crazy to Ayala Ave. In the rearview mirror, I watched the MMDA guy. I was so afraid that he would jump on his motorcycle and chase us. But you know what he did? He just scratched his head and turned away then flagged down another car that was in the yellow lane.
When we got to Ayala I was so nervous. I drove really fast until we were in the safe sanctuary of the covered parking. And I was shaking a little from the adrenaline haha. My mom nonchalantly said you could always tell the MMDA you didn't see him if he chased us down. I didn't argue with that. Although he was right smack in front of us. But yeah, I could always deny it.
I didn't feel guilty about it though. It was an honest mistake and those guys let those buses run amok outside the yellow lane. But us private cars, we are grilled to death when we're an inch past the yellow bus lane. It's just not fair. So there. I ran away from them again. But I would choose my old strategy over this one anytime. Pleading and bawling your eyes out is safer than driving like an action star. One thing's for sure I will miss my MMDA friends. But I'm pretty sure we will have more precious memories in the future.
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