Government Privilege

A week ago I found myself at a vicinity of a checkpoint where every single motorcycle rider was being flagged down and asked for documents to validate their ownership of the vehicle they were driving.  Occasionally, a four-wheeled vehicle would also be flagged down by the government personnel manning the checkpoint.  Whatever their faults were, I could safely guess it was not because they had a busted tail light, intelligible license plates or not fastening their seatbelt.  The reason I came to this conclusion was because a city traffic enforcement group onboard their vehicle casually passed by the checkpoint with a busted tail light, really faded license plates and a driver, visible from ten miles away, not wearing seatbelts.  And were they flagged down?  Nope, they were chummily waved past with smiles pasted all over their faces.

A few days ago, I was standing at a crossing of a recently cemented section of road in this little island city.  There were a group of traffic enforcers busily making sure that the vehicles take turns crossing the intersection.  At one point, a non-emergency vehicle with red plates (which ironically had the logo of an institution that teaches you to read) reached the cross section and signalled to turn left right across a “No Left Turn between 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.” signboard.  My watch, mobile phone and portable cookoo clock all read 8:05 a.m.  But to my surprise (well, not really), the traffic enforcer waved at the driver of the vehicle and allowed his vehicle to turn left.  Again, with the chummy smiles.

A few hours before sitting down to write this article, I was flagged for turning left on a section of road in a city just right beside the main city which this island is named after.  I was wondering why I was flagged for I saw nothing wrong with what I did.  So I maneuvered my vehicle to the curb and waited for the traffic enforcer to tell me he probably admired my vehicle’s rustic paint job.  To my surprise, he asks for my driver’s license because I made a turn into a “No Left Turn” road.  I asked him where the traffic signage that says “No Left Turn” was since I probably missed it.  He told me there used to be a sign at the post before entering the street but somebody stole it last June.  Last June?!?  Five months ago and it hasn’t been replaced?

As I was arguing with the enforcer on how the absence of a signage makes his accusation moot, a red plate vehicle (proudly bearing the seal of the city that claims to be a wannabe ‘Kapitolyo’) makes the same left turn.  The enforcer saw it.  He saw that I saw him see it.  Guess what happened next?

He flashes the same chummy smile and even waves at the red plate “No Left Turn” vehicle. 

At this point, I look at him and ask, “why didn’t you flag that one for making a left turn?”  His reply was pretty simple, “It’s a government vehicle.”  I told him that if he showed me the ordinance which states that such a privilege exists, I would gladly admit to my non-existent infraction.   Since he couldn’t state any, and well, because there isn’t any, he just waved me by and I was on my merry way.  I looked at my rearview mirror and could only see a scowl on his face.  That’s when the realization dawned on me.

Being able to drive without wearing a seatbelt, turning into no-turn corners and, most importantly, earning a chummy smile from a traffic enforcer after breaking traffic laws is a privilege reserved only for those who work in the government. 

So, if you’re flagged for a traffic infraction and do not get the courtesy of a chummy smile and wave from a traffic enforcer, you probably aren’t working for or driving a vehicle owned by the government.