The Wild, Wild Roads

I drive an old Tamaraw FX. I have been doing The Secret, visualizing myself holding the steering wheel of a Honda or a Hyundai (hey, I’m easy to please!), but the real image still escapes my grip. Now I cannot say that I’m a girly girl driver (if there’s such a thing), but I think I can handle the road fairly well. When you drive on a new road, you get disoriented because each city seems to have its own driving culture and idiosyncrasies.

A day in my daughter's school. Counting 1, 2, 3.. What? No plates available?

What I notice about Bacolod roads is that there are many cars with no back plate numbers—I’m estimating about 2 out of 10?  Some have back plates, all right, but they cover it with a black glass so one can’t still read the numbers from afar. Others don’t even bother to put plate numbers at all. I don’t understand this. No, I get infuriated when I see this. Here I am, driving a dilapidated piece of machine, but at least I follow the law; while these car owners brazenly defy a simple road rule. I’m not sure whether the government really doesn't have enough plates to issue, or  the owners of these cars are trying to hide something or talagang feeling astig lang sila. Or is 'not having a plate number' a new law in Bacolod that I am not aware of? What if they violated a minor traffic rule, had an accident, or God forbid, hit someone? Why, they could just run off and go scot-free! The nerves of these people!!!  

Don't tell me this is a new car?

Carnapped kaya ito?

One of my Korean students also noticed this, the first time he arrived here, and he wondered if there are many terrorists and criminals in Bacolod. See what impressions we give the tourists? What I don't understand too is why the traffic enforcers or the LTO seem to be unaware of this. Calling the powers that be: Do you also see what I see, or are your government-issued cars without plate numbers too? Just asking.