For one thing, no pigs on the road. Speaking of which, a dark shadow is looming over the entire motorcycle riding community. The blessed Land Transportation Office is passing out new laws regarding what they think to be of benefit to those on two wheels. A few of them are understandable, but a lot remains in question. Moreso that these same questionable pointers are being implemented on hapless individuals who don't have an inkling of why their licenses are being confiscated in the first place. For instance, it is against the law to wear shorts and slippers while riding. (Yeah, and it's always a bother to peek inside a cager to check if they're wearing slippers on their way to work or leisure). I've always thought riders wearing shorts and slippers plying EDSA and main roads suck. Frown magnets.
Yes, bite me. Is it that hard to wear shoes nowadays? I suppose these people have only one pair of pants and they're hung up to dry that day. I mean, let's put safety on the side for a minute. What's your first impression if a group of Hell's Angels on fat ass Harleys with their bearded mugs, heavy black leather jacket and pants studded with spikes and skulls, dark glasses, heavy tattoos, pierced faces and scantily clad back rides came thundering down along side you on the road? Scary? Horrific? Tell Junior to get inside and roll up the window? Would you even care to greet them or let alone throw a smile their way? Or would it be easier to just slow down and give way? - what happened here? They left you with an impression that theys are not to be messed with. They scare the crap out of you. I'd love to see any TMG/PNP checkpoint even dare stop these packs - (if ever they do exist here..)
Point is, slippers and shorts have their proper place, and on a motorcycle is not one of them. Who gives me the right to think such things? One, myself as an individual, and two, the cage riding community whose idea of a motorcycle on the road is a nuisance and a menace. One word I've heard from such is people on xrm type motorcyles are "cheap", ergo, they must be on the lowest rung of the human life form. I thought, "Now, how on earth did they ever arrive at such a conclusion?" The answer I got was "they couldn't even afford to wear simple shoes and pants." OK, I rest my case. Where's my white flag?While all this may seem to be just banter, every individual exerts an influence on another individual, whether intentionally or not. Look at a person, and you form an impression. Follow road rules, you create an impression. Break it, you also create an impression. Dress right, you create an impression. Dress cheap, likewise. You reap what you sow. So how does this apply to the new laws? Since bike riders are "cheap" individuals, it's so easy to single them out with stupid laws that take away from the common rights of an individual rather than protect them. Laws are there to protect the people, not milk them for every penny. So Juan gets his license taken and is slapped a P2,500 fine, nothing to do now but go home and rant in the MCP forums.
Hundreds or riders are being raped everyday by the very people we are paying to protect us. Go figure. I'm getting hungry. I can't believe I wrote this.
