An encounter with a corrupt traffic officer

A friend and I were on our way home to QC from Cavite last June 28, 2009. We took Macapagal Ave. The light turned red at the MOA-EDSA extension intersection, we made a full stop.

We were at halt for a good 3 minutes when an ambulance with its siren screaming at everyone and lights flashing approached and stopped behind him. It could be an emergency, he thought. But the big traffic sign on his right side says… “No Right Turn On Red Light”. But what if there’s a dying person in side the ambulance? Or someone somewhere needs to be rushed to the Hospital?

Choosing the best option, my friend turned right while the red light is on to let the ambulance pass and decided to just continue driving. No sense stopping at the corner after making that turn.

Then from afar, a person uniformed in an orange shirt started flashing a flash light (more like a pen light). Another guy even walked in the middle of the road attempting to stop my friend. My friend continued driving and eventually stopped at a distance with the traffic enforcer asking for his licence.

At 8:02 pm, this conversation took place.

(NOTE: to play recording click "MUSIC" icon)

The traffic enforcer, who refused to give his name, obviously knows that what my friend did is excusable but nevertheless would still like to reprimand my friend with a violation ticket. Sensing that my friend knows his right as a motorist, the traffic enforcer opted to lower down his violation to “not wearing seat a belt” (which is the most idiotic thing since all throughout the conversation I and my friend were wearing our safety belts).

Another appalling thing was, the police office was talking about the commission they get from the fine people pay whenever they commit a violation. He was trying to ask us to pay the violation (which is not even valid) so that he can get it percentage.

To test the officer’s credibility, my fried half-heartedly agreed to give him money instead of a ticket. The fowl character officer accepted the money and returned my friend’s licence.This traffic enforcer is one of the most idiotic person I’ve met, the most unreasonable and dishonest.

Why does our Government hire this kind of people to do our traffic management? I don’t know how to express my extreme disappointment toward that corrupt traffic officer and how inefficient our government is training them. Are they being paid unjustly, so low that they have to resort to extortion?

After the draining discussion, with one of the most depressed looking, narrow minder, corrupt traffic enforcer (I can’t believe this is the kind of person out government hire as a traffic enforcer), my friend, equipped with logic and a clear cell phone recording of what transpired, decide to take the extra mile to file a report against the officer. He made a U turn and went to look for the traffic officer’s headquarters. He also reported the situation to trapik.com.

It pays to know the traffic rules but it’s a bummer to have imbeciles working as traffic officers. I am not generalizing but this sort situation happens… and it happens frequently.

This experience make me feel less proud being a Filipino.