So today I was roused from sleep because my mother called and said to check out an apparent Cebu Pacific seat sale. I got myself up, turned on my laptop, and waited. While rubbing my eyes and brushing the cobwebs from my sleep-heavy brain, I vaguely remembered telling my mother about this sale last night. But hey! It might be different, so I log my sorry tushie in and tada! I get faced with the very same seat sale I told her about last night.
You can all take this time to imagine the myriad of colorful terms that went through my head. I was just laughing it off as my mother was just thinking of me and it probably slipped her mind (she's cute like that). While sort of leaning toward the choice of going back to bed, I think 'Hey, I'm up. Let's check Facebook.' So I log myself in and this article catches my rather sleepy attention. I've been partial to motorcycles all my life, heck, I'm engaged to a rider. And this letter was an appeal, I'll give it that. But the way it went about it was rather assumptive. So I had this to say:
This 'open letter' has its heart in the right place.Yet it seems that the letter generalizes riders as a whole. From the description given in the letter, it seems that the writer is referring to the uneducated underbone 'riders' (I apply the term very loosely).
Yes, it is disheartening to see them and read about their accidents, particularly when it concerns children. However, it would be best to not assume that every rider out there falls under the descriptions given by this letter. The line 'if you can't afford a cab ride, take the public vehicles' is in itself, an assumption.
This issue isn't about economics or class.It boils down to a lack of education about motorcycle safety and a blatant disregard for the rights of children.
These people stubbornly refuse to adhere to road laws and basic safety procedures. If you kindly remind them of it they'll always fire back the 'eh di bili mo ko ng kotse!!' or 'ano ba pake mo?!'and several other colorful and frustrating lines of thought.
Guaranteed that these very special 'riders' do not belong to any clubs. All clubs in the Philippines have strict rules about safety. They often, in fact, discourage and prohibit having children aboard motorcycles. What needs to be understood is that even if you are part of an MC (motorcycle club) you don't just band together and go on a crusade to educate the foolhardy riders. That's the LTO's job. This is a country where even a blind man can get a driver's license (I've seen it happen). If you want clean streets, start from the LTO.
The clubs are very much aware of the negative image being forced upon us just because of a handful of reckless and uneducated motorists.
While I appreciate the sentiment that was expressed by the letter as the thoughts of a concerned mom, being a mom myself as well as an MC member, it would be great to never judge the whole just because of a few bad apples.
------end of reply--------
I doubt that anyone will react to that, but hey, freedom of speech right?
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"Your freedom ends where my rights begin."
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