I have been driving for almost 4 years now, and I spend my driving hours in Manila most of the time. I have been flagged down by different traffic enforcers, from different jurisdictions for traffic violations about fifteen (15) times since I started driving.
Of these 10 instances, I have been issued four (4) violation tickets-- 1 for color-coding violation in Pasay City, 1 for speeding violation along Macapagal Boulevard, 1 for alleged "obstruction" violation along Magsaysay Avenue in Manila and the most recent, another alleged "obstruction" violation in along Ortigas Avenue in Pasig City. The rest of the time, I have been either been able to adequately defend myself on the ground that I committed no violation; the traffic enforcer took pity on me and decided to forgo the violation ticket (either because I charmed them with my puppy dog eyes or that my violation was too trivial or negligible); or I used my ever-reliable superpower of an ID-cum-title.
To my credit, I always pull over when I am flagged down, whether or not I committed a violation. To me, that is common courtesy to the traffic enforcer. I also make it a point to be courteous to traffic enforcer, and I don't try to sound intimidating or condescending. The thing with me is that I don't force the issue of getting off the hook. I don't beg or try to persuade the traffic enforcer. I try to listen to what the traffic enforcer has to say, and then try to explain my side. I then leave the decision of whether or not I would be issued a ticket to the traffic enforcer.
My mataray side is triggered only when the enforcer asks: "Ano ma'am, ticketan ko na ba?". To me, this is the first hint from the traffic enforcer that he is asking for a bribe. Hence, I always answer, "Kayo po ang bahala."
So far, this had led to two scenarios, each with two sub-scenarios, as follows:
1. I committed a violation
1.1 the traffic enforcer would let me go with a warning not to repeat the same violation;
1.2 the traffic enforcer would issue me a violation ticket.
2. I did not commit a violation
2.1 the traffic enforcer would let me go because I was able to contest the apprehension;
2.2 the traffic enforcer would insist on issuing a violation ticket despite my protest.
In cases when I am issued a ticket, where I know that I committed a violation. I just accept the ticket and pay the corresponding fine. This happened twice; particularly when I was apprehended for a color-coding violation in Pasay City and when I was apprehended for over-speeding in Macapagal. There's really no point in disputing a color-coding violation because there are no excuses for it. When you go out on a day when your car is banned, you run the risk of getting caught, and when you get caught, you suck it up and pay the fine. On the other hand, when I got caught for over-speeding, the MMDA enforcer was able to show me that his speed gun registered my speed at 87kph, which is over the 80kph limit. While I initially considered disputing it on the ground of inaccuracies in measurements rendered by speed guns (I did some research for this and found out that false readings really do occur), I eventually decided to let it go and just pay the fine.
For MMDA violation tickets, you have the option of paying the fine at any Metrobank branch which makes it convenient enough.
It is an entirely different story with my two other tickets. I will discuss them in two separate posts next time.
Of these 10 instances, I have been issued four (4) violation tickets-- 1 for color-coding violation in Pasay City, 1 for speeding violation along Macapagal Boulevard, 1 for alleged "obstruction" violation along Magsaysay Avenue in Manila and the most recent, another alleged "obstruction" violation in along Ortigas Avenue in Pasig City. The rest of the time, I have been either been able to adequately defend myself on the ground that I committed no violation; the traffic enforcer took pity on me and decided to forgo the violation ticket (either because I charmed them with my puppy dog eyes or that my violation was too trivial or negligible); or I used my ever-reliable superpower of an ID-cum-title.
To my credit, I always pull over when I am flagged down, whether or not I committed a violation. To me, that is common courtesy to the traffic enforcer. I also make it a point to be courteous to traffic enforcer, and I don't try to sound intimidating or condescending. The thing with me is that I don't force the issue of getting off the hook. I don't beg or try to persuade the traffic enforcer. I try to listen to what the traffic enforcer has to say, and then try to explain my side. I then leave the decision of whether or not I would be issued a ticket to the traffic enforcer.
My mataray side is triggered only when the enforcer asks: "Ano ma'am, ticketan ko na ba?". To me, this is the first hint from the traffic enforcer that he is asking for a bribe. Hence, I always answer, "Kayo po ang bahala."
So far, this had led to two scenarios, each with two sub-scenarios, as follows:
1. I committed a violation
1.1 the traffic enforcer would let me go with a warning not to repeat the same violation;
1.2 the traffic enforcer would issue me a violation ticket.
2. I did not commit a violation
2.1 the traffic enforcer would let me go because I was able to contest the apprehension;
2.2 the traffic enforcer would insist on issuing a violation ticket despite my protest.
In cases when I am issued a ticket, where I know that I committed a violation. I just accept the ticket and pay the corresponding fine. This happened twice; particularly when I was apprehended for a color-coding violation in Pasay City and when I was apprehended for over-speeding in Macapagal. There's really no point in disputing a color-coding violation because there are no excuses for it. When you go out on a day when your car is banned, you run the risk of getting caught, and when you get caught, you suck it up and pay the fine. On the other hand, when I got caught for over-speeding, the MMDA enforcer was able to show me that his speed gun registered my speed at 87kph, which is over the 80kph limit. While I initially considered disputing it on the ground of inaccuracies in measurements rendered by speed guns (I did some research for this and found out that false readings really do occur), I eventually decided to let it go and just pay the fine.
For MMDA violation tickets, you have the option of paying the fine at any Metrobank branch which makes it convenient enough.
It is an entirely different story with my two other tickets. I will discuss them in two separate posts next time.
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