It was a rather full day to begin with and I was just looking forward to drinks in the evening. I had my hands full preparing pitch materials - "thought starters" and a few briefs to share with our regional planning director who was in town for his country visit (I hope he hasn't regretted dropping by, after being made to ingest ox balls that night…).Our drinks would be coming from the Adobo anniversary party which was held at Fiamma (Adobo Magazine is a Philippines publication on the advertising industry and brand communications). Other than the promise of “overflowing” drinks, there’s going to be a “culinary remix of adobo” by Chef Rolando Laudico (Bistro Filipino), Chef Pol Poblador (Kusina Salud), Chef Ed Quimson (Delimondo), Chef Melissa Sison (Mr. Rockefeller), and Lydia Go (“food-styling queen”).
I left the office past seven thirty with some of our accounts guys. Crisela wanted to change into a party-appropriate outfit so we made a quick stop at her flat along Aguirre. Cindy didn’t want to be early for the party and that was reason enough for her to tag along. We were also planning to tour Bunny’s place, which was in the same building as Crisela’s.
Because my feet were hurting from being in three-inch heels the entire day, I changed into my todo worn-out driving slippers when I went down. How old and ratty were these tsinelas? They’re five years old, washed a few times, and terribly frayed from my dogs’ chewing.
An hour later, we went back to the car, only to discover it missing. The tell-tale chalk scribbling on the sidewalk was your only clue that those bastards from JJVS struck again.
Me: “Oh my gad, where’s my car?!”Me, one second later: “Oh my gad, yung sapatos ko!!!”
I turned ditz in zero to one second.
Good thing Bunny hasn’t sped off and was able to bring us to Yakal St. where all the cars towed in Makati are brought in. I was fuming, pissed, and my ditzy side rearing its ugly head. (Eh paano ako maghi-hysteria na ganito suot ko? How can you take anyone seriously in a dress and ratty tsinelas?)
The funny thing was, when I got there, I saw Nandy (an industry colleague and one of McCann’s top guns) who was with his folks and Poptart. Apparently, his mom's car got towed as well. Because it was past eight in the evening when I parked, I had no idea what my violation was. My car was in the proper slot, I wasn’t in front of a fire hydrant, nor was I blocking a pedestrian crossing. According to my “Notice of Apprehension” under “others,” I was parked “against the traffic violation of counterflow.”
I was parked on a two-way street. And this was the first time I’m hearing this. I demanded to see the law that imposed this, and all this jerk from the impounding site told me was that “Eto o, andito lahat.” It was a dubious-looking sheet that supposedly lists down traffic violations.
(I have searched the Internet (including the LTO, MMDA, and Makati City websites), asked the Makati City Hall, and consulted a law expert regarding these traffic codes. Finding information to help you understand our laws is like extracting an insight from a client.
I am making it a personal quest to get hold of this “magic” paper and share it to drivers in the area. May this help decrease the number of hapless victims that JJVS has milked for money.)
8 comments:
Let's make it a public service campaign! What kind of brief would you write for it? :)
I am intrigued and challenged!
As much as I'd like the brief to say "drive drivers and pedestrians into a mad frenzy and attack any JJVS tow truck on sight (shoot, di ata single-minded yun)," maybe the bigger cause (naks, advocacy by itoh?) is just driver’s ed. Having more informed drivers mean less opportunities for JJVS to tow their cars.
Ang saya siguro no’n if no one parks on the street at all so they really can’t tow anyone. Har har.
I wonder if there are takers crazy enough to work on this brief. Haha.
What do you think?
Hay I feel for you! Two Sundays ago, I got caught turning left from Pasay Rd into Paseo de Roxas along with 5 other cars. reason? "Anticipation of signal light". Huh? And the cop kept trying to make pasimple for lagay, and the more they do that , the cattier I get and don't give them anything.
That sucks talaga!
I've also been a victim of abusive traffic cops in Makati about a month ago. I was on the South Super Highway about to cross Dela Rosa, when I stopped because the light turned yellow. It was really alanganin and I saw the cop na. He approached me and told me that I was obstructing the road (what, like 2 inches of my bumper?) and asked for my license. I argued that if I sped up, he would apprehend me for beating the light. Gee.
I gave him my license. I'm not going to indulge those corrupt bastards. Mawalan na sila ng pang-merienda. Hmph.
I didn't say it in my post on Apt 1 B, but that night, my car got towed too. Imagine, I hadn't even digested my food and already I wanted to puke on the face on those JJVS clowns. A gourmet experience and towing incident - not fun to have in one night.
I remember another JJVS incident where Gino's car naman almost got towed as well. We were about to sit down for dinner at Bento Box (along Leviste) when those ninja monkeys sprang out and was about to attach those chains to his car.
It was already past 7 in the evening, and they said it wasn't. We even showed them our watches to prove otherwise. If the waiter from Bento Box didn't tell them that "ser, lampas 7 na talaga," they wouldn't have let us go.
Abusado talaga.
Who's the victim here? The guys towing, prolly if they had better education, more decent employment and wages, wouldn't be so mercenary. Really, in their minds, they are not enforcing order (which is what the intent of their office is, in theory) - they're just after a quick buck to feed their families. I'm no bleeding heart, ha. I sometimes see them as leeches, too. But I just remind myself not to lose perspective. Drivers' ed would be a palliative - a good one, yes. But still band-aid.
That is true. But the guys who tow are just pawns and I don't think it's even about making lagay. Someone mentioned that JJVS has a quota and it doesn't matter if you did commit a violation or not, as long as they can bend their laws in their favour.
And I am getting my hands on those "laws" that they only seem to know. At least our "ignorance" won't work to their advantage. ;-)
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