As a long-time professional driver, it pains me to see a lot of road rage on the streets today.
In fact, just recently, I was a victim of a road rage incident. Or nearly a victim of a road rage incident if not for my ability to control my emotions.
It happened a few weeks ago.
I was driving along R. Castillo Street and I had my son in the back sleeping, as always, because his child seats straps are snug, like he’s being hugged securely.
Now most of my friends know that I’m a slow driver. Careful and slow. Because that’s how you would drive in Manila during rush hour. Painfully inching your way through every opportunity to get nearer to your destination.
In Davao, I can drive a little faster but because I drive an old pickup, not really that fast.
Anyway, there was this White Montero right beside me in the slow lane who just wanted to change lanes and not care about the people he was sharing the road with.
I’m all for giving way but don’t try to use your vehicle as a battering ram and pertend I’m not already halfway ahead.
And then suddenly behind me the sound of an ambulance which meant everyone in the fast lane had to move out of the way.
Yeah, just do it. Don’t ask. Who knows. It might really be an emergency and the precious seconds you’ve given them by moving out of the way could save a life.
I slowly inched my way to the slow lane to give as much space for the ambulance to get through. I let the initial car that was immediately right beside me pass through first and since the next one was already bumper to bumper with it, I let it go to.
There was a bit of space. Half a car length probably that was unoccupied that gave me the opportunity to move to the slow lane.
Guess who didn’t want me to go into the slow lane?
Mr. White Montero guy.
Oh but then again he underestimated how I felt about cars.
Cars are tools.
They’re not an extension of who I am as a person.
So, if you bump me, I’m not gonna take it as a personal attack. You’re going to have to pay for the damages. Other than that, I won’t have any bad feelings towards you.
It’s a car.
A material object.
A tool.
So… I was still able to get into the open space in front of Mr. White Montero guy and boy was he pissed off.
The ambulance got through, Mr. White Montero Guy decided to change lanes to follow closely behind the ambulance but was cut off by a tricycle turning the slow lane into the faster lane.
The temporary blockade opened up the fast lane again for me and so I went back to the fast lane and proceeded as planned. Until I spotted a gas station.
There was already probably a 5 minute interval since that blockade happened. Since it was clear, I pulled into he gas station and refueled.
While refueling, Mr White Montero guy pulled into the gas station and got out of his car.
Oh great, someone with a Napoleonic complex.
Short, slightly on the fat side, bad acne, good hair though…
He came to my window’s side and started berating me. I signaled to him I couldn’t hear.
The window was up.
I acted dumb hoping to diffuse the situation.
Oh he kept getting louder.
So I motioned with my hand for him to wait a bit.
And then I got out of the car.
I told him “Sir, didn’t you see there was an ambulance behind us?”
To be honest, I don’t really remember what he said because angry words don’t stick for me. But I do remember him saying something about me driving an old pickup and what if I had scratched his almost brand-new Montero.
And somewhere in the mix he said something like I was just relying on my size to intimidate him physically.
I’m not that tall. I’m somewhere between 5’9” and 5’10” but I do have some bulk because I eat my vegetables every day hehehe. Yeah yeah I’ma bit on the fat side.
Or let me rephrase that… I have a shadow of thinness in me.
“Sir, I have my child with me. Let’s just thank the lord that nothing happened and that hopefully the ambulance reached the hospital in time.”
“I’m sorry I almost hit you.” Even if I didn’t mutter… mutter… grumble… grumble…. “I would never have been able to pay you back to cover the damages”
“So please excuse me, I still have a long way to go and someone wants to gas up behind us.”
And then I got back in the pickup and slowly drove off. I wish I could zoom off but this heavy truck takes off slowly.
It’s a Shame Really…
That guy in the White Montero was a very self-entitled guy.
In any other situation I would have probably been good friends with him because I’d be asking a lot of questions about his Montero.
My brother owns one and I know it’s a pretty new one cause he got it in 2023 or 2024.
Monteros have really nice interiors.
That’s about it.
You see my experience with it was only when my younger brother picked us up from the airport and drove us to our AirBnB. It was early morning and I didn’t want our conversation to just be car-related since we rarely see each other these days.
One of these days I’ll explore the Mitsubishi Montero more.
It seems like a really good vehicle.
I hope owning or driving one doesn’t turn me into Mr. White Montero Guy. Although I wouldn’t mind having some of his glorious hair on my own receding hairline hahahaha
