Guess I am going to get some flac, but here goes. We just returned from 10 days in Cebu. We were in the car and I was driving every day for several hours. Many of these hours was spent in Madaue which is about the most congested and crowded area in Cebu. Mostly grid locked with huge trucks, cars and everything else. For those familiar here they will understand. Some how it works, very slowly, one needs patience, lots of it. The usual me me me applies, pushing cutting in, never saw an accident, never had any close calls. Happy to park up at night, use taxi during darkness. Yesterday we drove down to Dumaguete. Entering the city limits just after the airport, some idiot on a motor in front of us was flying, no shoes, no helmet. Hit another bike but some how stayed on, weaved badly, must of been an angel on his shoulder, I am experienced on bikes and have no idea how he stayed on. Some minutes later we were turning left, blinker on going slowly. Next thing a brain dead, idiotic imbecile comes from nowhere passing us on the left. Just a miracle I saw him in the mirror as was well into the turn, he missed us and the kerb by miller meters.....Incredibly close, to make it worse my partner says they (2 of them) were laughing. Imagine guys, almost a serious accident and it's funny... Now if not enough, we were turning into Novo hotel on Perdices horn blaring to move the endless line of trikes and another brain dead on foot decided to rush across just as we turn into the driveway. Luckily an alert enforcer having a smoke grabbed her in time. So....all this in under an hour. Parked car and used trikes after this. I stand by my earlier comments, one is far more more likely to have an accident in Dumaguete than any other city I have driven in here, yes I ridden driven extensively here.
There are enforcers in mandaue called litcom who actually do their job and as I've seen traffic lights are obeyed mostly. They even have cameras above some of them to catch light jumpers. But like you say I'd does work to an extent up there,on the other hand any idiot driving a motor cycle here in dumaguete leave what they have of brains at home when they get on a motor. Seems most have only one or two cells anyway!
I've driven in Cebu City and I picked my time of day and it was much better than Dumaguete. I didn't even see anyone splattered in 24 days. I'm sure someone somewhere was splattered but I'm sure I would have personally seen one or two at least in Dumaguete.
Rare to see a bike without helmets on both riders, and rear-view mirrors, in Cebu. They will get cited. Gridlock is the right word, however.
