What is the greatest threat to Expat life and limb in Dumaguete?

Oh dear are we going to get a nasty one here, Maybe, Barrio Material.

Just for the Record, 1 have just 1+ hour ago while going to town, seen 2 tricycles going down the Road, side by side with the drivers arguing and raising Fists. 2 Motorbikes had to pull into the kerbside, to miss another Motorbike that had skidded and the rider, fell off while trying to avoid the Tricycles, Coming the other way! Might I say, up at ACSAT area this is quite a regular occurrence, Searching for fares in an Area that there are 100's of fares just waiting.
Police and TMO were about but seemed to be enjoying, their Talking and SMOKING mmmmmmmm ON Duty and in the City Limits. TUT, TUT,

 

"Stop bitching/go back to where you come from" is the usual defensive retort of any local that can't accept criticism, has no desire to improve things, and who justifies the blatantly dangerous driving as part of that elusive thing called culture.

If you have seen only one minor collision then you are probably very fortunate. There are fatalities every week. The beds and wheelchairs occupied by those who are reduced to a vegetative state is a statistic that is buried and secret. Just last month, 200m from my house at the junction of EJ Blanco and Hibbard, a motor-cyclist with no helmet, no registration, no insurance, no licence, lay in the road, very dead, being filmed and photo'd by a crowd of locals obsessed with the macabre. It was the usual driving style of turning left by drifting left and cutting the corner, as no-one here seems capable of doing a 90 degree turn. About 2 weeks ago, mid-day at the intersection by Merryls, a trike was upside down with a bike underneath it. Usual scenario - the trike had cut the corner and was on the wrong side of the road. In April, 3 on a bike at speed on the north highway, wrong side of the road, hit a bus which was on the correct side. 3 very dead. The list is added to almost every day of every week, and some of us have attended funerals of foreigner friends killed by callous hit-and-run.

If one of these irresponsible, cavalier, untested, unlicensed, uninsured, unregistered muppets ploughs into you putting you and him and his three passengers in hospital for a lengthy stay, where you pay your very expensive bill, plus their huge bill, plus compensation to their families for no reason other than you're a foreigner, the line of thought might take a different direction.

 

Shutup and go home. Try iraq or afghanistan, maybe you'll like it better

 

P.S. your attitude is showing, and it is not pretty. One more comment like that and you will be finding a different forum, where maybe you'll like it better.

This is your only warning.

Larry

 

And, of course, the bus driver not only will never be allowed to drive a bus again, but went to jail for his offense!

Larry

 

Bbin there done That and.................

Many of us here, have been there, done that but there are so many, like you, there, that can't see beyond their own Attitude.

To many, more of us this is our Home Legally! and we enjoy being here. we just see things that happen and would want to protect our lives.

Just pointing out the dangers on the roads. Obviously, you don't see the bad Driving, as Life threatening

Methinks, it is time, to change those rose coloured Glasses

 

Legally, born naturally, immigrant, whatever.. Everyone has their own personality and attitude. Its just starts the day off bad opening a post about people getting into an argument over such a simple and "normal" issue of life. Everything is life threatening, the minute you wake up is life threatening...if something is meant to happen it will. Place your lives in god and pray for the best, but as another subject on the forum states "Are you ready for your demise", that is a very good reasonable read... People are always trying to "make things safer" - look at the world. How safe can you really be? thanks for the post

 

I have to say Fellas , that the driving/riding there is absolutely deplorable from all angles , city and province , when we were in Tanjay a few weeks ago a trucks brakes failed , and it took out 2 motorbikes and a pedicab , also took out the front of the motor alliance store , driver behaviour and vehicle condition all combine to making it a pretty risky business to just get around there , oh and did I mention all the bikes that don't put there lights on at night . We have had family members that have perished in vehicle accidents there , unfortunately until fines are handed out and vehicles confiscated or impounded for a period of time as a penalty , I cant see the reckless , local attitude changing

 

Negative Attitude!

Sorry, I don't agree with this at all.

Let me tell you a little something about safety and those, that can and should, Control it.

If you are in charge of Anything that carries anyone other than yourself and if you value your own life, it should concern you also.
When you are driving, we must all give considerations to other drivers and Pedestrians likewise. Our Vehicles should be 100% correct and operable, not just for the Legalities but for safety of ourselves and all others.

During a 27 year Air Force Career, 21 of which, were, Air Crew at Front End.
The safety of these expensive machines, depended on a Ground Crew, that never faltered from their Duties.
Every Nut and bolt was numbered, what you took off went back on, and a new one replaced where that needed to be.

My log book showed, No Hits, No crashes. (a few d*mn Near Misses) and these were absolutely, down to Pilot error.

I can Honestly say, that apart from Blue on Blue mistakes (2 in Total) that did not down us My 25000+ hours airborne, were relatively safe. This was because we all obeyed, the Rules, we Flew well within the parameters set and in machines that were Totally, Airworthy. Of course there were always, the exception to the rule but training was such, that even in this event, we did not hit anything else. My last command, was a 39 year old "Fat Albert"
A Wirelined C130 and yet even then, as a Rattley, d*mn Noisy Aircraft. she was as Safe as Houses ( Not PI Built I might Add) We as a Crew, flew many thousands of Service personnel and equipment, all over this World. "Crab Air was, as safe as it could get) Unfortunately, we also had the very sad task, of bringing back those that did not make it

But it did not just happen, there were checks and checks and double Checks. In many cases the Ground Flight Sergeant would Fly with us. Now thats confidence enough for me, that he and his crew had it right.

I was angered enough today to write this because it is how I felt, at some things, that happen here and how Glib some people are, over things that can and should be done, to ensure safety on the road.


Accidents are Accidents, I would be the First to Admit this but these Accidents are not just accidents are they? They come from neglect of the Vehicles, the Bad Driving which, is brought about by Bad training.

The Mentality of such is OH! well, it is they way it is here, Sorry, I can't hold with this at all, if and it is a big "IF"
they all did ,what they were meant to all, the time, the Streets Highways would be a lot safer.

Sort the lights out.
Get the brakes and Tyres done to a Safe level.
Maintain all vehicles to a point where only a freak breakdown will occur and we might, get somewhere.
Do we have enough Gas ? ( OH! there is a gas Station. I will do a "U" turn and knock someone off his/hers bike)
It doesn't take too long to do a Pre - journey check on these vehicles.

My Goodness, These Accident causers, are the very ones, who would Complain, if we up The Front End, did not do our Pre - Flight Checks and something Went Wrong and the Checks were not Logged.


Sorry if I have gone on and one but it was the only way, in this mood, to say Accidents Can (in most cases) be avoided. Doing the correct thing at the right time, will save lives and maybe we won't see so many badly mutilated Bodies in our hospitals. It has nothing, to do with Divine Intervention. It is all about our, Responsibility, to ourselves and others. It makes we wonder, what they are thinking, when I see people cross themselves, as the ride off or get into a tricycle, that is just starting to move.



Jack P.





JP