MANILA, Philippines — Ho! Ho! Ho! Everyone wishes he or she were Santa Claus – not because of the need to be generous during Christmas season but due to the massive headache of being stuck for hours in the metropolis’ streets especially on weekends. Who wouldn’t want to be Santa on a sleigh ride pulled by Rudolph and his gang of reindeers? You
could cross from Manila to Makati in mere minutes. And instead of just saying ‘yes’ to one Christmas party a night, you could even hop from one party to another and have the opportunity to win all those raffle items.
But seriously, it’s impossible. Traffic is here to stay and to dampen some of the overflowing joyful mood you might have inside especially if you are the driver. You may even shout or cuss out of frustration. You feel that you deserve the right of way because you have to go to an important Christmas event; but you have to realize that everyone has an ‘important’ destination to go during Christmas – a sale to rush to, a party to attend to, a food to pick up in a restaurant, a special gift to buy, etc.
And speaking of sales, if traffic on the road on regular days reaches its peak from 7 to 9 p.m., Christmas rush even extends till midnight. You can’t avoid the traffic since you have to go out and socialize (unless you want to alienate people and ‘unfriend’ your friends and relatives), but you can make it ‘easier’ for you to keep cool on the road. Here are 10 tips that may or may not work for you. I know a lot of people who have benefitted from these tips and came out smiling even amidst the jam-packed roads of the holiday.
Leave early. If the invitation says 7 p.m., depart by at least two hours early unless it is just a village or street across. For me, my rule of thumb is to always add an hour. If on regular days I travel from Makati to Manila in one hour, I should expect that it could run up to two hours during the holiday rush. With that, I don’t have to appear so late at the event and make up excuses (a word of advice: saying that you’re stuck in traffic is like saying ‘I brushed my teeth’).
Plan, plan, plan. Plan your route for the day (or even for the week!). If you are going to Makati, for example, avoid passing by the Greenbelt/ Glorietta areas, take the other streets. Planning also involves ‘grouping’ your events and errands. If there’s a Christmas party in Greenhills at night, you could do your shopping in the afternoon instead of postponing in some other time. You’re not only saving on fuel but also on effort.
Make it work. That is, your vehicle. By this time, your vehicle should be in top condition. Nothing builds massive traffic than a vehicle stalling somewhere in the middle of the road or intersection. Expect to hear harsh words from the every driver on the road.
If possible, carpool. If you’re friendly with your neighbors or officemates, engage in small talk. You might even discover that you are going in the same location at a particular day or attending the same party. Offer your vehicle and think that you’re doing it for Mother Earth (less gas emissions) and the MMDA (less traffic). If you’re riding on his or her vehicle, don’t forget to add his/ her name on your Christmas gift list (and the manong driver too).
Create conversation. The previous tip also has an added benefit: conversation. A nice conversation makes an hour-long traffic jam more bearable rather than sitting alone with your wild thoughts running like crazy. At least you can catch up, bond, or get to know a person closer. And if there are any disagreements, an hour in the vehicle might not remedy the problem but might be the first step to resolution.
Choose your music. Like a DJ, set the right mood in the car. Rock, heavy grunge, and metal music might be your favorites but that may contribute to flaring your temper once that taxi driver cuts you from nowhere. During the holiday season, I suggest Christmas songs like ‘Give Love on Christmas Day’. Sing that tune to keep your cool while a jeepney waits for passengers on an intersection.
Bring your work. If you are the passenger, you know you will spend hours on the road, then might as well make your time productive. Do you need to check on some papers? Do you need to wrap some gifts? Do you need to try new apps on your iPad? Do you need to write Christmas cards? Do it all in the vehicle. Use your time effectively, rather than waste time ranting over Manila’s crater-like potholes and hopeless traffic system.
Give way. You already left early, you had already planned, you had even brought along a group of people to have a conversation with. But things get bleaker as the minutes turn to hours on the road. An hour turns to two, then to three (I even experienced a four-hour gridlock in C3 road).
It’s as if everything was frozen except time. But do you know the reason of that four-hour gridlock? Two vehicles were going the same way and no one wants to give way. Both vehicles collided into one another blocking the entire main road. It took a long time to untangle them. If one had give way (well, what is a minute?), then the gridlock will not have happened. Like in real life, sometimes we have to give way in order for things to go smoothly.
Share your blessings. This is a ‘debatable’ topic since some people say that giving coins to street children only encourages them to stay and beg for more on the road (or even used by syndicates). On one side, there are those who suggest that instead of giving coins, one can give out candies, food, or snacks. Since it is Christmas, share more especially if you have excess food from a party or giveaways from your company that you will not even use.
Last, but not least, spread Christmas cheer. If you have been cussing and shouting invectives at unruly drivers, jaywalking pedestrians, and inept traffic enforcers throughout the year, give it a break during the Christmas holiday. Instead of a curse, why not say ‘good work.’ Instead of a frown, throw a smile. If you see your regular traffic enforcer working to untangle a mess on the road, give him a wave and a smile. And if you have some extra shirts or calendar, it would not hurt to give (again, no cash as it might be misconstrued as bribery). They may not return the favor but at least you will feel that it is truly Christmas.
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