The state of the nation, while admittedly okay on the macro, is not okay on the micro, specifically with regards traffic management and anti-smoke belching drives.

Last week I complained to the woman in Window 10 of the Las Piñas branch of the Land Transportation Office. Since she was behind a glass window I had to talk loudly. I said why should we present proof of registration again when we have been cleared, and payment made, awaiting stickers, as per Official Receipt? I said why are the people being made to suffer, sweeping my hands—so that she understood—towards the long lines that have formed. I said I thought we were the bosses, so why are we being treated this way? I demanded to speak to an officer, and as I left the lines, this is what happened: the people in the lines and on the benches applauded!

I got my stickers simply by showing the O.R., as it should be. Question: isn’t it a no-brainer that all that’s needed is a copy of the O.R.? Why did I need to bring out sword and dudgeon for them to realize a simple thing that will make the lives of their bosses easier?

I was apprehended yesterday on EDSA by members of the Makati Pollution Control Office.

I could see that the apprehension was arbitrary. They flag down a suspect vehicle, it just speeds up to ignore them, and they do nothing. Besides if they were stopping vehicles why were there no buses which it is plain to see ignore the anti-smoke belching law with impunity? The apprehending officer comes up to Baby in the vehicle. Officer says, it’s really inconvenient if this happens, he’ll have to do this, do that. Wasn’t that a hint for bribery?

Result, this citizen has no peace, because there is no order in the streets. Why follow when you can just as easily escape sporadic enforcement? And if I become a rebel what good does it make? What’s the use of a good law when it will only penalize those who are meek enough to obey, but offers no benefit such as clean air because it is enforced unevenly? There are simply too many little despots lurking around, looking either for a quick buck, not building a country but deconstructing it instead for selfish ends.

So this is the state of this boss. Thank you, President Aquino, I can see that you are doing your job. But when we booted out bad rulers, little did we know then that the cloudburst of departed dictators and egregious thieves resulted in thousands of pakong bakya raining down on the bosses, numberless petty thieves that irk us with their unprofessionalism, asking directly or indirectly for money, unmindful of order which they are supposed to ensure.

Macro, passed but micro, fail.