Instead of the usual 2010 Highlights which I use to summarize our Year in the Life, I've decided to create a blog post that enumerates Patrick's favorite and most commonly heard sound bytes while driving. We've already had Stanley for about 2 years now and since we've had him, I've noticed that Patrick becomes really agitated when driving and I've written down some of the most common lines I've heard him say (while gritting his teeth). Now, you have to understand that Patrick rarely says cuss words unless he's really pissed off about something. I'm usually the one that has to curb my tongue when my evil temperament rears its ugly head :)
1. "Malayo ka pa lang, pumuwesto ka na sa lane mo !" Translation: "Get in the right lane even before you're ready to make a turn!"
Patrick usually gets irritated when he encounters drivers who swerve at the last moment, especially when they're making a turn. He becomes even more aggravated when the driver fails to "signal" leading to the next quote --
2. "Malayo ka pa lang sumignal ka na !" Translation: "Use your right/left turn signal lights even before you reach the curb!"
Patrick told me that a driver should signify his intention to make a turn by turning on his signal light at least 100 feet before the actual turn. That means pedestrians and other drivers are aware of your intention to make a turn and thus will be able to make adjustments accordingly. Unfortunately, from our experience, most drivers turn on their signal lights when they're already turning!! I mean, come on! Also, we've also encountered drivers immediately stopping on the side of the road and then turning on their signal or hazard lights. It's so frustrating especially if you're the one behind them. Some don't even bother turning on their signal lights!!
3. "Nauna ako sa iyo, !" Translation: "I was ahead of you!" or "I got here first!"
It's quite surprising that when you travel to Clark or Subic, drivers follow the first in, first out system without fail even without the traffic lights. What is it about Clark or Subic that makes drivers follow common road courtesy but when you're in Manila, it's like drivers are taken over by greed?? They really have that "Me First" mentality on the road and even go as far as tailgating just to prevent other drivers from overtaking them. No wonder there are a lot of road accidents and pile-ups because of this problem.
4. "Lumayo ka sa akin, this is a million-peso car!" Translation: "Get away from me, this is a million peso car!"
Okay, this is probably what I usually say when Patrick's test driving cars as part of his job for Top Gear Philippines. In the PI, some drivers don't pay attention to the lines on the road or they don't know what the lines on the road are for. What happens is that sometimes a 2-lane road becomes a 3-lane road and cars are literally squished together and only inches apart from each other. We have been scratched and dinged by such cars, usually public utility vehicles, in some instances. Fortunately, not while Patrick's driving his test drive cars. Thank God for small miracles!
5. "Motorcycles, stay the in your own lane!"
Motorcycles and pedicabs are the bane of car drivers. Motorcycles, because they tend to weave in and out of their lanes much to the disgust and irritation of vehicle owners who have to give way or accommodate their risky manipulations to prevent their own cars from being dinged, scratched or bumped. Pedicabs are also the same way and are much worse because they tend to not follow any traffic rules at all. They have a tendency to drive on the wrong lane, you'll find them on major highways and they sometimes even hog the road!
6. "The lines on the road are there for a reason. They're not a suggestion!"
Very much like the instances mentioned in #4, this line is usually mentioned when cars tend to get "derailed" from their lanes, whether intentionally or accidentally. I sometimes wonder if some drivers don't know what the lines on the road are for. You see, I see a lot of drivers cradling their cars on the lines themselves! Picture this, the car is traveling on the middle of the line, not between two lines, in effect, its straddling two lanes! It gets kind of frustrating especially when you're running with a certain momentum and there's this car in the middle of the road, chugging along quite happily, I might add, without regard to other cars in their right lanes.
7. "Busina?! Meron din ako niyan! ! Translation: "A horn?! I also have one too! !"
Don't you just find it annoying when you know for yourself that you're obeying traffic rules and there's this one driver that suddenly honks at you implying you're the one at fault?! Yes, it's quite laughable when you think about it later but at that point in time, you'd probably give that guy "the finger" LOL
8. "Wag kang mag-dadalawang isip pag tumatawid. Dyan ka mababangga." Translation: Don't second guess yourself when crossing the street. That's when you'll get into an accident."
This is what Patrick usually says to pedestrians who can't decide whether to cross or to stay on the sidewalk. Sometimes, they freeze in the middle of the road and they don't know whether to go or stay. The same goes for people who are texting while crossing the street, uggh!
9. "Bawal ang counterflow!!" Translation: "Counterflow is prohibited!"
The President of the Philippines obeys traffic rules and he doesn't like it when other drivers use counterflow measures to get ahead of other drivers. Despite PNoy setting an example, other really stubborn drivers refuse to obey traffic rules and continue to counterflow despite the danger they're creating to other commuters on the road.
10. "Hindi ito Gran Turismo!" Translation: "This is not Gran Turismo!"
We've traveled so many times on the SCTEX and we've observed many drivers, especially those who are driving SUV's and really fast cars, who think they're on Gran Turismo and drive like hellions on the road, regardless if they get caught or not. I've made it a point to keep my eye on the speedometer especially when traveling with the kids because it's so easy to speed up along the SCTEX highway (and the NLEX and SLEX for that matter). It's scary when these fast cars and careless drivers just weave in and out of their lanes like they're doing lap races!
Now I'm sure there are other comments that you probably want to add and Patrick may have some more up his sleeve LOL Tune in next time LOL
After a hefty breakfast for us adults, it wasn't buffet but the kids can eat all the cereal and bread that they want, we pushed on towards Pura. The drive was rather scary when faced with trucks carrying "gravel" and "soil" but look mostly like huge rocks and earth. 
