Popular Post davewe Posted March 21, 2018 Popular Post Posted March 21, 2018 Wife and I are driving to the bank the other day. For whatever reason I remarked that I had never seen anyone (Filipino or foreigner) receive a parking ticket here in Dumaguete. Back where I lived in the US you could go downtown and see ticket after ticket on windows, but not here. Parked next to the bank in a small area clearly marked no parking. I've been parking there (as do many others) every since we opened the bank account. Well you guessed it - we came out and there was a ticket on the window. As Janet read it I asked "how much." There was nowhere on the ticket it said the fine, just a notice in small print to handle it within 7 days at City Hall. I mentioned it on FB, I thought humorously. I was amazed at the comments about the authorities going after foreigners and wondering what percentage the police get. Monday I went to City Hall to take care of it. Found the desk for the tickets. Within 5 minutes I was done. Cost: 300P. I figure back in Portland that's the amount I would put in the meter just for the privilege of parking there. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post sonjack2847 Posted March 21, 2018 Popular Post Posted March 21, 2018 (edited) 19 minutes ago, davewe said: I was amazed at the comments about the authorities going after foreigners and wondering what percentage the police get. My friend has recently returned to Dumaguete and didn`t know about the smoking ban.Well he got caught and the enforcer told him it was a 500 peso fine.My friend asked to see his ID and took a photo.The enforcer asked why and he said well you have just given me a fine but said nothing to that local who is sat there smoking.The enforcer said but he has no money so he cannot pay.My friend told him he was going to report him as he now had his ID photo in front of the other man smoking. The enforcer told my friend not to smoke there again and no fine .Targeting foreigners does go on but I am not sure how many times it happens and how prevalent it is. Edited March 21, 2018 by sonjack2847 Add tex 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Dave Hounddriver Posted March 21, 2018 Popular Post Posted March 21, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, davewe said: I was amazed at the comments about the authorities going after foreigners Some foreigners feel "picked on". I know it happens but I am not one to complain about the rare times it happens to me. It is my observation that many of the foreigners who feel picked on have an attitude of "if the locals can do it then so can I". My opinion is that foreigners who follow the rules do not get picked on and it is also my opinion that setting an example is a better policy than stooping to the level of a person with little education, little money, little knowledge of the law and a citizen of the country I am visiting; but that's just me. As to parking tickets, I have observed (on rare occasions I admit) traffic wardens going around Dumaguete giving tickets to illegally parked motorcycles. What I found interesting is that they write the serial number of the motorbike on their ticket pad as they know the plates, if there are any, are useless as a source of information. I thought that wise, and as the owners of the vehicles are not in sight (when I have observed this anyway) I do not see how they can be picking on anybody except illegal parkers. I wish there was more of that level of enforcement. Let me take a moment to admit I have been picked on. On 2 separate occasions I have had filipinos come up to me and complain that I was making too much noise late at night and people are trying to sleep. Once I was using an electric jigsaw at 8 PM and the other time my gf was singing, at 9 PM, in the house on her personal Magic sing that attaches to the TV. In both cased the "complainers" were locals who thought themselves "high" and did not like most foreigners. In both cases there were loud filipinos close by who were making more noise than I was, BUT as i mentioned before, there is no reason for me to come down to their level so I turned off my electric saw and went to join the party of locals next door, who were singing and drinking. I bought them a litro of beer and encouraged them to enjoy themselves louder if they wanted. I informed them it did not bother me. Funny how the complainer never went to them to complain. Edited March 21, 2018 by Dave Hounddriver 2 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoffH Posted March 21, 2018 Posted March 21, 2018 1 hour ago, Dave Hounddriver said: I know it happens but I am not one to complain about the rare times it happens to me. Fairly recently I had a very similar experience to you, some family members and I were sitting around drinking out the front of the house and there was music playing and a neighbour who I did not recognize came in through the gate and started yelling at me. My very limited Cebuano left me with no idea what he was saying but it didn't matter, I had several family males there defending me to him. within 5 seconds. There was similar (or louder) noise at various houses within hearing range (semi-rural major road a couple of kilometres outside of the edge of town). The accusation was... too much noise, I ended up going and sitting inside with some other family members and the problem went away. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJReyes Posted March 21, 2018 Posted March 21, 2018 (edited) 16 hours ago, davewe said: Within 5 minutes I was done. Cost: 300P. Wait until the municipal and city governments realize parking fines is a good way to raise revenues. The champion is the city of Los Angeles when it was revealed they generate more that $300 million in fines. Edited March 21, 2018 by JJReyes 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clermont Posted March 21, 2018 Posted March 21, 2018 15 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said: Some foreigners feel "picked on". I know it happens but I am not one to complain about the rare times it happens to me. Only once I've had a small problem smoking away from the Jollibee main door. A guard walked out and told me I had to put my smoke out, no worries, not my country, follow the law, not known to me. We were staying in a hotel just down the road and a police officer that I'd become friends with, ( the wife supplied a kg of rice to the pillar box down the road each day to keep an eye on me at 3am PI time, 5am Aussie time, ) He walked up to the guard and had a bit of a chat and after that no worries, just don't smoke too close to the doors the guard told me. Even if the police officer hadn't of intervened I still didn't feel as though I'd been picked on, that is the law, he was doing his job. All the laws are there, and like one post said he was smoking, but a bloke nearby didn't get pinched because he couldn't pay, so be it, 500 peso isn't going to break the bank and I'll bet if you had of put it out straight away explaining you didn't know the law, there would have been a 50/50 chance of not getting lumbered with a fine. Saying all that, sometimes we are our worst enemies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyWay Posted March 21, 2018 Posted March 21, 2018 17 hours ago, davewe said: Monday I went to City Hall to take care of it. Found the desk for the tickets. Within 5 minutes I was done. Cost: 300P. I figure back in Portland that's the amount I would put in the meter just for the privilege of parking there. I have had 1 or 2 parking tickets in Olongapo, and I think they were only p150 or something like that. There is a big crackdown on illegal parking here, so you have to be careful now. I understand the benefits but it also sucks for some business' and their customers because there is no legal parking nearby. I have not seen one yet, but apparently they have some wheel locks now, and that would be a real pain if you got one of those! They are towing too, but so far I have not seen a car towed; only motorcycles. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hounddriver Posted March 21, 2018 Posted March 21, 2018 (edited) 52 minutes ago, JJReyes said: Wait until the municipal and city governments realize parking fines is a good way to raise revenues. It would not surprise me to find out that had been thought of but think of it this way; In a previous post someone mentioned that a local was not given a ticket for illegal smoking because it was already known he couldn't/wouldn't pay it. Same with parking tickets. The cost of collecting them in many Philippine locales probably exceeds the revenue they could expect to get. Of course they could start confiscating vehicles but the vast majority could not afford to pay to get them back and sooner or later they would have a rebellion on their hands. Then there are parking meters. Another great invention, but I bet the local street kids will figure out a way to empty them of coins within a month of them getting put up. Perhaps, instead of NO parking signs, they should have a sign that says "300 pesos to park here" (which is the cost of the fine it seems). There would be a line up around the block of boys willing to enforce/collect that fee and something could be worked out with revenue sharing with the local government. Just a thought. EDIT: 2 minutes ago, OnMyWay said: There is a big crackdown on illegal parking here, so you have to be careful now. Yes, that makes sense in the "richer" areas of the country. My comments were directed to the cities and towns that are not filled with rich people who can afford to pay fines. Edited March 21, 2018 by Dave Hounddriver 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intrepid Posted March 22, 2018 Posted March 22, 2018 10 hours ago, OnMyWay said: There is a big crackdown on illegal parking here, so you have to be careful now. I understand the benefits but it also sucks for some business' and their customers because there is no legal parking nearby. A little off topic here but since you mention no legal parking nearby, here is a little interesting parking progress. Our brother-in-law who lives along the main road going through Cabuyao City, Laguna has been informed the government will be expanding the road in front of his property. The road currently is two lanes both North and south along with the normal broken sidewalk with electric poles where some will try to park. With this expansion the government will be taking five meters along the front of his property. His property (a woodworking company with half dozen employees), is just about a meter back from the sidewalk. Along with taking the five meters, he has to provide parking spaces for customers and a off street parking for his delivery truck. There won't be much space left to operate the business. Same for the small internet cafe next door. Five meters plus parking leaves no space on the small property for a building/business. I know it's necessary and enjoy the fact they are finally requiring business to provide parking spaces. However, this is really putting a hurt on many small businesses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Peterson Posted March 22, 2018 Posted March 22, 2018 14 minutes ago, intrepid said: However, this is really putting a hurt on many small businesses. It is the whole of the PI that can be affected, we (They asked for better roads so, to me it is cause and effect 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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