Safety First!

[OnMyWay]

As mentioned 1000 times, enforcement is not a thing here.  4 on a bike with a small child, no helmets, no shoes, no problem.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DZpARU571/

[graham59]

And suitable vehicles ARE available....

 

 

.

[JJReyes]

In the West, the emphasis is speed which can result in a greater number of bodily injuries and death.  In developing countries like the Philippines, overload in terms of cargo or total passengers means they can't go fast.  The injuries resulting from an accident may not be as serious.  The whole thing still looks crazy.  

 

 

[intrepid]

As mentioned before, only a few (tickets/citations/penalty), every now and then and there would be a lot more compliance.  

[scott h]

Sorry, but I just do not care anymore.

[Gator]

6 hours ago, intrepid said:

As mentioned before, only a few (tickets/citations/penalty), every now and then and there would be a lot more compliance.  

They do that already. Sporadically. Usually only when they need beer money. around some holiday or need some positive media attention.
 

Constant and consistent enforcement with severe consequences for taking bribes from drivers is, IMHO, the only solution. But we all know that will never happen. 

[Gator]

1 hour ago, scott h said:

Sorry, but I just do not care anymore.

The only time I care is when I get pulled into a check point and wonder how greedy the enforcers will be that day…is it a green, brown or a blue note day? * You never know 🤣

 

(*for those not familiar with the color of the currency here: 200, 500 or 1k peso note)

Edited November 18, 2025 by Gator

[Lee]

10 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

4 on a bike with a small child, no helmets, no shoes, no problem.

This came up last Sat during a visit to the wifes barrio. One of her brothers showed up with 4 young kids hanging onto their GFs (my wifes brother) motorbike. The two older ones were in the back--the other two were sitting on the gas tank---none of them are even school age yet. The youngest could scarcely straddle the tank.

I had seen this before and again was compelled to speak up (via the wife). She busted his tail about this and he started to become indignant. His only defense for this stupidity was to point out (correctly) that other people in the barrio do this all the time.

Of course other people aren't toting around my wifes young nieces either. If things go wrong---where do you think they will go for cash to cover hospital expenses?

It won't be us, to be sure.

As a sidebar, the mother of these 4 young children mentioned before used to live with us. She was 6 months away from graduating from HS and we were hopeful that she would take the next step and go to college. One day, she announced that she wanted her "freedom" and was moving out. While living with us she was required to be in the house about 9PM or so. Her friends though were allowed to run the streets until the wee hours of the AM. She wanted to join in their nightly escapades so she left. A younger sister followed her a few days later.

"Freedom" girl never did finish HS. She lives in a shack about 20 meters from her dad and apparently spends a lot of her time trying to panhandle family members for money. Hubby is a serial drunk and wife abuser who when he works, stays gone for weeks at a time working construction.

Sometimes freedom isn't really free as I have reminded the wayward niece several times over the years.

 

[OnMyWay]

12 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

As mentioned 1000 times, enforcement is not a thing here. 

I think most of you missed my main point.  We all see these families on motorcycles quite often.

My main point was that they got pulled over and were quickly on their way.  No enforcement of rules.

Although there are a lot of things I dislike about Subic Bay Freeport, at least they do enforce these safety rules.  If you arrive at the gate on a moto without a helmet or wearing slippers, you will be turned around.  Same with more than one passenger.  Back to Olongapo where there is no enforcement and you see babies unprotected as if their lives are worth nothing.

That being said, when I was a kid, nobody wore helmets.

[Tommy T.]

7 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Back to Olongapo where there is no enforcement and you see babies unprotected as if their lives are worth nothing.

Back in American Samoa many years ago, children's lives seemed to not be worth much... However, if you drove on a road there and hit and killed a pig??? They - seriously - might have attacked you, because there it was a source of food...