A.M. A cop once more

[NewsWhore]

Today's page two editorial from Adriano Miguel Tejada is more a lament than a comment on politics or economics. The Diario Libre editor tells how, once more, he became a 'volunteer traffic cop' and had the same experience all over again. He said that when he sees some stupid traffic jam, as one sees in Santo Domingo all the time, because no one is willing to give way, and everyone wants to be first to get through even when they see a stopped vehicle and there is no way through, he gets out of his car and helps sort out the problem. He says that he has done this so many times he has lost count. The first thing that one finds is that nobody wants to give in, and the guy causing the problem is the worst. The second thing is that nobody accepts the fact that they should obey an order that would solve the problem. The only ones who do obey are the ones at the back. Thirdly, he says that women are especially spoiled and undisciplined. They say words that are worse than those used by the men and do not accept any direction. Public car drivers are obedient, but taxi drivers are not. It seems that the struggle to arrive first at the passenger's house (yes, taxi piracy) is a question of personal pride or life or death. The bus drivers' assistants (who hang out the doors and call for passengers) only help to get their own vehicle through. Then they get on and go smiling down the road. Finally, when it is all straightened out, the ones who were trapped at the very back of the traffic jam go past with a smile, and sometimes lower their windows and say thanks, while others express their admiration for a job well done. Tejada says that his answer to all of them is: "Get out of your cars and do your duty to make this city a little more 'livable' for everyone".

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