Friday, August 18, 2006

The Rockiest, Potholiest and Unevenest Street in the World

The City of San Francisco is home to Lombard Street, the Crookedest Street in the World.
Well, here in the Philippines, Paranaque is home to the Rockiest, Potholiest and Unevenest Street in the World.

I kid you not.

Over at the Southbound ramp of the Nichols bridge along South Super Highway you will find the worst street ever.

I take that ramp when I go visit my sister in Merville or my girlfriend in Moonwalk. Last summer that was a smooth uphill ramp. After a few typhoons, it has turned into a nightmare.
Sobrang uneven. Sobrang mabutas. Sobrang potholed. Kahit anong maniobra mo hindi mo maiiwasan lumubog ang sasakyan mo sa isang lubak. If you look at it, maisip mo na hindi pang normal car yun. Pang Four-by-Four.

I hope the Paranaque City Government and the DPWH does something about this real fast. Kasi I feel ilang daan na lang masisira na chassis ng kotse ko.

Hindi lang kasi Rain ang may kasalanan. Its the trucks din. Ang linaw-linaw ng sign na "NO TRUCKS ALLOWED" sige, hala, puro trucks ang dumadaan. (as a sidenote, ganyan talaga mga pinoy, kung anong bawal, gagawin. tingnan mo yung "BAWAL UMIHI DITO PLEASE" sign, dun umiihi. tingnan mo yung "BAWAL MAGTAPON NG BASURA. MULTA P5,000" sign, dun nagtatambak. tingnan mo yung "DON'T PARK IN FRONT OF THE DRIVEWAY" sign, dun pumaparada. Ang titigas kasi ng ulo natin) According to my brod, Bullet, who is a traffic engineer, roads have different qualities. They are designed and made according to the vehicles that are supposed to traverse it. small streets are for small cars. hence, of a lesser quality grade. highways are for cars, trucks and buses. hence, of a higher quality grade. if you have a truck travers a small street, or a street designed for light vehicles, then the road will deteriorate fast.

That, my friends, is why our roads suck. The weather and those pesky truck and bus drivers who try to save a buck by traversing roads meant for small cars and not for them.

Sana hulihin mga yan. ipagbawal na talaga sila sa Nichols ramp. The PNCC and MMDA should be vigilant and strict as the NLEX operators are over at the North Luzon Expressway.

Meanwhile, I plan to put up a tourist stand right next to the Nichols Ramp and offer T-Shirts, Post Cards, Pencils and other souvenirs with the sign "Rockiest, Potholiest and Unevenest Street in the World". I'll also offer polaroid shots for tourists who want a photo memento of Nichols Ramp. I swear, with my advertising savvy, Nichols Ramp will be more popular than Lombard Street.

I kid you not.

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