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The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Horrible Traffic in Metro Manila

Traffic is the worst conundrum of everyone, especially the lawmakers. Althoughย it was reported that it will ease up soon, they still need to establish a more concrete and effective ways to mitigate the horrible traffic not only in Manila but EVERYWHERE!

Netizen Hipon

“Nakapaghimay na nga siya ng hipon, eh.” ย Read her hilarious caption here.

For someone who works from home like me, getting stuck in traffic is a horrible feeling. However, I’ve learned a few positive things whilst traveling last week from from Monday to Saturday, south-to-north-to-east and back!

Thanks to Toyota for lending me this (dream car), Toyota Avanza.

Toyota Avanza test unit

When I asked if I could test-drive this unit before purchasing one, they immediately said yes and dropped the unit off at home! Truly, rain or shine, this convenient and family-friendly car heads the list!

However, itโ€™s not always a bad thing, you knowโ€“ like these things Iโ€™m about to share with you: Disadvantages and Advantages of Traffic in Metro Manila.ย Let’s start reading, shall we?

Disadvantages

Zero productivity – for someone who values time so much, being trapped in the traffic is your worst enemy as it loses your creativity and productivity. Imagine the time wasted just sitting in traffic – regardless if you are driving or not. In my case, for five days straight, I lost a total of 15 hours, about 3 hours give or take per day.

Habitual tardiness โ€“ since traffic is part of our lives now, we develop the habitual tardiness. Surprisingly, it’s now acceptable in the society to give “traffic” as an excuse for being late.

When saying “sorry it’s traffic” becomes the universal excuse for slacking.traffic disadvantage

It could ruin your friendship or business relationshipย โ€“ letโ€™s face it, we could only endure so much. If we keep coming in late or giving the same excuse,ย your credibility is at stake.

According to an Australian human resource speaker, showing up late connotes heaps of interpretation: if it occurs on minimal occasions, that’s acceptable. Otherwise, it affects relationships that could lead to integrity issues. He further stated that while it is important to portray an open-mind, slacking or tardiness brings a huge impact on the company.

On the other side of the coin, being stuck in traffic is advantageous too. Let’s see what are the advantages of the hopeless case traffic in the Philippines.

Advantages

It helps keep your sanity – because when you don’t have any choice, you just succumb to the moment. When you get stuck in traffic, you can listen to music too.

pine sol me time

Studies show that meditating and listening to music are proven to effectively lessen our anxieties. ย Even though I hardly meditate, music keeps me calm and more creative.

Toyota Avanza

That’s why it’s vital to have a working radio in the car. Ours was stolen and never had the chance to replace it. So, aside from reliability and durability, I checked the Toyota Avanza’s radio. Its radio is multi-purpose as you can also use it to navigate maps. Clearly, the Avanza certainly aims to make you and your family feel more comfortable while inside the car.

You become more patient – Actually, wala na kasi tayong choice! LOL!!

Traffic sa EDSA (11)

Wala ng pag asa, bes!ย 

You become more appreciative – I don’t know about you but I get dizzy when I’m reading while moving. So, I spend most of the time observing my surroundings. And that includes appreciating the people around me like the traffic enforcers, the street sweepers, just to name a few.

wim_trafficenforcer2

Like him, for instance.

Kudos to you and to all traffic enforcers, especially the ones in front of Walter Mart Sucat and intersection of Daang Hari and Dasmarinas, Cavite – I always pass by there and indeed, rain or shine, you’re doing a great job!

Ultimately, you develop punctuality and open-mindedness –ย the traffic teaches you to manage your time correctly. Because it’s a terrible feeling to be late in your meetings, you tend to leave the house earlier. As a result, it develops a fruitful relationship between you and your colleagues.

never late traffic

Again, “a queen (or king) is never late.”

Truth be told, Filipinos aren’t called the happiest people for no reason. We all know how to get over things that irritate us quickly like the traffic. While the majority thinks traffic is horrible, it also teaches us to become visionary and appreciative of someone else’s time, dahil nga, wala na tayong choice, mga bes! Hahaha.

Traffic sa EDSA (9)

Hopefully, the report about easing up the traffic in the metro will soon be felt. For now, I’ll continue listening to music to keep me sane!

child drive learning

How about you: have you thought of something advantageous in getting stuck in traffic? Share your comments below!