Daily TribuneIf someone does go full road rage on you, don’t take the bait. Drive away. You don’t need to win the argument — you need to get home safely, with dignity intact and NBI clearance clean
Enrique Garcia
GRAPHICS BY GLENZKIE TOLO
Galit is a choice. So is jail time.
You don’t plan to snap. No one wakes up and says, “Today, I will threaten someone.” But then again, you didn’t plan to be cut off by a van with no signal and bold political stickers either.
“Isa pa, subukan mo ‘kong singitan. Isa na lang.”
You’ve said it. You’ve thought about it. Or at least, you’ve felt it bubbling somewhere between your chest and your clenched jaw while stuck in traffic with a vehicle trying to squeeze you out to the gutter.
Welcome to road rage in the Philippines, where driving feels like survival. Rage does not seem to be an emotion anymore but rather a reflex. A muscle memory built from years of buhol-buhol na traffic and people disregarding traffic rules.
It always starts small — a honk, a subtle brake test, that moment when your eyes lock through windshields, the equivalent of a mixed martial arts fight face-off. He glares at you. You tighten your grip on the wheel. It’s personal now.
Suddenly, you’re not just a driver. You’re a gladiator in Cubao. No rules. No reward.
In light of the recent road rage incident along Marcos Highway that sparked heated online debates, maybe it’s time we talked about it. Why do we snap? What pushes us to roll down our windows and go ballistic? And how do we avoid becoming the next viral video star?
The triggers are many and often absurdly trivial. Yet, at the moment, they feel biblical. Take the “Singit Lord.” You’re patiently crawling towards a U-turn slot when an SUV with tinted windows wedges itself in front — no signal, no shame, just pure entitlement. You grip your wheel, thinking, “Ano ‘to? May emergency ba siya, o nang-aano lang?”
Then there’s the Fast & Furious wannabe who zooms past only to suddenly brake because a banana cue by the sidewalk is more urgent than your safety.
There are the multitaskers. Eating, sipping from a cup — one hand on the wheel, the other texting and doing a Facebook livestream, vlogging. They’re driving wayward. You lightly honk, just a friendly beep, and suddenly sya pa ang galit.
It doesn’t take much to escalate things. A dagger stare, a sarcastic hand gesture — the universal Filipino signal for, “Gusto mo magkaalaman na tayo dito?” Before you know it, windows roll down, doors open and both of you trend on social media. Congratulations, you’ve entered the Road Rage Arena, and the entire country is watching.
Truth is, we’re all dangerously close to the edge. It might be the heat, the heavy traffic, or unpaid bills — it all builds up, turning our cars into personal pressure cookers. We become what we hate.
So how do we stop ourselves from going full teleserye with matching “Wag mo ‘kong subukan” energy?
Maybe start with cooling your car — and your head. Heat marinates anger, and steams the mood. Aircon cold, music low, ego lower. You’re not Vin Diesel. You’re just trying to get to work or go home without punching a windshield.
Expect the worst — singit lords, ghost signalers, jeepneys stopping mid-lane, pedestrians, and motorcycles appearing from nowhere. Preload your patience meter. Not every wrong move deserves a reaction. Reserve your rage for truly infuriating things — like the license plate backlog that has troubled millions of Filipino motorists since 2014.
Curate your music vibe carefully. Avoid angry trap beats and sad-boy anthems. Pick soul, light jazz, or lo-fi. Turn your car into a moving spa, not a mobile MMA cage.
Avoid eye contact. Locking eyes with the enemy driver is like stepping into quicksand. You stare, they stare. You’re in a seemingly endless staring contest. Instead, let it go, look away, and whisper something zen, like “meow, meow, meow, meow.”
Remember the uncomfortable truth that everyone thinks they’re right. That SUV driver squeezing in calls himself assertive. The motorcycle weaving through lanes believes he’s efficient. You think you’re the only sane driver left. But really, we’re all starring in our own dramas.
Lastly, resist the fantasy of “teaching someone a lesson.” It never works. Nobody learns, and nobody apologizes. You both just end up looking like extras auditioning for Batang Quiapo.
Breathe. Smile. Drive on. Be the plot twist that ends the episode early — without violence and viral infamy.
Becoming another hot-headed driver with a grudge is easy. But maybe the real flex — the most astig thing you can do — is to not react.
Let the other guy overtake. Let pedestrians cross wherever. Let your blood pressure live another day.
If someone does go full road rage on you, don’t take the bait. Drive away. You don’t need to win the argument — you need to get home safely, with dignity intact and NBI clearance clean.
