Anti-Smoke Belching Racket, Part 3

After I posted  Anti-Smoke Belching Racket, Part 2 last September 15, 2011, it attracted several comments from more motorists. Today, I chanced upon these two additional stories:

(1) http://www.qatarliving.com/node/1266249

Anti-Smoke Belching Unit in Makati: Just to share

Submitted by Lovable40 on Fri, 20/08/2010 - 5:39am General

Last 17 Aug, I was driving my L300 from Marikina going to Makati via the C-5 road to visit my investment. I am going to turn right via Kalayaan Road after the Pasig Bridge. Pagkaliko ko, there where a variety of kababayans wearing yellow shirts with City of Makati ASBU printed on their shirt with ages varying from mid 20s to retirable age. Yung pinakamatanda ang pumara sa amin. "Smoke Emmision Test" daw sabi ni Tatang. So sabi ko, OK lang since BIO-diesel ang gamit ko from SEAOIL at kapapatune-up ko pa lang. So I alighted down and went to see their "machine" for testing. To my horror, super luma na! Di na mabasa ang LEDs. Yung hose na ginamit e napakarami ng electrical tape na nakabalot. Yung box e yari sa kahoy na makikita mo pa ang pagkakapako. Mukhang yung original box e nasira na ng panahon.

Kinausap ko yung grupo. Ask ko kung ano ang kanilang sinusukat. SMOKE daw sabi nung isa. Ask uli ako, anong klaseng GAS ang inyong sinusukat. Walang sumagot. Inulit ko, Carbon monoxide? Nitrous Oxide? Tumango na lang. Ask uli ako, ano'ng unit ang gamit nyo? parts per million (ppm) or percentage (%). Bigla akong iniwanan. Doon ko napagtanto na di nila alam ang kanilang ginagawa. Napag-alaman ko na ppm pala base sa print-out na lumabas. 4.4 ppm ang resulta ng sa akin at ang allowable DAW ay 2.5. So as per the City of Makati Ordinance e tatanggalin nila ang front plate ko. I said, ANOH!!!". E di pag ginawa nila yan, bago ako makarating sa Makati Ave e napakarami na ng pulis na haharang sa amin at titiketan na naman ako. Masyadong maraming abala! Late na ako dahil, lifted na yung truck-ban at gusto pa e tubusin ko sa may Ayala Ave and pay the 1,000 pesos fine. I was in between 2 difficult choices, should I be as honest to myself, deal with it and be like my elected President Noynoy with a battle cry of KUNG WALANG CORRUPT .... or should I talk may out, corrupt the guy and not be late with my very important appointment? I've chosen the latter and gave Tatang 500 pesos.

Honestly, as much as I don't want to do this maraming lakad ko ang masasayang. Ang mas kiniinisan ko, bakit yung ibang DIESEL driven Jeepneys ng Pateros, Pasig, Taguig, Guadalupe na nagbubuga ng maiitim na usok, na bumabaybay sa kahabaan ng Makati e di pinapara? Hay, what a day! Balak ko ngang isumbong sa XXX e. I still have 3 weeks here and hopefully I won't encounter such thing. Dinala ko na ang van ko for another check-up ... gastos na naman.
Sorry sa haba ng story ... I just want to share kasi baka maka-encounter kayo ng mga katul;ad nito...

Meron pa akong link na nakita while (still) looking for the alllowable emmmision. It was posted way back 2009

(2) http://www.betterphilippines.com/corruption/highway-robbery-along-commonwealth-avenue/

Highway Robbery Along Commonwealth Avenue
Written by bp on May 5, 2009 · 5 Comments

I was on my way to the office today when the bus I was riding was stopped by a group of men along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. They were unarmed but you could immediately tell that they were up to no good.

True enough after that encounter the bus driver and conductor were P200 poorer. Sounds like highway robbery, doesn’t it?

The group we encountered was running an anti-smoke belching operation so they had every authority to flag us down. But instead of carrying out what they were mandated to do they turned their whole operation into a money-making scheme.

I know money changed hands because I saw it as it happened. I was sitting at the front row and as I peered through the window I saw the bus conductor giving P200 to one of the team members.

It was quite a funny sight actually. The man who flagged us down was acting all indignant because the bus driver, who remained glued to his seat, refused to hand over his vehicle registration. So he went on to admonish the bus driver. But as he was delivering his sermon he was also stealthily reaching out for the conductor’s hand, which held two tightly folded P100 bills.

What a funny charade I thought. It was really funny I failed to stop myself from laughing and blurting out, “ayos na, merienda na.” The clown even heard what I said. As he walked away he flashed me a toothless smile not even his own mother would appreciate.

Now, I’m left wondering again if calls for personal change would even work on people like these.
------

About three weeks ago, I brought my wife to her office at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Paseo de Roxas, Makati, my 5 years old daughter was with me, then I turned right at Pasay Road. Not far from the intersection, I was flagged down by many "men in black" shirts, again, the Anti-Smoke Belching Unit (ASBU) of Makati city hall. They wanted me to go to the right side, I stayed on the inner lane and asked them what's the problem. They said "smoke emission test", I said "Bossing mali-late na ito sa klase ang bata" (my daughter will be late in her school), somehow children can evoke a soft heart among these bureaucrats, and they let me go. And flagged down other old-looking diesel vehicles behind me.

The Makati ASBU used to be in Buendia, one time along Metropolitan Ave. behind Mapua-Makati campus (ie, at the back of Buendia).

Pasay ASBU would also be in Buendia, Pasay after crossing Taft-LRT. Or they may be at Buendia-Roxas Blvd intersection, under the flyover. It's difficult to reason out to these guys as there are plenty of them. And since their intention is really to make your vehicle "Fail" their emission test and get money from you, via extortion or fine at the city hall, you'll be helpless.

This morning, a lawyer friend posted in his facebook wall, "There is a creeping inflation lurking behind all the big news....didn't you notice?"

I commented the following:

• Nonoy Oplas 
  
  

  Cost of transporting vegetables, pork, fish, other food and drink items, moving people, other goods and services, are rising, not only because of rising fuel prices, but also because of various govt extortions: anti-smoke belching, various traffic "violations" even for the most inane reasons, etc. And those endless borrowings by the govt, endless taxes to finance those borrowings. And govt is supposed to provide "macroeconomic stability".

  
  
• 
  
• 
  

  Nonoy Oplas That's why I seldom drive my old pick up, it's 15 yrs old this month, unless I drive the kids. The ASBU guys from makati, pasay, qc other cities are ALL salivating at the P1,500 fine for 'not passing" their smoke emission test which, unless you pay them, your car will fail 100%. They are among the road terrorists and they are our "public servants".
  
•  A friend who is a driver of a food delivery van for a restaurant chain told me they have a P100 allowance for those ASBUs to avoid delay and bureaucracies. So if they are flagged down 5x a day as they move from one city to another, that's about P500 per day of extortion money, and resto owners have to pass that additional cost to the consumers. And we feel that "creeping inflation" somehow.
  

  
  
• Luie  Boss, are you saying therefore that there are more of these extortions now than before, which is reflected in the "inflation"? Or was the extortions before cheaper than they are now?
  

  
  
• 
  

  Nonoy Oplas 
  
  

  I think there are more these days than before. The number of govt employees, especially in local govts, are expanding like termites, Since may of them produce zero/little productive activity, only regulations and prohibitions, and they need to eat along with their families and friends, they need to create more prohibitions and "violations" so that people will pay more to them. Here in makati for instance, they are plenty of NOs and DONTs. "No jaywalking" or "no loading/unloading here, go to the next block" and lots of fines. And yet they say that people should commute, should walk, to "save energy, to save the planet" and they make it hard and costly for people to cross streets.
• 
  

  Another practice by local traffic "enforcers" in many LGUs here in Metro Manila, they prohibit left turn or U-turn in some streets even at night time or holidays or days where there is no traffic congestion. So motorists have to go to far away corners and streets where traffic sometimes is bad. This forces some motorists to take a chance and make that U-turn or left-turn when they think the enforcers are nowhere, only to find out that they are hiding. So a taxi driver for instance who is apprehended for this scam has to pay P500 to P1,000 to city hall if he chooses not to bribe, or pay P100 or more. This reduction in the income of the cab driver he must get from passengers, that is why "kontrata" or higher tip is sounded off to taxi passengers before they go. Which raises the cost of transpo of ordinary commuters, and we feel somehow that "creeping inflation."

------

See also
Anti-smoke belching Racket, January 17, 2011