i almost died today!

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I was hangin' on, literally, for dear life for 30 minutes. My knuckles were so white from gripping the overhead handle bar of the taxi that we're riding on. I dare not gasp everytime the taxi swerves or tries to overtake another vehicle for fear that the driver might drive more recklessly. I was ashen-faced, very dizzy and was trying hard not to vomit on the pavement by the time we reached my sister's house.

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I already notice his reckless driving right from the start of our trip. I even told him that my son is getting dizzy already. He just nods his head and continued driving very fast. Manila taxi drivers doesn't even care for the lives of their passengers. MMDA should replace them with women drivers just like what they're doing with bus drivers.

I hope we don't have this experience during our summer trips. Because no matter how nice the place that we're staying on is, it won't be so nice at all if I get so stressed out.

Taxi Accident

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We got into an accident in Buendia Avenue this morning on our way to my parents house. I was with my son, my sister and niece. No cuts or bruises; no cursing, shouting or scared gasps either... but still it was an accident.

The taxi that we were riding on was not even fast. The driver saw the red light ahead, he stepped on the break...but it didn't stop until we hit the car in front of us. The driver doesn't want to admit it but I am pretty sure there was a problem with his break.

I still payed for our fare but the taxi driver didn't even help us look for another taxi. He even made us wait for 20 minutes inside the taxi. We can't get out since we were parked in the middle of the street. Me and my sister doesn't want to risk being hit by a bus while crossing the street.

I can't count the number of times that I almost got into an accident at the hands of reckless taxi drivers here in our country. Everytime I step inside a taxi, my heart always stops beating. They drive very fast and they are not even scared to overtake big buses (that are equally driving like crazy).

"Manong, dahan dahan lang po, hindi kami nagmamadali" (Please don't drive so fast, we are not in a hurry). "Hindi naman mabilis a!" (It's not that fast!) And he drives even faster. If my son is not with me, I would have gotten out of that taxi. But I can't just get out anywhere, anytime...my son is asthmatic and I don't want him to inhale all the pollution.

These taxis doesn't even have seatbelts. I don't understand why they have to take out the seatbelts. I don't think they bought a car that doesn't have seatbelts. Car manufacturers strictly follow certain standards, right.

I hope problems with taxis (as well as with buses) here in our country be resolved already. The senate and congress should prioritize these things instead of the Katrina-Hayden video scandal, right?!