Archive for the ‘Rider's Issues’ Category

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Vietnam wears a helmet!

July 9, 2008

Vietnam is a motorcycle country. Two wheels (about 90%) greatly outnumber the cars on the road. But as seen in the images on my two previous Vietnam-related posts here, hardly anyone there wore a helmet on the road. Thankfully, that’s a thing of the past.

So how did the country get it’s more than 12 million riders to wear one? Well, it all started with this campaign.

The ads featured in campaign were made by Ogilvy and Mather Vietnam for Asia Injury Prevention Foundation. The campaign utilized actual motorbike accident victims.

On December 15, 2007, wearing a helmet became mandatory (Government Decree Number 32 - Mandatory Helmet Law) to all motorbike riders in Vietnam making it one of the world’s most successful public-health initiatives in years. My recent visit there is proof that indeed, everyone now wears a helmet there and not just in Ho Chi Minh but in the rural areas as well. Our tour guide said not everyone is happy with the new law but all are forced to comply than pay the fine of 200,000 dong or roughly about U$D12.

And since the “coolness” factor ranks high for most Vietnamese riders, some of their helmets (they used to jokingly refer to these protective headgears as “rice cooker”) don’t look like helmets at all! For a rider like me, Vietnam roads was practically an endless showroom of fancy helmets money could buy. There are ones that are shaped like baseball caps, cowboy hats, bowler, sola topee, and knitted beanies. There are colorful visors made of cloth attachable to a plain-looking helmets. At one time, I think I even saw a helmet that looks like the familiar Vietnamese straw hat (Nón lá ). You name it, they have it!

And since I myself fancy unique helmets, I bought some for myself. I even bought one for my daughter which is shaped like a ladybug. That one’s just too cute to pass up. See them here. Read the rest of this entry ?

Posted in Advertisements, Fashion, Rider's Issues, Rides & Travels, Shop Talk | 4 Comments »

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What’s with October 15 and being Green?

September 16, 2007

So what’s up with that date? I checked wikipedia and it’s not Earth Day (that on April 22); I also check the wikipage about October 15 and there’s not one occasion listed there even related to taking care about our environment.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m no environmentalist. But ever since I’ve seen Al Gore’s Oscar-winning documentary called “An Inconvenient Truth,” which tackled the issue of global warming (notice how those two words have now become bywords in our society), I started to be concerned with what’s happening around us. Suddenly, the unusual and extended summer heats, super typhoons, and all the other natural calamities suddenly have a explanation.

Which leads me to the question: How come there are two events happening that day which are both related to being green? Beats me! But since these are worthy causes, I’d still blog about them. Amazingly, one is even related to riding a scooter! But I’ll talk about that later. I’ll start with the other event first:

The first one is called “Blog Action Day” (www.blogactionday.org). Here’s what the site says about that day:

What would happen if every blog published posts discussing the same issue, on the same day?
One issue. One day. Thousands of voices.

On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. The aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.

Here’s a short video clip about this year’s Blog Action Day:

The other event is the “Go Green Vespa Video Challenge” which is a contest by Piaggio Group USA inviting scooter owners, enthusiasts and consumers alike (sorry guys, it’s for U.S. residents only) to create their very own 15-second to 2-minute video promoting the fun factor and environmental benefits of riding a motorized scooter. The top 3 winners get to win their very own Vespa scooter! The contest ends on — you guessed it right — October 15, 2007! Read the rest of this entry ?

Posted in Rider's Issues, Vespa Tidbits, Videos | No Comments »

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‘Hell’ met Manila’s motorcycling community!

June 27, 2007

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“MMDA Art” courtesy of Jun aka Amber / Model: Mario aka WaspUP

There is an uproar within the motorcycle community here in Metro Manila. The reason? MMDA’s plan to require all riders to stick (or worse, paint!) their license plate numbers on both sides of their helmets. Why? Allow me to quote the full text of their press release:

Chairman Bayani Fernando of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Metro mayors and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are considering enacting a resolution requiring motorcycle riders to paste up their license plate numbers on both sides of their helmets in a bid to curb the spate of snatching, hold-up and robbery cases perpetrated particularly by those riding on these two-wheeled motor bikes in tandem.

At yesterday’s regular Metro Manila Council meeting held at the MMDA office in Makati City, Fernando, together with Mayors Feliciano Belmonte Jr. of QuezonCity, outgoing Pasig City Mayor Vicente Eusebio, Valenzuela’s Sherwin Gatchalian, Las Pinas’ Imelda Aguilar, PNP representatives and other local chief executives, arrived at a consensus to draft a resolution urging local government units (LGUs) to implement the proposed “Dual Motorcycle/Helmet License Plate Numbers” policy for motorcycle riders plying along Metro Manila’s thoroughfares.

Fernando strongly recommended that a common regulation be enacted by the 17 LGUs stipulating that motorcycle riders with no license plate number on their helmets should constitute a criminal offense and not just a mere traffic violation. Read the rest of this entry ?

Posted in Article Quotes, Local Scene, Newsflash!, Rider's Issues | 18 Comments »

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NEWSFLASH! Vatican releases “10 Commandments for Motorists”

June 22, 2007

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taken during the Visita Iglesia de Vespa ‘07 (photo courtesy of Minggoy)

As reported in the news, the Vatican issued a 36-page document called “Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road” (or what the media dubbed as the “Ten Commandments for Motorists”) last Tuesday.

The “unusual” document warned about the effects of road rage since, it says, driving brings out “primitive” behavior in motorists, including “impoliteness, rude gestures, cursing, blasphemy, loss of sense of responsibility or deliberate infringement of the highway code.”

But the document didn’t just focus on four-wheel drivers. It particularly cited other traffic problems such as “the reckless use of motorbikes and motorcycles.” *ouch!*

A Catholic nation like the Philippines could use these ‘guidelines’ to make driving on our roads feel more like a ‘walk in the park’ than an every-man-for-himself battleground. There’s nothing in the new commandments that a motorist doesn’t know yet, but it sure helps to be reminded of these simple rules and the ‘holy’ association doesn’t hurt either.

Moses weren’t there during the release and the documents were not carved in stones either, but it did come from the church hierarchy and that is ‘good’ enough (pun intended). Here they are…

“The Ten Commandments for Motorists”

Read the rest of this entry ?

Posted in Newsflash!, Rider's Issues, Topic Off-Vespa | 3 Comments »

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Short Film: “Morning Fall” (a must-see!)

June 13, 2007

I was browsing the previous posts in our private forum at Motorcycle Bloggers International when I encountered a post by Steve Williams of Scooter in the Sticks (a well-known and award-winning Vespa blog) about a short film called “Morning Fall.” I, personally, am not a fan of short films unless they came before a full-length Pixar animations. ;) But the film below struck a nerve in me. It’s about a rider who crashed hitting a deer and was left unconscious for a while. When he woke up, it wasn’t clear to him what has transpired until he saw the pieces of the puzzle.

It was specially poignant to me since in my recent long ride to Quezon Province, it was my first time to see a canine roadkill while scootering. Further in the course of the trip, as I was coming from a bend, I was surprised to see a stray dog about to cross the mountain road. But upon seeing my scoot, it had second thoughts midway and decided to turn back. I almost run it over but thank God, I didn’t! And finally, during a stop in a sari-sari store, the locals decided to chat with me just when my riding buddies were already out of earshot and gearing up for the rest of the journey. They asked me where we’re from and where we’ve been to. Then they wished us a well-meant safe trip, but it wasn’t comforting for me at all. Why? They told me that just three days ago, an out-of-town rider hit a dog just down that road. The dog and the backrider died on the spot. These all happened within a day. Needless to say, these has gotten me so paranoid the rest of the ride that I was overly-anticipating a dog would suddenly run from the side of the road. The ride day ended without any further dog-related encounter.

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Binggoy, Boo, me, Bimbo & Tonton at Lamon Bay Pier (pic courtesy of Boo)

Back to the film. The short is very well-made in a level that could affect even non-riders. It’s directed by Edward McGinty and it has actually won the “Best Live Action Short Film” in the 2007 Malibu Film Festival. Though I don’t agree that a fallen rider would first look for a cigarette to light up before looking for his bike; I do understand that the cigarette scene is essential to add to the “frustration” of the character. As the movie was about to end, I blurted out an “OH SHIT!” with what I saw. All these story build-up for ONE GREAT ENDING! Disturbing… yes, but great nonetheless.

There isn’t much dialogue but that didn’t diminish the message it tried to convey. Note that the movie starts with hardly any sound (except for some chirping birds) for almost a full minute. I have to add here that this isn’t a feel-good and entertaining film. It’s actually a downer and downright depressing. So if you’re in a ‘happy-happy, joy-joy’ state right now, better forgo watching at this time. This short will only take about 9 minutes of your time. Sorry for my constant blabbering. Here’s the movie now. :) Read the rest of this entry ?

Posted in Movies, Personal, Rider's Issues, Rides & Travels, Videos | 17 Comments »

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A Motorcade for a Fallen Comrade

February 5, 2007


“Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” by Juan Pablo Dream

Juan Pablo Dream (JPD) is a indie band that plays retro-sounding music influenced by the Mod lifestyle as characterized by slim-cut Italian suits, bowling shoes, distinct period hairstyles with Italian scooters as their favored mode of transportation. JPD is a local band which actually looked the part.

At dawn of January 16, Weslu (aka Luis Guiang), drummer of JPD was on his way home (after a Monday night gig at Inihaw Republic at Katipunan Ave.) on the pillion of a Vespa ridden by Glenn Formoso when an Elf truck (not a bus as previously reported) suddenly cut their lane to make a U-turn in EDSA along Muñoz/Balintawak area. Weslu passed away two days after due to complications sustained from the tragic accident.

Last Friday (Feb. 2), a motorcade was slated as a precursor to “WESLU… a Tribute” — a benefit show held at Center for Arts in Timog Ave. participated in by different bands which Weslu has participated in or has helped in one way or another, including Put3Ska which reunited that night in memory of their original drummer.

weslu-poster.jpg

I have never met Weslu when he was alive but his untimely death due to an avoidable road mishap is a cause worth stressing out. Read the rest of this entry ?

Posted in Local Scene, Music, Rider's Issues, Rides & Travels, Videos | 8 Comments »

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“Bikes of Burden” image collection

December 27, 2006

The image below is very third world. We find it amusing, but it does reflect the economic conditions of the people in a country. The shot was taken in Vietnam. Though seeing something like it won’t be very unusual here in the Philippines, such an image is commonplace in the neighboring Vietnam where there are a few cars and more than 5 million motorcycles!

But the Philippines is on the way of being a motorcycle country too like China, India & Vietnam. With the rising price of gas, the steady increase of fares in public transportation, and the affordability of motorcycles (installment terms go as low as P1000+ per month); any minimum wage earner could now afford to have one. The downside is a lot are hopping onto one without the proper know-how or awareness on how to be a responsible rider hence the increase in motorcycle-related accidents in the past four years as reported by MMDA (there were 2,092 accidents with 51 fatalities in Metro Manila alone just from Jan-May 2006). But I digress, so let’s go back to these photographs.

Here’s a sample.

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good thing he’s riding automatic! hehehe.

That one’s a gate in what I assume is made of wrought iron. You can just imagine what else they can carry on two wheels? The succeeding images have these bikes of burden carrying anything from multiple passengers, livestock, trays of eggs, construction materials, and even a shark! But what takes the cake for me is the one carrying a mirror for delivery in a barbershop. Take a look at these other fascinating images of riders. Read the rest of this entry ?

Posted in Photos, Rider's Issues, Topic Off-Vespa | 10 Comments »

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Rider’s Profile: Alan Welsh (a Vespa-riding amputee)

November 10, 2006

Though we wish it doesn’t exist, DISCRIMINATION still happens all around us. Abled people dscriminating against the disabled (or ‘differently-abled’, if you want to be politically correct); car drivers against motorcycle riders and vice versa. Earlier this year, there was even that article entitled “Those Menace on Two Wheels” which appeared in Top Gear Philppines which caused calls to ban the magazine among the local motorcycle community. The publisher responded to the issue and the writer eventually apologized.

Our featured rider for today is a man who got fined for parking his Vespa in the disabled parking space depite being a disabled person himself. A case of discrimination, ignorance or an honest mistake? You be the judge.

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image & info from York Press

Read the rest of this entry ?

Posted in Photos, Rider's Issues, Rider's Profile | No Comments »