Dear Cyclists

Last Sunday night, my family and I were in our car near Pioneer en route to EDSA when some guy on a bike hurtled out of nowhere on our righthand side and almost hit the side of our hood. Thank God my husband was able to avoid him and the rider also veered out of our way, but it was a very close call; we could've just as easily hit him.

The idiot wasn't wearing a helmet or any other safety gear, neither were there lights or reflectors on his bike. It irks me to think that if the rider had hit us straight on, we would have to pay for his hospitalization and God knows what else -- even if it was his fault! A similar incident happened to one of our friends sometime ago. A bike rider with no safety gear zoomed straight down a hill and hit the right side of his car. Our friend brought the guy -- a bloody mess -- to the nearest hospital and paid all his medical bills. He was so shocked and traumatized by what happened that he refused to drive again for a very long time.

It makes me wonder if the MMDA and traffic police flag down erring bike riders. They should; they're a hazard on wheels!

To everyone commuting on bikes, there are safety guidelines for bike riding. Please acquaint yourselves with them. Keep not just yourself, but also other motorists, safe on the road. Thank you!

Don't Be A Target for Petty Criminals

I got so close to getting mugged tonight.  I was sitting on a bench in a nearby mall while texting a reply to an important SMS.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a guy sit down on my right side at about a 45-degree angle towards me.  This shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary, except that something about the slow, purposeful way he sat down while staring at the mobile phone in my hand triggered an alarm in my head.  Maybe he thought I was too preoccupied with texting, but I could see that he was also checking out my wallet and another small gadget that I held tightly against my chest.  Too bad for him, my wallet is attached to a strap that I wear like a bracelet around my wrist.  I learned to trust my instincts long ago, so I immediately stood up and walked away quickly into the nearest store that I knew to have a security camera, hoping to discourage him from following me.

Tonight's close call reminded me of a short talk that was given by a security specialist a couple of days ago in my company.  I wish I had recorded that, but here are some of the tips that I remember from that talk: