A driver who honked at a pedestrian walking in McKinley Hill in the Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City apologized for his actions after getting called out by social media users.
A Facebook user on Wednesday, January 15, raised awareness about a driver who honked at a male pedestrian crossing the road in McKinley Hill, Bonifacio Global City, on Saturday, January 11.
The driver explained that they were on their way to an event when they encountered a foreigner who allegedly “slammed” their car.
“I just gave him a very mild honk as we [sic] was walking too slow and with that, he gave me the finger and punched my door… wow, just wow!” the driver explained in a now-unavailable post on Threads.
The post, along with the dashcam footage of the incident, was shared by a Facebook user to a public group “How’s your byahe, bes?”
“Wow, just wow!” the online user commented.
In the video, the driver is seen approaching a pedestrian crossing after a yellow box.
As a foreigner crosses, the driver honks and mutters, “Ang bagal naman ni sir.”
The foreigner is seen giving him a finger. Later, a thud can be heard in the video, causing the driver to exclaim profanities.
The driver eventually discovered the foreigner had “punched” his car door.
He was called out by online users of Threads and Facebook following the post, who told him that pedestrians in crossings should never be honked at.
“Who [in] the right mind would honk on people na nasa pedestrian lane,” a user on Threads wrote.
“Sa totoo lang, bakit ka bubusina sa pedestrian crossing? Ano gusto mo, tatakbo ‘yung tao tumatawid kapag nakita dadaan ka? We should give priority sa mga tao nasa pedestrian crossing, mag-exam ka [ulit] sa LTO kung may doubt ka sa sinabi ko,” a Facebook user wrote.
“Luh, eto talaga pinaka ayoko, ‘yung dadaan ka sa tamang tawiran tapos ikaw pa mali at bubusinahan. Haaaaaaaaaaay. Sana talagang matuto siya after this,” another online user commented.
“Tumatawid siya sa tamang lane. Hahaha, sana alam lahat ng drivers na priority lagi ang pedestrians,” another Pinoy wrote.
The driver took to Reddit to apologize for his actions.
“I just want to apologize to everyone who’ve because of my actions last Saturday. I deserve the man’s middle finger and the ‘b*bo, kupal, t*nga, kamote’ comments from all of you,” he wrote on the r/Gulong subreddit on Monday, January 13.
“I promise to be a better driver and citizen. Madami na din nagpangaral sa akin, including my wife, friends, relatives and colleagues. Would you all be kind enough to forgive me? Thanks, everyone, and this is a big lesson learned (the hard way) for me,” the driver added.
He was later lauded for taking accountability and owning up to his mistake as a driver.
“If only more Filipinos have this sense of accountability. Kudos,” a Redditor commented.
“If this really is you, then good for you. You don’t need anyone’s (especially here in Reddit) forgiveness or approval, but I’m glad you’re able to acknowledge your own mistake. Self-improvement always begins with self-awareness,” another Redditor wrote.
Others reminded fellow motorists to be always considerate of pedestrians regardless of the situation.
“Always consider pedestrians as the ‘unprotected’ road users. Always yield. Kahit mali sila sa pagtawid, still yield. The consequences, otherwise, aren’t worth it. Driving where I am, if they see somebody, kahit malayo pa lang, about to cross, they automatically stop. People can cross without even looking left or right,” a Redditor said.
“Good man, OP [original poster], for the self-reflection and accountability. May life grant you more patience sa daan,” the online user added.
The BGC has a “pedestrians first” policy that all motorists in the district are expected to follow.
It ensures that residents and workers are “safe and secure” when crossing its streets.
The district also has some signal lights with signage encouraging pedestrians to report malfunctioning or defunct ones.
ALSO READ: Pedestrian crossing in intersection at BGC rammed by SUV | ‘Community safety is top priority’: BGC addresses viral pedestrian ramming incident
The Land Transportation and Traffic Code also states that drivers “shall yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing such highway within a crosswalk,” except on intersections manned by traffic lights or a traffic enforcer.
Meanwhile, pedestrians crossing on highways within business or residential districts without crosswalks are supposed to give the right of way to vehicles.
Pedestrian crossings are usually marked with white lines across the road where people can safely walk. It also serves as a visual reminder to drivers to anticipate foot traffic.
