Dealing with "Tarrible" Smokers

Parents often remind us to stay away from trouble.  Because of this advice, some Pinoys avoid compromising or difficult situations.  When an issue is considered trivial and does not directly affect oneself, they ignore (dedma) the related situation or event.

Due to our polite nature and "avoid hassle/trouble" attitude, Pinoys usually would rather suffer in silence than be combatant on what they perceive as trivial matter. However, there is a limit to such tolerance and ,when the limit is reached (kapag puno na ang salop or ,equivalently translated in English,when the cup is full), one can expect a nasty eruption or explosion of some sort.

In the crib which I currently reside and before my mother's death, four (4) out of the seven (7) residents smoke.  The non-smokers included my 91-year old mother, an older cousin and myself.  Predictably, my mother had an allergy to dust and cigarette smoke.  Thus, smokers were requested to puff cigarettes in designated areas so that the smoke will not be inhaled by the elderly.

During my college years, I smoked to relax in-between examinations. When my father died of lung cancer, I stopped the habit.  However, my air space has not been smoke-free since my sister is fearless in not kicking the habit.  Also,  I encountered smokers at work and other places. Fortunately, most of these smokers respect my breathing space.

What happens when I encounter nicotine dependents who are A-holes? With almost a perfect success rate of regaining a smoke-free zone, I have done the following: covered my nose to prevent inhaling the smoke,  coughed a couple of times to signal the smoker that he/she is polluting the air which I breathe, and moved away from the smoker.  

There were a couple of instances when the smoker followed me after I moved away from  him/her.  By doing so, the smoker cum prankster (alaskador in Filipino) who pissed me off deserved a dagger look. With such reaction, the prankster then maintained a distance.  Good thing was that I don't have to seek assistance from a security personnel or a law  enforcement officer to get rid of the nasty smoker.

As a regular Juan, I ride public utility vehicles  - jeep,  bus and mass/light railway transit MRT/LRT.  In one instance, I went to a supermarket and took the jeep to go back home.  It was the very first time that I encountered a nasty creature who attempted to smoke inside the jeep's main passengers' area. 

Before the signing of the Tobacco Regulation Act or Republic Act No. 9211, smoking in the outermost seat of the jeep's front passenger area was tolerated.  Even when the law was signed, passengers tolerate such smoking activity.  Smokers rejoiced when the former President Noynoy Aquino took office because they expected the relaxation of RA 9211 implementation ,at the least, or the law's repeal.  Thus, the bravado of the creature that I encountered in the jeep.

In his face, I told the creature not to smoke.  The creature became creative  and went to the outermost seat of the rear main passenger entrance.  Instead of throwing his butt outside, he continued smoking. I reminded him that he cannot teach direction to his cigarette smoke and the smoke will inevitably reach our breathing space.  The  remark seemed to fall on either deaf ears or low mental comprehension.

Left with a stubborn nicotine addict,  I resorted to something which I avoid as much as possible - that is, use my gadgets for legal documentation.  With my antique mobile phone, I took photos  of the smoker and recorded his excesses.  Of course, I did the shots carefully and appropriately not to invade the smoker's and other passengers' privacy.  Shame campaign is not in my agenda. 

The creature sensed my activity and threw his butt outside. But if he had persisted with his session, I was ready to use the recorded material for a complaint which I can lodge at an upcoming police checkpoint set up along the jeep's route.  

Now, I will just use the photo to prove a point - inconsistent and difficult implementation of Philippine laws.  

The tobacco regulation law was created with the best intentions and expected end results. Unfortunately, political negligence and inconsistent implementation rendered the law ineffective. I only heard in the later part of 2016 about the drafting of an Executive Order which will implement smoking restrictions.  

Last May 16, 2017, Philippine Executive Order No. 26 Providing for the Establishment of Smoke-Free Environments in Public and Enclosed Places was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte and took effect 23rd of July 2017.

Unfortunately, I still see nicotine dependents inconspicuously holding their cigarette sticks in public places and even while walking in the streets. Again, the executive order will become ineffective if people who are designated to implement the order are quite tolerant of such action or view the smoking issue as trivial.  

In the end, no law or no order can deter a person's action.  What a person does is always his/her CHOICE.  Even if smoking is hazardous to one's health, it is still the person's choice to LIVE or DIE.  What we can do is to make people aware of the law (executive order in this case) and pray that smokers choose to RESPECT the rights of others for a nicotine-free breathing space and a tar-free surrounding.  

Petty Crime on a Fat Tuesday

Going to a mall compels me to don a decent casual attire.  When I decided to buy groceries and dinner for my nonagenarian mother last February 28, 2017 which was a day prior to Ash Wednesday, I wore a dark blue Hollister shirt with a yellow-green horizontal stripe , a Da Hui Hybrid Collection short and a Penshoppe chambray slip-on shoes.  The shirt and short were given by relatives abroad while the footwear was bought from an end of season sale.

While I carried the eco bag containing the groceries in my right shoulder and a huge paper bag containing my mom's dinner in my left hand, I walked and struggled to reach the front of the Philippine Stock Exchange Building where I took the public utility jeep going to my place.  After an hour of waiting and avoiding mob-like boarding competition from other passengers, I was able to take a ride back home.

Philippine Stock Exchange

Inside the jeep, several passengers got busy in preparing and paying for their fares.  With my right hand holding my previously prepared payment, I gave my ten(10)-peso coin to a male passenger near the driver. The passenger who took my coin did not immediately give my payment to the driver. He waited for the others to hand him their fares.  To my surprise, he was giving change to selected passengers.  Afterward, he gave all the payments to  the driver.

Still being positive, I was hoping that the driver will notice an over payment of two(2) pesos and will give me my change.  Reaching my destined stop, I asked a couple of passengers immediately beside me who received my payment.  They confirmed that it was the guy wearing spectacles and maroon-like long sleeves.  Speaking of the culprit, he was also taking off at the same stop.

I was able to catch up with the "villain" and told him what's on  my mind.  "Although I would not die without receiving my two(2)-peso change and with your good intentions to facilitate payments, next time promptly hand the payments to the driver so that a passenger with excess payment can directly ask the driver for the change," I advised the dude.  The guy just froze and gave me a blank stare.  Then, I went ahead of the speechless guy.

After I told my sister about the incident, she gave a surprising twist to the story.  She asked me if the fare facilitator was an old guy.  I replied in the negative and she said an old man riding the jeeps within the area was collecting fares to avoid giving his due fare. Then, she advised me to pay the driver when the latter can  recognize my payment.  To be safe, avoid handing your fare when a couple of passengers are also making their payments.

For me, the incident was an irresponsible/inconsistent transmittal of payment.  In my sister's point of view, it was petty crime of fare theft, (I am not sure whether this is an exact example of filching which is stealing small amounts of money, properties, etc.)  The modus operandi M.O. was to act like a treasurer or conduit of fare payments of several passengers where the payments are handed to the driver in a single batch.  With the driver unable to exactly identify the paying back seat passengers, the petty thief (filcher) steals a free ride.

Why such a big deal to the extent of describing my attire?  Stealing is WRONG.  The act is aggravated by the victim(s)' economic status  Because the potential victim is wrapped in branded attire does not justify the act.  This petty crime is not like Robin Hood who had heroic intentions of stealing from the rich to benefit the poor. In my story, the real victim could very well be the jeepney driver.  The criminal has deprived the driver a well-deserved and hard-earned fare aside from reducing the purchasing power of the pensioner' cash funds (a source of my cash inflows).

Until now, I am still hoping that the dude was a careless payment facilitator.  If not, this petty criminal did not demonstrate an inch of remorse when i was giving him a piece of my mind.   Can we now say this is just a small amount of money and we should not bother? That we should only be alarmed if he takes thieving to the next level by increasing his stolen amount. Probably, we can take comfort by thinking that this was only a planned small mischievous act to signal the end of the season of excesses and the start of lent.