infiniteperspective.net

The motorcycle. Ah, what an indispensable modern-day convenience! Compared to four-wheeled vehicles, it has its own distinct advantages. For one, it’s cheaper by a long shot. Those of us in the upper level of the poverty line can at least afford to buy or loan one. It’s also more economical to use. With the rising gasoline prices nowadays, a fifty peso tank refill can at least get us to the market and back (albeit when I was in college, it used to get me all over the place for three days). Last but not the least, the motorcycle is traffic-resistant. With a skilled defensive driver, the single MC can easily swerve past rows of cars, easy rides and pedicabs jammed in our narrow city streets, and get us to our destination faster with time left to spare. Indeed, the motorcycle combines the ease of a bicycle and the speed of a car in one sleek and useful package.

Yet, with all its virtues, there is one thing that the motorcycle sorely lacks: It does not protect its riders from the elements. Heat, wind, rain, dust and smoke—the brunt of all these have to be borne by its riders. Add to this list suicidal street dogs madly dashing through the highways, drunken or otherwise stoned pedestrians and/or drivers, and reckless or imprudent drivers in general, who make life miserable and downright dangerous to the majority of decent and courteous motorcycle-riding public in this city.

Things being already as they are, we who ride our single MCs everyday have to deal, and our coping mechanisms have resulted to some rather peculiar scenes from the motorcycle:

1. The Masks. I don’t recall the Dumaguete motorcycle riders in my youth wearing masks. Back then, masks—whether they were surgical types, gauze ones or the wash-and-wear kinds—were only worn in hospitals. Not now. The increasing number of vehicles plying our city streets and the growing incidence of smoke belchers have made masks a necessity to the MC riders, especially to those of us whose lungs are too weak to take on all the pollution.

2. The “Hand” Mask. In the absence of a mask, the hand shall suffice. It looks quite peculiar at first, but on hindsight, I think this position not only makes for protection from dust and pollution, it also makes for safety: The backrider covers his or her own mouth and nose with her right hand and uses his or her left hand to shield that of the driver’s, leaving the driver free to maneuver the vehicle.

3. The Arm Gloves. Sunscreen just won’t do. The more enterprising entrepreneurs noticed darkened arms of the poor motorist since they are the body parts most exposed to the sun’s heat, and decided to make arm gloves. They look like regular gloves, except they’re longer (arm-length) with open ends at the knuckles (perhaps keeping the knuckles unwrapped helps motorists retain their grip on the throttle). At sixty pesos, they sell like hotcakes not only to single MC drivers, but to pedicab drivers as well, who only utilize one glove to protect their exposed left arm. Those without arm gloves improvise by inserting both arms into long-sleeved polos in much the same way that doctors would when they touch babies inside incubators.

4. The Overturning Umbrellas. When it rains, motorcyclists can either seek shelter and wait when the downpour stops before continuing their journey or go on regardless of the shower. The more prepared of us, however, readily open the handy umbrellas we’ve brought along. Most of the time, our tight grip would prove no match for the fury of the wind, which would cause our multi-colored, multi-sized sunshades to overturn, resulting in a rather comical scene of a man (or woman) fighting with an umbrella to the delight of other riders and pedestrians.

5. The Motorcycle Raincoat. Raincoats come in all shapes and sizes, but the most ingenious ones are those especially made for motorcycle riders. A long time ago, single MC riders had to contend with getting their lower extremities wet when the rainy season comes around. That was when raincoats were still cut a tad too short at the knees. Now, however, they are cut long enough at the front to protect the driver’s arms and legs from getting wet. Others are big enough to “hide” the backrider.

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