wow this blog is stagnant

yes it is

i'll post soon, hopefully

15.97km/L

my hypermiling has paid off! I have successfully raised my fuel economy to almost 16km per liter, my best so far for city driving.

*Sora is a Hyundai Getz 1.5 Diesel CRDi

60kph speed limit at Commonwealth is not the solution

Ok, i've been wanting to shout this out for a very long time: A 60kph speed limit at Commonwealth is not the solution!

It is a known fact that the whole stretch of Commonwealth avenue in Quezon City is very dangerous, hence the media dubbing it the "killer highway". The stats say 2 people die everyday by vehicular accidents. So the MMDA imposed a 60kph speed limit to make the highway safer.

60 fucking kilometers per hour. On an 18 lane highway. Wanna know why i think it's ridiculous?

• Commowealth is a highway, and the widest highway in the country at that. Even smaller roads in Metro Manila and in the US have higher speed limits.
• The newer cars today run more efficiently at higher speeds. Take for example Sora. RPM at 60kph is too high for 4th gear but too low for 5th gear. It's stressful for the engine and bad on fuel consumption. Most cars today run efficiently at the 70-80kph range. Also, try going at 60kph on a clear stretch of this highway.
• The reason why there are a lot of accidents is not because of speed. It's because of:

1. Swerving. Buses and jeeps suddenly weaving in and out of their lanes to pick up and drop off passengers. Special mention to drivers who aren't patient enough to take the next U-turn slot and merge to the right carefully, instead take the U-turn directly across the place they're going to, then cross perpendicular to up to 9 lanes.
2. Undisciplined motorcyclists. These people are the very reason why the death by accident rates are so high. They are also part of the reason why the speed limit was imposed. And what's ironic is that they're the ones disobeying the speed limit most of the time. Apparently to them, using a motorcycle gives you the right to pass dangerously between cars, counter-flow and spill over to the opposite lane, and move through traffic in a beeline.
3. Pedestrians that do not know how to use a freaking overpass. Need i say more? People crossing directly under an overpass; People standing right under a "Bawal Tumawid. May namatay na dito" sign at the center island waiting to cross, sometimes with children in tow. I understand the extra effort it takes to climb up, cross, and get down an overpass. I have been commuting for 7 years through all kinds of tranportation (walking 1km, taking a tricycle, riding a jeep, taking the MRT, riding a bus, then walking another 500 meters; one way) almost everyday; and i have always used the overpass/underpass no matter how clear the street was and no matter how tired i was. A little effort goes a long way. You reduce your chances of death, and you reduce the stress you put on drivers who have to play patintero with you when you cross the road.
4. Few overpasses, shitty overpasses. One acceptable reason for #3 is that there simply is no overpass near enough for you to cross. The MMDA and QC government should instead focus on building more overpasses, rehabilitating old ones, and making these overpasses safer by good lighting and possibly 24/7 guards.
5. Enforcement and the MMDA's "no-contact policy". With the sorry state of the MMDA's equipment, tools, and vehicles; the speed limit can't be enforced effectively. Yes they have their radar speed guns to check speeds, but pointing it and checking speeds manually by hand still has human intervention and may be prone to bias, allowing a lot of other speeding motorists to get away with it. Also, how can they prove a speeding violation? Unless they can accurately and clearly take a picture of both your car and the radar speed gun showing your speed as it captured it (plus ensuring that the speed captured was indeed yours), this can be easily refuted.

I urge the MMDA to raise the speed limit to even just 70kph

Mr. Big Live in Manila

Finally, the newly reunited Mr. Big will be here in Manila! I already got tickets!

It's wallscratching time!

Check out my latest jazz fusion jam, Wallscratcher!

3rd track at my soundclick player!