The Art of Riding a Sidecar*

I can still remember the hottest issues that were stirring up both the air and television waves for two days, a coincidence may it seemed, but the headlines were stressing Sumilao farmers’ march to Malacanang for address of injustice and the president’s walk of unity -- shaking all by that same word of walking.

I haven’t seen you in a while, yet I often imagine riding with you.
I haven’t approached to you recently, but many times I hear your thoughts…

Sidecars, we used to see them along sidewalks. The people themselves are the chatters of the town. They talk, they listen, and they react absolutely to all issues regardless of their concerns. And from that very moment, they are strained to walk even without external dialogue with each other. For that, strike does not only contribute structural damages, but also disruption of habits if not destruction -- since we are mandated to take that greasy dusty walk in contradiction to our usual dose of rusty-speedy muffler ride.

For sidecar drivers, this is the perfect moment! This scenario expresses the call of their duty. A human trail as it may be viewed. The former scenery of stranded and stagnant terminal line of pedicabs has now turned into a most sought-after, box-office transporter. Some people do have a choice to walk, but for differently-abled people, for those who cannot afford to see themselves walking with slum as the side scene, for girls’ refusal to have a blush of streets’ manifold particles, or basically a far destination – apparently, this is a big no-no. These simple reasons make us realize the urgency of that phenomenal blue-collar job. There’s nothing wrong with that, but excessive conditions and fines of drivers make that line of work abusive and disturbing if not impractical.

And for those who belong to the bunch of people who have no choice but to avail their service, you can involuntarily teach yourselves or learn the art of riding a sidecar, as an option for those times when streets cannot find their wheels and aren’t considered that busy!:)

C-O-N-N-I-V-E. Connive with flow!

• Convince yourself that taking this ride is absolutely fun.

• Observe and explore other things as sidecars pass through your surrounding -- whether or not those are slum areas, whether or not those are nice views. Make yourself believe as if riding one is actually taking a new path.

• Never complain of the added factors inclusive of sidecars’ ride – pollution, etc. or else you should have taken that long and winding road! Less demanding customers are observed to be taken lesser pays and have reached their destinations safely.

• Neglect unnecessary motions from the outside, especially the bad ones.

• Increase your cheer to set good atmosphere. Since everyone is bad trip, make a difference, foster a stimulating feeling.

• Value the times when riding sidecar, take that being a pleasure, not just an alternative conveyor.

• Engage yourself with the driver, he may be abusive of fee, but he may decrease it depending upon the aura you project. (I’m not so sure if that’s regardless of your physical appearance) :)

Anyway, I find riding one amusing! (so as not to take worst craters of watery streets or else it’s regretful).

Now, let’s make sense out of these things.

For a too-far-to-walk destination, it would be wiser to ride these sidecars than to be exhausted and stressed. For the past few weeks, I have been dissatisfied, but then I learned how to be satisfied, and it’s good and fulfilling.

I realized that even simple things assume a certain degree of art, and I won’t elaborate further with that consecrated idea of art. It is the same way that I became profoundly conscious and familiar to that idea that, once you refuse to die, you don’t have the right to complain about life anymore.

Connive and have a sound happy trip!

How about with this kind of sidecar, want to go for a ride?