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MY car got vandalized twice last weekend. Talk about
lightning striking you twice. Though the easiest thing for me to do
is dismiss both cases as random incidents, there were disturbing
indications that said otherwise.
The first incident happened
Friday night in Quezon City. We had just finished photographing a
watering hole frequented by college students and were walking to the
roadside parking when I was informed by the watch-your-car fellow
that my right front tire was flat. I went to check it and true
enough, the tire was as flat as the Philippines’ economic growth
rate. It was quite a surprise since my tire was just two months old
and I hadn’t hit a tire-blowing rut nor felt a flat tire on the
way to the area.
Nevertheless, I simply shrugged
it off—consigning the incident to life’s many misfortunes—and
prepared to change the tire. Just as I had fixed the jack and begun
lifting the car, three men rushed to offer their help. They moved
swiftly and before I could even refuse, they had already taken over
the jack and the wrench. It was already two in the morning and
changing a flat tire was the least appealing chore to me at that
point, so I let them be. Judging by the efficiency with which they
dismounted the flat tire and mounted the spare one, I wouldn’t be
surprised if they actually worked in a tire shop.
Relieved that I could already go
home, I handed the men a handsome tip (but only because I didn’t
have a smaller bill and all I wanted was to leave the place as soon
as I could). The following day, I noticed that the valve caps on all
the tires had been removed. Also, I tried to find the spot where the
flat tire had been punctured and couldn’t locate any such spot. It
then occurred to me that I might have been victimized by con
artists. I could have actually given money to the very people
responsible for the flat tire. It sucks to have a suspicion like
this, but the worse part is that you may never be able to prove it.
Charge this one to experience.
In the afternoon of that
following day (Saturday), I went to the office and stayed there
until 9 p.m. The following morning, I had the shock of my motoring
life.
Some loser had scraped the right
flank of the car and even etched a couple of nasty words on the
doors. The poor car, which I had maintained with absolute care, was
sitting there marred with the handiwork of someone who didn’t have
the guts to walk up to me to personally give me a taste of a mean
roundhouse. I say this because I don’t think the act was random.
It looked every bit intentional and premeditated. I had been driving
different cars for more than a decade and not once had I encountered
car vandalism. And no random vandal would actually take the time to
scribble words.
I was overcome with rage, of
course. What loser would damage a lifeless car because he had a beef
with its owner? As my friend said: “It’s so juvenile.” If
you’re mad at me, at least dignify me with a solid punch to the
face so I can return the favor. I’m charging this one to
experience as well, but heaven have mercy on the culprit if and when
I find out who he is. The security department of our office building
is already reviewing footage taken by cameras installed in the
parking area.
I used to only hear or read about
these things, but you get a startling jolt once they happen to you.
It has taken just these two incidents to make me change the way I
think and behave. I’m resolving to be more mindful now of my
personal safety and security. I already know the many ways you can
grip a steering-wheel lock and the most efficient manner to swing it
so it hits the hardest. I’m not advocating violence. I am simply
being ready. Those acts of vandalism have really driven home the
point of how truly sick our world is.
But most important perhaps is the
soul-searching these incidents have caused me to immerse myself in.
After the anger has subsided, the only question I can think of now
is: “Have I wronged someone so bad that he would actually risk
legal action by destroying my property?”
Come to think of it: Those paint
scars could actually change my life forever.
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