Dancing Santa lifts mood in Philippine traffic jams
PHILIPPINES: Thousands of traffic enforcers struggle grimly to
keep the Philippine capital’s notoriously gridlocked roads moving every
day, but Ramiro Hinojas does it with a smile and a little help from
Michael Jackson.
Rain or shine, seven days a week, the diminutive 55-year-old stands
in the middle of one of Manila’s major intersections, and to the
cacophony of roaring engines, puts on an elaborate dance show as he
deftly guides traffic flow.
The struts and footwork may have been copied from the King of Pop,
Hinojas’ deceased American idol, but the flare and passion by which he
mixes them with hand signals to direct amused motorists are uniquely his
own.
His sleek moves, which appear on Youtube, have made him a minor
celebrity and a champion for the country’s lowly paid traffic force that
is faced with the impossible task of trying to keep roads flowing
freely.
“It gives me joy to see people happy while they’re stuck in traffic,
because I know how the rush hour can make anyone crazy,” Hinojas told
AFP in between breaks at the main junction in Manila’s Macapagal
Boulevard.
The father of three has been adding even more spice to his routine
this month, dressing up in a Santa Claus outfit to help motorists cruise
into the Christmas season.
One of 16 children from an impoverished family in the central
Philippines, Hinojas came to live in the chaotic slums of Manila as a
boy.
He found his calling as a traffic enforcer about a decade ago when he
was laid off from his previous job as a security guard.
Hinojas said he decided to introduce the dance routines in an effort
to get motorists to take notice and follow his instructions.
“So I picked up the dance moves of Michael Jackson, and adapted them
for my routine,” he said.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the agency that
oversees traffic management in the megacity of 12 million, said it
employed about 2,000 full-time enforcers.
The number, however, could run into the many thousands, because
various districts where the MMDA does not operate also deputise their
own traffic volunteers. Hinojas is one of those deputies, and easily the
most flamboyant.
With their blue or green uniforms, the enforcers crowd small and big
intersections even when there are perfectly working traffic lights,
ready to pounce on erring speedsters who ignore the signals.
They are supposed to help out when traffic lights fail, or when
perennial floods render areas impassable.
But because some roads are so densely packed and slow moving,
vehicles often get caught by the red light in the middle of the
junction, meaning the enforcers have to take over the chaotic road
management.
AFP |