Guadalupe bridge terrorists

This message is not supposed to cause terror but to disturb you to do something about this incident.

My co-workers were driving home down EDSA crossing Guadalupe Bridge past 6 PM awhile ago. I usually drop my co-workers on the way to help them get home faster at least. We just made it to the initial section of the bridge plying on the fourth lane of five when all of a sudden I saw three very young men (in their early twenties or late teens) rough up a chubby middle-aged young professional. In a very swift moment, the taller person put a knife around his neck of the unsuspecting man while his two other companions started grabbing the man's rear and side pockets of his pants. The only word I could utter from the initial moment it happened was, "Uy, yon o!"

I motioned to the direction where the incident was happening and all three of my companions were alarmed. I started rolling down the passenger side windows and we were about to yell out to alarm other motorists. I tried to veer my car to the right but a passenger bus blocked my way. It was frustrating. All we could do at that moment was to hope for some bus passengers to do something but we don't know anymore.

We were stunned and shocked.

The man - as I still remember his facial expression - was bearing a grin as if to say, "okay, you got me. Do whatever you want just don't hurt me." He was resigned to his fate. He couldn't do anything. He was in a head-lock from behind and a knife stuck in his throat. He couldn't do much because the three thieves could either cut his throat, push him off the bridge, push him to the road and be run over by buses, or a combination of any these. It was a no-win situation. Poor guy.

I'm not surprised by this act but at the same time I feel so much anger and frustration inside This is the third of this incident I've heard and have now seen in a matter of two weeks. A week before this incident, our messenger nearly got his throat cut when three men tried to get his mobile phone. It's the same operation. Two or three days before this phone-stealing thing happened, a co-worker of ours who was walking down the same path got his wallet stolen with the same style of heist.

Can you help? Do you know anyone who works for the Makati or Mandaluyong City Halls? City police? Can we have more policemen guard civilians walking through this bridge? Can't civilians walk freely along this section of the bridge without being terrorized by muggers or thugs? Can you do something to help? All of us earn our keep and we should not be terrorized by these people who only have regard for their motives.

***The image above is the section of the bridge where these terror-thieves prowl and strike unsuspecting civilians.***

CREDITS: Thank you to Alfredo Camba, Jr. for this picture.

Cherry Foodarama's woeful customer service policies

I didn’t know having a pen and paper would get you into so much trouble in Cherry Foodarama, Mandaluyong. My wife and I were at this supermarket at around 8 pm, last night (March 24), to survey the cheapest diaper brand in the market, it’s no joke buying costly disposable stuff.

While doing our survey, we were accosted by a plain-clothes security personnel. Apparently, Cherry do not want you to list things in a piece of paper. It can be misconstrued as spying. But are we spying in the context of the word, "spying"?

We got into a heated argument. Finally, with my wife’s prodding, I cooperated and went with him to see the operations manager. In full view of the shoppers that evening, I wasted no time telling them that it is the consumer’s right to know how they can save. I questioned their policies and line of questioning that seemed to point that we’re there to do their store harm. I belabored that point that price spying is the least of retailers’ problems in the today’s society. To win customers, it’s customer service – for crying out loud.

In all of this, I was already furious, tight-lipped, and was red in anger. The man apologized and I advised them to do something more to protect their customers. This is no ‘Marcosian’ world we live in now where people are made to be afraid of doing freely what will protect them in this gloomy economy.

Here are more thoughts for Cherry Foodarama: Did you train your security personnel (agency) to see what was written in the paper I was writing on? Did you tell your security agency and advised them to ask questions first and find out what we were doing? What warrants your security personnel’s actions to order us follow him – like Cherry owns us or something? That was rude. If indeed we were doing something wrong (and obviously not) then the best your security personnel should’ve done is to warn or to advise us for guidance.

How embarrassing, Cherry Foodarama. Your customer service policies are a shame. It's Drakonian and out-of-touch.