Traffic will always be a problem in Metro Manila, but today is just nuts. The social media hashtag #EDSApocalypse isn't an exaggeration. Given the delicate balance of Metro Manila's internal traffic situation, any road accident or detour is bound to have ripple effects across the metropolis. Opting to close a significant portion of EDSA and nearby "perpendicular" roads in line with this year's EDSA anniversary festivities is pretty much a weapon of mass destruction as far as traffic is concerned.
The announcements related to the road closures weren't very well publicized before Tuesday afternoon, but by then it was too late for people to really take in the implications. And the announcement was largely about what roads were closed with few real alternatives of where commuters should pass instead. By midnight they started to close the roads and the rest is history.
I knew getting home would be bad, but there was no real way getting around it. Between my Uber driver (at 1.8x surge rate!) and Waze, it was a weird scramble to find a way home. Waze was working overtime trying to figure out the fastest route and it kept switching from one routing option to another every few minutes or so while we crawled out of Makati proper. Eventually, we ended up taking the long way around through the Sta. Ana area to finally get home after an hour of travel. I suppose it could have been worse.
So instead of remembering the noble stand people made 29 years ago related to their rejection of then President Ferdinand Marcos and his corrupt dictatorial regime, we'll spend the day talking about the traffic situation and the fact that it wasn't even declared a national holiday. People are actually trying to get to the office despite today's traffic madness.
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