14 Signs You’re A Certified ‘Kamote’ Driver

They’re everywhere.

You can see them behind the wheel of a luxurious Chrysler 300C, or zipping through traffic on a two-wheeler. They may drive vehicles with varying engine displacements but at the end of the day (or the road), they’re all cut from the same malevolent cloth.

Kamote Driver

They have a reckless disregard for the law and think they’re reign supreme over their fellow drivers. People speak of them using different names, but we’ve found the perfect way to describe their road intelligence.

Ladies and gentlemen, they are your kamote drivers. No offense to delectable sweet potatoes.

Your kamote driver is the scum of the road. They don’t just spew countless cuss words and flip flocks of birds, they also endanger the lives of pedestrians and other motorists. And guess what? They don’t care.

If you can identify with these items, then, unfortunately, you are one of them. Thankfully, being a kamote driver is not a permanent condition and you can actually do something to correct your errant ways.

1. You go beyond the solid yellow line and drive against traffic

In one of our previous articles, we explained what a yellow line on the road means. Need a refresher? It means passing is prohibited even if the opposite lane of traffic is clear.

If you paid attention to your driving school classes or driver’s license examination, then you should know about this already. Follow it.

2. You change lanes/turn without signaling

See that small lever behind your steering wheel? There’s an actual use to it; the turning signal helps drivers know if they will either slow down or change lanes to accommodate you.

Without using the turn signals, there is a huge chance of you getting T-boned by an oblivious driver because he doesn’t know you’re turning.

3 . You floor the gas every chance you get

No matter how highly you regard yourself, you’re no Dominic Toretto or that suave unnamed driver played by Ryan Gosling in Drive.

Our roads, even when they’re surprisingly empty, aren’t your playground where you can go beyond speed limits. Mind the speed limit, it’s safer and you will also save on fuel.

4. You ask someone to save a parking spot for you by standing in it

The parking lot is a game of shark and minnow: If the complex is full, you have circle back, scout for cars that are about to leave, and wait for the perfect time to swoop in and claim the spot.

It is not illegal to make someone save a parking slot for you, but it’s frowned generally upon. If you do this, just make sure you have earplugs to protect your hearing from a flurry of horns.

5. You disregard PWD signs

You know those slots close to a wheelchair ramp or parking spots with a persons with disability (PWDs) sign? They are meant to cater to people with special needs.

If you impede the PWDs accessibility, then you must be a special kind of mean and stupid.

6. You occupy bike lanes

Cities like Marikina are a haven for bikers, with local governments dedicating small lanes on the outermost side of the lanes for cyclists. However, you’ll still often see drivers trying to cut off other cars through designated bike lanes.

More wheels don’t equate to more rights on the road. Why don’t you become a productive member of the society like those bikes and give them the space they deserve?

7. You block pedestrian lanes before intersections

Why would you even do this? For starters, they’re preceded by a solid horizontal line that signal that cars should make a full stop before the crossing.

In addition, hogging that portion of the road before an intersection doesn’t give you an advantage when your lane gets the green light. Stop inconveniencing pedestrians and stay behind the ped xing.

8. You don’t give way to other drivers

If you slept your way through getting a driver’s license, here’s a little refresher: that inverted triangle with thick red outline means you must let other vehicles proceed.

If you don’t follow this sign, chances are you’ll be causing traffic to other lanes or you’ll get in a collision with other cars. Do you really want that?

9. You zoom past the yellow light

It takes some extraordinary guts and foolishness to think that you can make to the other side of the intersection on the yellow light.

Speeding your way through a yellow light is dangerous and reckless since traffic lights have different intervals. Here’s a little mantra: when it’s yellow, start to mellow.

10. You tailgate emergency vehicles

Although kamote motorcycle riders are more notorious about this, some daring car owners do this as well.

When an emergency vehicle like ambulance or fire truck approaches from behind, just give way and do not, under any circumstances, tailgate it. You can be slapped with a fine and there’s a chance you might end up in an ambulance yourself—or worse—a black Cadillac.

11. You brake-check other motorists

Brake checking is rude. Period. People who do this are merely man-babies who have fragile egos and small…brains.

If someone cuts you, don’t turn this to a contest. Live and let live. Remember that brake checking can cause the other party to swerve and lose control of his car, causing an accident. Do you really want that on your conscience?

12. You take up more than one parking space

No matter what size of vehicle you drive, you have absolutely no right to hog two or more parking slots for your car.

Occupy only one lane and let others have the chance to park. Being afraid of getting your car scratched isn’t an excuse to deprive other people of precious parking spaces.

13. You take pictures of your dashboard while speeding

You must be so full of yourself to think that people care if you’re doing a 140 on NLEX.

If you want to endanger yourself, then do it in a place where you cannot jeopardize other people’s safety. No one cares about your top speed so stop taking pictures of it.

14. You equip your car with blinkers

Drivers install blinkers to their cars to feign police authority—and it’s sad and pathetic to see them try to make themselves important to other motorists.

If you think people respect or fear you because of those flashing lights, then you’re wrong. You should feel bad about yourself. You’re not important and with that mindset, you’ll probably never be.

Sources:

https://www.topgear.com.ph/moto-sapiens/motorcycle-feature/10-signs-kamote-rider-a44-20180508

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/08/27/dont-tailgate-emergency-vehicles-mmda/

http://www.ba-bamail.com/content.aspx?emailid=25200

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/03/19/dela-rosa-tells-men-to-go-after-politicians-vehicles-with-sirens-blinkers-led-lights/

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/03/19/dela-rosa-tells-men-to-go-after-politicians-vehicles-with-sirens-blinkers-led-lights/

https://www.topgear.com.ph/moto-sapiens/motorcycle-feature/motorcycle-occupy-parking-slot-cars-a44-20180705