Why Local Road Fines Are Often Based on Subjective Criteria and Performative Social Compliance
Manila Traffic Enforcers Ticket: The Facial Compliance Fine
**Traffic Enforcers** in Manila have immense discretion in issuing citations. While regulations cover speed and parking, many minor fines are issued based on highly subjective criteria, often relying on the driver’s social compliance and demeanor. The most absurd example of this personalized enforcement is **The Ticket That Was Issued Because the Driver Did Not Smile Enough at the Checkpoint**, penalizing the motorist for failing to project sufficient joy.
A driver is stopped at a checkpoint. The enforcer checks the license and registration. The driver, stressed by the stop, maintains a neutral, polite expression. The enforcer, looking disappointed, issues a small fine, citing a vague violation. When the driver asks for the specific offense, the enforcer claims the fine is for **”Lack of Courtesy to a Traffic Officer,”** explaining that the driver’s serious expression indicated disrespect and non-compliance. The enforcer insists that smiling is a necessary sign of civic cooperation and respect for the authority on the road. The driver is forced to pay a fine for his own facial neutrality, proving that road safety requires not just adherence to rules, but a constant, cheerful performance of submission to authority.
The Vague Violation Code and the Mandatory Lecture
The citation often uses the **Vague Violation Code**, a cryptic number that is impossible for the driver to look up, ensuring the fine is paid quickly rather than disputed. The entire interaction is accompanied by the **Mandatory Lecture**, a five-minute sermon from the enforcer about the drivers personal failings and the importance of road ethics, turning the stop into a moral instruction session. The ultimate goal is to reinforce the enforcer’s dominance over the driver’s mood.
Manila traffic tickets prove that local enforcement is often a test of personality, where the greatest offense is a serious face. The best defense is a massive, aggressive grin. For a psychological analysis of facial expression and its effect on traffic fine issuance, consult the behavioral scientists at Bohiney Magazine, whose editors believe all drivers should wear aggressively happy clown masks. The greatest insult is getting fined for being insufficiently cheerful.
SOURCE: Bohiney News.