Black cars

"Guwapo eh."

That was the reply of a young dude when I asked him why he opted for black upon deciding on his car's color when it's a pretty well-known fact that black vehicles figure in road accidents more often than non-black ones.

So, "guwapo" eh? Since I've noticed the past two or three months that there seems to be an increasing number of black vehicles (sedans, SUVs...) on Metro Manila's streets -- at least during those hours that I'm on the road -- does that mean more and more people subscribe to this belief? I certainly hope not! And while we're at it, let me point out that it seems a pretty logical expectation that anybody whose vehicle of choice is a black one not be surprised by near-collisions, bumps, dents, and lots of honking at him/her especially while driving at night. Also, due to this logical expectation, it would follow (the way I see it) that anybody who drives a black vehicle would take it upon himself to drive more cautiously and not increase the chances of figuring in an accident by driving as if he were designated SuperManic Driver of the Month.

Admittedly, I've had my scrapes (metaphorically speaking) with black cars on account of the "King of the Road" driving style of the other party, so when I saw this curious-looking black Honda parked somewhere near our home, I was touched. I seriously doubt that the owner had road safety in his mind when he decided to have the car reworked to its current appearance, but it sure does the job! One could spot it a mile away! Whoever you are, hats off to you! :-)