Innocents gone wrong

EDSA Guadalupe area

Watch out for street children ages 11 to 15 years old in the Edsa Guadalupe area who steal from motorists when traffic is heavy. They distract the driver first by banging on the hood of the car while one of them opens the door on the driver’s side and then steals anything of value. Most of the time, their victims are taxi drivers who forget to lock the door on their side. Policemen need to be deployed to the area to stop these thieves. Good thing I lock all the doors whenever I ride in a taxi. Next time, I will ask the taxi driver to lock his door, too.—

Julieta Mariano, 53, Quezon City, Inquirer file photo ———–mabigat

Missing sidewalks

Sidewalks are for the mobility and safety of pedestrians. Through sidewalks, we need not walk on the streets, thus avoiding accidents. But there are still many sidewalks that are being used illegally by residents and business establishments. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority should continue its project demolishing sidewalk obstructions. There are still many obstructions around the metropolis. There is a five-star hotel on UN Avenue in Manila and a bank at the corner of Ayala and Gil Puyat Avenues in Makati that use the sidewalks as their driveways. Passersby are forced to walk on the street.—Jaime Perez, Pandacan, Manila

Private property?

On C. Aragon Street in Malate, Malate, there is a bamboo pole that serves as a street barrier. There is a man seated on a nearby stool who lowers or raises the pole to let vehicles pass. I wonder why this is allowed considering that the area is not a subdivision or gated community or even private property.—Linda, 45, Manila