"I may not agree with the words that you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"-Voltaire

Yesterday was no ordinary day for the residents of Quezon City who passed by the so-called killer highway, the Commonwealth Avenue, also regarded as the widest highway in the metropolis. It was not an ordinary day especially for those who woke up early for their Sunday activities and work, waiting for buses and FX to go to their respective destination. I was coming from Batasan that day, then patiently waiting for the FX at around 6:30 in the morning for my Sunday class. Oblivious then to whatever event the City was sponsoring that day, I was wondering why it took me almost an hour to wait given that it was Sunday, a different Sunday compared with the regular Sunday routine I have every time I go to school. Until I found out that it was the 3rd Quezon City International Marathon.

This event paved the way, seriously it had drastically made the Commonwealth Avenue an irritating highway that day. The other side of the avenue was exclusively used for the marathon, the right side going to Fairview, leaving the left side crowded of vehicles coming from both directions. Heavy traffic awaited the motorists and commuters. It was awesome, really awesome! The experience was worse than the traffic situation during the State of the Nation Address. Yeah, it was an international event that’s why the Quezon City government had to close the other side of the avenue to give way for the running enthusiasts who participated in in the said “international” marathon amidst a rainy morning.

The hell for that! The inconvenience and other social and economic effects the event had brought to many commuters that time were immesurable, and therefore cannot be underestimated by the organizers of the said marathon. Commuters who came in late to their Sunday work would dare say, why should we close the other side of the Commonwealth Avenue, why not just the half lane so that heavy traffic would not arise. Students like me who went to school that day (I was late more than 30 minutes for my exam) would also complain for the same. Now I was thinking of the social and economic damages inflicted upon commuters and motorists that time, compared with the benefits derived from the conduct of that one day event, which was the proximate cause of heavy traffic as a direct consequence of the closing of Commonwealth Avenue. After all, in my humble opinion, we should not use highways and major thoroughfares for events like marathon. There should have a proper place for the conduct of such event.

Our streets, highways, and major thoroughfares like the Commonwealth Avenue were primarily designed to provide safe and easy access of mobility and means of transport. Often our lives are in the highways waiting for buses, FX, taxi, among others, to and from offices, schools, church, home…A little late in our appointments would mean a lot. That’s why, we also urge a responsible use of these spaces, and when we say “responsible” we mean that we use these highways and thoroughfares not at the expense of millions of commuters out there.

Local governments should find ways to provide for proper spaces for the conduct of activities like ‘marathon.’ Not in our major thoroughfares please!