After a video of two men playing badminton along the North Luzon Expressway amid heavy Holy Week traffic went viral, authorities of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, its operator, warned that stepping out of one’s vehicle to play badminton (or any other non-mobility related activity, really) was prohibited.
The video, originally posted by Nays Martin Baoec to Facebook, shows two men taking out rackets and a shuttlecock and playing just outside their car.
Due to slow heavy traffic, motorists play badminton to pass the time
by u/alloutrockstar in Philippines
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, one of the men in the video said that he and his companion were on the way to the Ilocos region for a vacation, an 8-hour drive from Manila.
The game lasted for about 20 minutes, he added.
Metro Pacific said that the incident occurred Easter Sunday on April 9, when a vehicle that caught fire along the Candaba viaduct caused the traffic jam.
“We immediately closed the lanes near the burning tank truck for the safety of motorists. When the traffic was at full stop these motorists alighted from their vehicles and did these unsafe acts. They would definitely be stopped had we seen them, but our personnel were focused on responding to the emergency situation to ensure everyone’s safety,” Metro Pacific said in a statement.
