Don’t cuddle and drive.
That’s the message the Philippines’ Department of Transport (DOTr) gave to an unidentified couple yesterday, whose viral video shows them hugging and smooching while one of them was driving at the same time.
The video was posted on the Facebook account of Carbrazzer.tv on Friday and shows a montage of the couple canoodling while one of them is behind the wheel. It was even set to a cover of Ed Sheeran’s Perfect for added sweetness.
The post has gone viral, with 11,600 shares, 8,400 reactions, and 2,100 comments as of posting time. The page did not say where they found the video and did not identify the couple.
At the 0:19 mark, the woman is seen letting go of the steering wheel while the car is running to kiss her significant other. Both were not wearing seatbelts.
The DOTr did not find the video romantic at all and admonished the couple for doing something so dangerous.
“Excuse me, Ma’am and Sir. We don’t want to be KJ (killjoy) and ruin your sweet moments. We understand you love each other. BUT, WE LOVE YOU TOO, AND WE WANT YOU TO BE SAFE,” it said in Filipino and English on their Facebook page yesterday.
“Because of that, we want to warn you … it’s ok to be sweet to each other as long as you’re in the right place and in the right way.”
It added: “REMEMBER: When you’re driving, you should focus on the road, not on the person you are with.”
It didn’t end there. In the comments section, the DOTr wrote: “FYI, we have sent this video to the LTO (Land Transport Office) so that they could investigate it and do the appropriate actions. Thank you.”
The LTO is responsible for issuing and revoking drivers’ license. A few weeks ago, the LTO revoked the license of a man and perpetually barred him from ever getting a license after he posted a video on Facebook showing him driving from the passenger seat.
The DOTR’s post has been shared almost 800 times and has received almost 5,000 emoji reactions, most of which were laughing. But some of the comments from netizens seemed serious.
Greg Tuzon wrote: “Everything has a time and place. Think about the repercussions of what you will do first so that you won’t get into trouble.”
Rey Dasmañas joked: “They probably want to lose their license.”
Froilan Laysico suggested to the DOTr: “It would be better if you meet them personally to warn and remind them that [getting a] driver’s license is a privilege and should not be used for something like this.”
Paloma Merese called the couple out for not wearing their seatbelts.
What do you think of this video? Tell us by leaving a comment below or tweeting to @CoconutsManila.
