Much ado about nothing?

Recently, a female moto vlogger got herself in hot water after posting a controversial video on her Facebook account. In said video, she was berating a pickup driver for allegedly driving recklessly while sharing the road with her. The video became so viral that “road rage” was the hot topic in motoring late last month.

Unfortunately for her, the viewers didn’t side with her. First of all, observers were quick to point out that her motorcycle didn’t have side mirrors. Then there was the matter of her trying to overtake on the right side of the pickup, which was obviously unsafe.

Now, nearly one month later, the Land Transportation Office has handed down its verdict. The penalty for her deed? P5,000 for operating a motorbike without side mirrors, and P2,000 for reckless driving.

All this brouhaha for essentially nothing? Sure, her license was “suspended.” But this can easily be reversed. From the LTO:

Her driver’s license was also suspended until such time that she complied with the order of the LTO to surrender the motorcycle she used during the viral road rage incident, which she admitted to be not hers.

To us, the bigger offense in all of this is the invasion of privacy

To us, the bigger offense in all of this is the invasion of privacy. In creating and publishing the video, the moto vlogger humiliated the pickup owner. She did not blur his face, and the pickup’s license plate was there for everyone to see. In fact, she refused to take down the post in spite of the public’s outcry for her to do so. A classic example of a social media “personality” who only cares about the clicks and the views (oh, and yes, the monetization).

So…yeah, the LTO has disappointed us again. All the agency could do was slap her with a P7,000 fine—which, by the way, is peanuts compared to what vloggers make in the social-media game.

Will this force moto vloggers to toe the line, or will this further embolden them to continue their viral shenanigans? You tell us.