My (un)Lucky Day!

I either had a very lucky day or a very unlucky day. I guess it depends how you want to look at it. I guess I prefer to think of it as a very lucky day, considering the unluckiness of it.

Since buying my bike, I’ve been riding to school almost every day. Today was no exception. I left my house at about 8am. Today’s elementary school is about 3km away. It’s just a short bike ride down the main road. I was gearing up for teaching my worst class and playing The Harry Potter game with my other classes. I can’t say I was particularly looking forward to going to school today, but I had no intention of doing anything else.

But I just barely made it to school and even then I only stayed 30 minutes. On my way to school, I cross lots of streets, parking lots, shops, etc. As I was passing a gas station that just happens to be at a strange intersection near a major company, I experienced every bike riders nightmare…a vehicle turning in with no intention to stop. I had a split second to make a decision. Turn into traffic—bad idea. Turn into the gas station, but the ground was wet and I didn’t have much room to stop, I’d go directly into a water ditch (1-2 m deep) because it had no guard protecting it. Slam on my breaks but on a wet surface I’d probably go flying. Or let the vehicle hit me. I let it hit me. It was horrible. It was one of the situations where you know exactly what’s about to happen, but you have no idea how it will end up. But I was fully aware of it during the approach and impact.

Luckily, I think I was able to pull my right foot out of my stir-ups in time to catch myself as it hit me from the left side. And I think just before he hit me he must have realized and slammed on the breaks. I’m not sure who was in more shock. I was standing immediately and trying to assess the bike damage. I could feel a little bit of burning on my knee and indeed it was bleeding a little. But as I did a mental check, everything else was fine. Amazing!!

The driver never apologized, maybe you aren’t supposed to for reporting purposes. But he kept asking if I was okay, and did I need to go to the hospital. And he could take me. I got his meishi, business card, got on my bike and rode to school. All I wanted was to visit my school nurse and have her check me out.

The nurse speaks some English and is always really sweet to me. She helped clean up my scratch and got the principal, who in turn got my Board of Education and supervisor on the phone. My supervisor was there in minutes. He in turn called the police and started filing a report. And called the company where the driver works and got them involved. While all this was going on in Japanese, I sat there staring at the floor trying to keep my ice on my knee.

After many phones calls it was decided that we needed to meet all parties at the scene and then I would be going to the hospital. Oh my! Was all this really necessary? I decided not to question anything, I just went along with it. If this had happened to anyone else, I’m not sure they would have gotten the same treatment, but I’m a foreigner and in situations like these, everything has to be done just so.

Going back to the scene was a bit dramatic. There were two police cars, four police officers, the man who hit me, my supervisor’s supervisor, my supervisor and me. The police asked me all sorts of questions and drew big white chalk X’s where I was hit and where I saw the vehicle. They took lots of pictures of my bike and the scene. They were measuring things. They were analyzing things. It was all very official.

Next it was off to the hospital. I was pretty sure that I was A-OK. But maybe it was necessary for the police report or insurance or something to have me checked out. Because it was just my knee that got banged up, I went to the “Orthopedic Surgery” department. It seemed a little premature, but I didn’t want to try to debate or argue the issue, especially since my supervisor and I can barely communicate anyway.

We waited 2 hours to see the doctor. I think he has seen worse. Actually, he probably was laughing when I walked out the door, “They brought her in for that?” But he sent me to x-ray. I always tell people to make sure you wear the lead apron ANYTIME you get an x-ray. But I didn’t have the energy to fight it. I got three x-rays, one was pointed up my led, directly at my head. So someday if I can’t have kids or get a tumor between my eyes, I’ll blame it on the Kurobe hospital. The doctor looked at the pictures and confirmed—I’m fine!

While we were waiting my supervisor decided I’d already missed most of my classes for the day and told me I would be taking a sick day the rest of the day! Yahoo! It wasn’t that my body was in pain, but after all the adrenaline and the shock of it, I was exhausted!!!

At home I made some comfort Mac & Cheese and drank root beer. I put in the DVD, “The Gods Must be Crazy” and laid on my couch, occasionally getting up to IM a friend sitting at their desk correcting exams!

And then the doorbell rang. It was the president of the Electric company where the man who hit me works. He handed me his meishi, and gave me a bag from Sakura Sweets, the best dessert shop around. He apologized in very polite Japanese over and over again. And said they would be buying me a new bike! WHAT!?! Oh no! I thought my bike was fine. I felt horrible. I don’t want a new bike. I don’t want people bringing me sweets. I barely skinned my knee. And I only sorta understand what he was saying.

To make an already lengthy story end more quickly….the bike shop (relatives of the Electric Company) confirmed that they had already ordered me a new bike but that my current bike was fine. I told them to cancel the order. That’s ridiculous. It’s nice of them to offer, but so not necessary. I should get my bike back tomorrow and will be back on the roads commuting again in a few days. My knee is fine. Maybe I’ll discover a few post-trauma aches tomorrow. But overall, it was a very very lucky day. I’m so thankful to have so many people in my life that are so helpful and generous. I also got pampered with fresh vegetables from a friend’s garden and I got treated to a wonderful Mexican fiesta and some more videos! Thanks every one!

I'm having problems uploading photos to blogger lately. Sorry they aren't in the text.

Bike Accident
Originally uploaded by Sistak.

Bike Accident

Bike Accident
Originally uploaded by Sistak.

Originally uploaded by Sistak.