I decided a subject line like "new helmet" was more innocuous than
something like "another crash," "bent rim," or "no concussion" ...
If I hadn't had a helmet it simply would have hurt a hell of a lot
more. As it is I merely feel like I walked into a low ceiling. I was
going slowly enough that, even helmetless, I doubt I would have gotten
a concussion despite flipping over the handlebars, going completely
over the bicycle and rider that I struck, and possibly having done a
complete flip (I was busy working on the relax and be loose technique
of not hurting oneself too badly in a crash to keep track).
I'd just come down off of Renmin Bridge which is where I usually start
picking up speed because I get out of the traffic light zone and into
the high speed traffic area with a tail-wind. However, I was still
feeling stiff and sore post race, post hiking, and post swimming. I
wasn't up for going fast. Had no intention of going fast. Was doing
no more than 22kph.
Now, before anyone says anything about Chinese traffic suggestions,
northbound busses in southbound bike lanes, and how stupid of me it was
to not be paying full attention to what was in front of me, I was about
to execute a merge across four lanes of high speed traffic on a main
road with a posted speed limit of 70kph. I was looking behind me at
the cars. There was no reason on earth to assume that anyone could
possibly be so stupid to be riding a bike across that highway in what
was more or less the wrong direction with traffic coming at them and
somehow manage to be in front of me just as I turned back.
But someone was.
And that someone had no money.
One needed only to look at him to know that my shoes cost more than
everything he was wearing and his bike.
So, despite the cops finding him at fault, and wanting him to pay half
the replacement cost of my front rim (since they also found me at fault
for riding on the car road), he couldn't come up with that much.
Instead of 100 rmb, he was able to come up with 50 rmb ... at which
point me, Ah Hua, and the customer he'd been with when I called got
into a politeness-fight with the cop because the cop wanted to be nice
to his country's foreign guest and pay the rest out of his own pocket.
In addition to the front rim being bent beyond repair, I somehow
managed to rip up the sidewall of my newest rear tire (which is,
thankfully, someone else's second hand front tire) and bang my
cellphone hard enough that I'm having problems hearing people clearly
(though that is probably just a loose connection).
I did not go to the hospital though the option is still there.
Despite being at fault and being in a situation where he could have
seriously hurt me or been killed himself if I'd been a motorcycle the
guy who caused the accident wanted me to pay him for the scrape on his
leg, banging up his front basket, and spilling his dinner! So, by the
time the arguing (with the cops) was over and done with I'd had more
than sufficient time to do a full self examination of all the ouchy
bits.
That plus a quick check in the mirror at the bike shop to make sure my
pupils were the same size, having Ah Hua shine a flashlight (actually a
headlight) in my eyes to make sure they were dilating at the same rate,
and mostly sitting around to make sure I wasn't suddenly very sleepy or
very confused were enough to be pretty sure.
For the first hour or two after the accident I was having some problems
with speaking Chinese where I kept saying the wrong word and knowing it
was the wrong word but having problems making the right one come out
.... jian cha (examination) for jing cha (police), waisheng (grandson)
for jie'er (nephew) (though that was still the wrong word cause Little
Tiger's dad is one of my adopted big brothers, not a big sister) ...
and repeatedly confusing the numbers three and five but that has, by
now, gone away.
My helmet is going to be on display next to the new helmets. The last
time someone crashed badly enough to trash a helmet he still ended up
with half of his face being swollen black and blue. All I've got is a
mild headache.
-M