Rain Season = Accident Season

… or so it would seem.

Yesterday, my Best Buddy Bike and I had an encounter with a slim, tall guy at the park. None of us left unharmed.
On my way to school, I nearly got run over by a car.
On my way back from school, I saw something I have yet to see in Japan; a car accident. A pretty gnarly one too, it seemed.

Now, let’s go chronologically.

Yesterday, my day off from school, I was on my bike around noon, heading for the school’s gym. When I’m in no particular hurry, I like to take a path that goes through a few parks. And there, at the side of the path stood a tall, skinny fellow, just waiting for my approach. Didn’t move a muscle.
I looked down at my leg as something had clung onto it (I believe it was a worm or something), reached my hand down to brush it off, and the moment I look up… “Shit…!”

The next thing I realize is a collision, pain in my left hand, shin and foot, and seeing my bike lying about a meter in front of me…

Okay, okay, I admit, I’m making it slightly more dramatic than what was actually the case. But I made it sound pretty good, no?

So here’s what really happened.
I was on my way on my bike, on a park path. Reaching down to remove the worm (or whatever is was) on my leg was no lie. However, the fact is that when I looked up, it was indeed a tall, skinny “fellow” who stood waiting for me.

Nasty fella.

Anyways, I looked up after brushing off my leg, and when I looked up, I had drifted slightly to the left, heading straight for this lamp post. Still steering with only one hand, my left, making a right turn was rather difficult. Most of you should know. If you notice, making a left turn was only likely to cause a similar, probably even bigger crash, as there’s a pretty deep gutter.

SO – I just managed to steer the wheel away from the pole… yet the basket in the front hit, my hand got jammed, and left foot smashed into the pole along with my lower leg, and the bike ended up on its side… however, miraculously, I landed on my feet. I somehow got off the bike before it crashed, and only took a few tumbling steps, before realizing what had happened.

But would you know, just after the crash, I looked to my left, and 10 meters away from me passed a lady – without giving me as much as a glance. She could not possibly have avoided seeing me. I don’t know if she’s just shy or if it’s because I’m a foreigner… maybe she thought she wouldn’t ask to my well-being because I was seemingly okay. I don’t know.

So that was accident one.
Accident two is really uninteresting, as I didn’t see the accident when it happened, but just the outcome. However, Japanese police apparently lay out emergency flares on the road at such times.

Accident three wasn’t really an accident, but yet again my idiocy by bike, unraveling in traffic.
I was on my way to school, and needed to cross a small intersection.
”I can JUST make it..!” I thought to myself as the lights were about to shift.
I look at the lights, which are still red, then swing out in front of a waiting car… and then it starts to move.

I’m such an idiot. Well, obviously he didn’t move at high speed, and stopped before hitting me, but I had to look back and give an apologetic nod to the driver. Embarrassed much.