TIC – it had to happen.

Last Saturday, I am on my 125 scooter on a typical Beijing side road. There is one lane in each direction, as well as a bicycle lane (naturally, full of parked cars). There is also one of those white fences down the center of the road, preventing people from crossing over.

I am following a car in somewhat light traffic. We are going no more than 30 km/h. I am on the roadway (not the bicycle lane).

The car in front pulls over into a gap in the bike lane (on the right) where there are no parked cars, and slows to a near stop. It looks to me like he is parking.

I am in the left side of the through-lane and continuing on, still doing no more than 30 km/h.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the car quickly do a U-turn, about to cut right in front of me. There was a little break in the center line fence he was going to squeeze through.

At that point, I couldn’t veer left because the fence was still there, so I just hit both brakes as hard as possible, moved next to the fence (albeit a little diagonally because I was thinking I’d also head to the fence opening) and my little scoot stopped on a dime, kinda sliding me forward on the seat.

My scooter came to a full stop just into the gap in the fence, and I had to put my right leg down, but the car drove into the side of me.

The car pushed the bike sideways maybe a meter, but no big deal. The bike didn’t fall over, nor did I fall off the bike.

Something happened to my right leg, but I am not 100% sure what. I ended up with a couple of scrapes on my leg, probably from a metal bumper that surrounds my scooter. There was a lot of blood running down my leg.

Yes, you are correct – I was wearing shorts and sandals (I know, I know – dumb, dumb and dumber).

So, I am a Canadian, raised playing ice hockey. Bumps, bruises, scrapes and blood are second nature. Saw the blood, quickly checked my leg (nothing broken or sprained), and then focused on the next most important thing – was my pretty little scooter damaged? Nope, not a scratch – nothing - strange. There was a dent and scratch on the car’s driver door.

But there was a lot of blood over my shin, and getting worse. You know how that works – a little scrape that bleeds a lot … making it look much worse than it is.

Take off my full-face helmet and I could see/hear the car driver, car passengers, and the assembling crowd gasp …. omg, a foreigner! My thought – oh shit, here we go.

The driver got out and immediately began apologizing, and admitting he was at fault, although he did try to chastise me for not riding in the bike lane. Until a friend on another scooter (who had now arrived on the scene) pointed out “This is a legal scooter. He should be riding on the road, not the bike lane.” The spontaneous crowd of onlookers (judge & jury) agreed. They see the blood – I have the crowd’s sympathy.

Anyways, I told the car driver “look, there’s no damage to my bike, I have only a couple of scrapes, and I need to go clean and bandage it up, so let’s just go.”

At this point, an old woman from the crowd steps forward and tells the driver to pay up! The driver quickly pulls a few hundred rmb out and offers it. I say “no, I don’t want any money. It is fine, it was an accident, you apologized, everything is fine, and I really need to go clean up, asap.” I didn’t want blood on my fancy-shmancy leather sandals.

The old woman from the crowd, now joined by a parking lot attendant and some business-type woman, all shout in unison “you can’t leave, he has to pay!”

Again, I say “no, I don’t want any money, the guy said he was sorry. That’s good enough.” I am sensing the crowd may turn ugly on this driver. In my simple mind, the driver f’d up, he apologized, shit happens, let’s get over it.

At this point, a really old woman gets out of the passenger side of the car, her hand literally full of cash (no idea how much, but a LOT), hobbles towards me, and starts pushing the money towards me.

I back up, away from her, and keep saying “no, no, no – I don’t want money – please, I just want to leave and go clean myself up.” I’m starting to get visions of germs invading my open wounds.

The crowd was definitely not going to permit me leaving, as I motion to get back on my bike. Damn. It was becoming surreal. My scooter-friend (Chinese) tells me that I must take at least some money, and to definitely NOT just leave.

So, my scooter-friend says … “give him enough for bandages and an ice cream cone, and we’re good.” The driver insisted no less than 200. Fine, 200. I have GOT to get outta here.

Away we two scooterites went to a happy cheer from the crowd, with several thumbs-up. A short while later, cleaned & bandaged, enjoying an ice cream, life was good. I still feel bad, though, profiting from the incident (cost of alcohol, iodine, bandages, tape & enough ice cream for two was about 80 rmb).

China – never a dull day – that’s one of the things I like about living here.