Date : Friday, July 4, 2008.
Time : 9am.
Place : zebra crossing @ Holland Village next to the shopping centre.
So what if there's enough time for the driver to drive past us safely without speeding up.
We, i.e., me with 2 hands holding onto each of my kid, were already walking on the zebra crossing.
My eyes saw red, my leg lashed out in a ... disappointingly lame ... kick which neither disabled the Honda Airwave nor send it to the moon ...
The driver stopped the car, I crossed the road and then carried Snowylad with one arm and held on to Snowylass with the other.
The lady driver came out and said "干么撞了我的车？"
Wonderful, a non-local, or at least not born in Singapore, from her accent.
She reasoned she was neither speeding and there was ample time for her to pass us.
Around us, English speaking Singaporean women were scolding her, as she protests that she does not understand English.
One Japanese man came up to me and give me his number, said he witnessed the whole thing and is willing to be a witness. Thank you Mr. Kyoji, or Kyoji-San.
I lashed out because this type of incident happened to often, to others I witnessed and to myself too. Being a driver, I too am too well aware of how careless I was before and how it led to accidents.
I told the driver if she disputes she was in the wrong, let's get the police to settle it, and she took it as a dare. I called 999.
While waiting, I slowly cooled. Me and the kids are all right. The driver offered some sort of apology. What really mattered to me was she acknowledged she should not do it and would not do it.
Not really wanting to wait, I called 999 again and asked if we could leave if the dispute is resolved.
Okay, said the dispatcher.
I took a photo of her car, and then she told me how shocked she was when I lashed at her car. Even offered to let me feel her "shaking hand". Whatever her intentions were, I'm really not foolish enough to get so close to her.
When she asked to exchange phone numbers, I said let's just take down her driver's license. She said she didn't bring it out, she was still in PJs after sending her daughter to school and didn't being her bag out.
Forget it, I don't want to get further involved - it might get messy, with her not bringing a driver's license when she's driving.
Driving without bringing your driving license? The mind boggles, this is Singapore, we are even encouraged to bring our ICs with us at all times (even though this is not required by law).
ReplyDeleteThere were a couple of times when I felt like doing something to errant drivers, but for one reason or another (good manners?) I didn't especially since I was the only one endangered.
What's with drivers in Singapore? (YES, talking about all you drivers here, Snowy included although I am fairly sure you won't do something like this, but let's be impartial) Except under extreme circumstances there is never any reason to speed or engage in reckless or dangerous driving. If speeding, even if ever so occasionally, or the fancy turns and twists or the disregard for traffic laws are your thing either get on a proper course or get out of the country and do your fancy driving there.
I have even seen drivers *speed* in carparks. (?????)
There was a new ad on TV? "Watch out for me"
ReplyDeletePrivate cars are a form of transportation. They are not there to make you feel good or make up for your sexual inadequacies or suddenly make you feel important or put you in a social class beyond that of mere pedestrians (i.e. the rest of us) Although judging by motoring magazines I obviously have the wrong idea.
ReplyDeleteThe only place where I felt really unsafe as a pedestrian was in Shanghai. I had been told that pedestrians were absolutely invisibles for car drivers or taxi drivers. I didn't imagine how dangerous it was, the traffic lights were not respected at all, as well as zebras. When you walk on zebras, you are not in a safe place as it should normally be stated. Once I saw an american guy who was crossing on zebras with numerous pedestrians. A car arrived very fast, the crowd moved aside but since the man thought he was walking in a safe place on the zebra, he did not move. The car bumped him and the guy fell on the hood of the car. The most surprising, is that absolutely nobody protested against the driver. They just passed by and let the driver with the stunned pedestrian...
ReplyDeleteIn France, this is required by the law to get your driving-license when you drive.
Pedestrians are 100% protected by the law. You got to be able to control your car when a pedestrian is crossing on zebras. In Paris, the problem is that many drivers do not respect the traffic lights. You got to be careful even if the light is green for pedestrians.
Oh, and I really appreciate in Taipei these timers that indicates to pedestrians how many seconds you still have to cross the street before the light for cars turns to green. That's very useful !! :-)
We have the timers too! :-)
ReplyDeleteCompared to some countries, it is very safe on Singapore roads, however there is always room for improvements and by all right and intent we should be the safest drivers in the world. All it takes is one 害群之马 (a horse that harms the herd)
BTW Liu, I will never get a car here in Singapore, mostly because I know I will be a bad driver as my mind will wander all the time. It is like Yoda says, "All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things." A car in my hands would be too dangerous. I might get a small scooter though. Perfect for Singapore and late night prata. :-D
Holland Village and shopping centre leaves me one impression --pack and narrow and it's always jam.
ReplyDeleteDo be careful next time.
Well, it turned out I got a pulled muscle in my ankle from this incident - doctor told me to avoid jogging/running for at least 2 weeks!
ReplyDeleteGot to be thankful it's not worse.
Ah well, concentrate on swimming and hitting the weights then. Maybe more bicycle crunches to get rid of the spare tire ...
Oh dear! Never do strenous exercises in anger! Muscle too tense! (joke...)
ReplyDeleteI didn't find the meaning of prata...
ReplyDelete:(
Mmmh, I don't know if these timers are also available in France... There are these vocal signals for blind people, or these special pavements area face to the zebra corridor indicating that they are on the right place to cross the street.
Much more careful , you will have to be, if you drive a scooter in town... Much more vulnerable, you will feel... :-)
Roti Prata is a kind of pancake or crepes originating with the Indians. With curry it is quite delicious. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy experience was in Guangzhou.. the traffic was everywhere, vehicles could just make a U-turn halfway down the main road.. red lights and zebra crossing served no purpose to the pedestrians as cars kept going.. I dare not cross the roads there and had to hold on to my sister's hands to bring me across *shy* - she is an expert by now after living years there.
ReplyDeleteRoti prata comes in many forms nowadays...
ReplyDelete- tissue prata
- cheese prata
- pizza prata
- tuna prata
- mushroom prata
and the list goes on...
for me, I like the plain kind best. Crispy and great with fish and vegetable curry. I always ask for more curry helpings....
Liu, I don't know about the French, but I think it is Uniquely Singaporean that a topic about a near accident can turn into the subject of food.
ReplyDeleteI can't say whether you'll feel safe on the road here, but at least I can assure you there'll be no shortage of food offerings. No guarantee whether you'll like it though.
Ahah, that's exactly what I thought, but I feel guilty because I've asked for the meaning of Prata... :(
ReplyDeleteI like curry and I have tasted some Indian food in Mauritius Island. I remember these nice people selling some "Dahl Puri Roti" close to the flat. It was a crepe with chicken or fish mixed with curry and 'I don't know what'. I really enjoyed it and it was great chatting with the locals on the same time.
I've just found an interesting article about the dahl puri and its content : http://www.lexpress.mu/display_article_sup.php?news_id=43091
ReplyDeleteSorry Snowy, I am 'polluting' your nice blog entry with the indian food too ! ;-)
I've just found an interesting article about the dahl puri and its content : http://www.lexpress.mu/display_article_sup.php?news_id=43091
ReplyDeleteSorry Snowy, I am 'polluting' your nice blog entry with the indian food too ! ;-)
No worries, it's a nicer subject than accidents.
ReplyDeletesorry folks... moon always get excited all over when it comes to food...
ReplyDelete;-P