Chapter 30

More Motorcycling:

I was sitting in the coffee bar a couple of mornings ago with five friends when a thought occurred to me.

A half of us had recently had motorcycle accidents. The story of khun John’s escapade I have already related in a previous episode but the other two accidents should be, how do I put this politely, sobering.

Khun “X” for want of a better name is English and has lived in Thailand for a considerable number of years. He is an habituee of the coffee bar and usually leaves when he can no longer stand up. I have seen him, on occasions, fall over before reaching his motorbike.
On the day of his accident he was in Patong when he decided to drive to the coffee bar. He fell off whilst negotiating a straight piece of road just outside Patong. He thinks he was trying to take his helmet off. In any case his injuries which included seven rib breaks and about ten stitches to his forehead, put him in hospital for a week. I would like to be able to say that this was the first time that he has done this, but it isn’t. Without wishing to be rude I cannot help but suggest that this was an accident waiting to happen.

The other accident concerns khun “Y” a delightful Thai lady for whom I have the highest regard.
She does not usually drink too much although she does like the odd glass of wine. She has been living with a farang for a couple of years but their relationship is not, at the moment, perfect. She is upset, as we all are, because life, for her, is not beautiful.
This means that, like so many in this situation, she is drinking more than is sensible.

The other night several of us went to her friend’s bar, just up the road, to have a barbeque.
As the evening progressed khun Y steadily drank more and more red wine. By the time we wanted to go home I reckoned she was not fit to drive. I suggested that I drove here home on my bike ( a distance of only about a half a kilometre) and she agreed. But as we reached our bikes she suddenly said “No its ok I can drive” and despite my protests started her bike.

She accelerated away for about a hundred metres and then fell off, the bike landing across her legs. I was following her and the accident occurred just a few yards in front of me.

She lay there still, with no movement. I checked she was breathing. Another friend having heard the crash arrived and we moved the bike off her legs. Her eyes opened. She raised her head and there was blood everywhere. I handed someone my phone and said “Get an ambulance”.
Other people arrived. Khun Y stood up. No broken bones I thought. She then tried to get on her bike to ride home. I stood in front of her and shouted at her,
“You are not riding that bloody bike!”
Someone else rode her home.

Her boyfriend took her to the hospital. I was right, no broken bones but she needed sixteen stitches under her chin and about another six or so to the side of her mouth. This, of course, as well as the treatment to the various other parts of her body which had been gravel- rashed.

I saw khun X in the coffee bar a couple of days ago. He was drinking a beer.

Khun Y is doing fine but I am still distressed that I didn’t prevent her from having the accident. Of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing but oh how I wish I had been a bit more positive when I thought she wasn’t fit to drive. All I had to do was take her keys.
Damn!