A Little Accident

I had a little accident the other day. It was really a minor one, but the other car had some damage on it's tyre fender. This is my first accident here. It involved the police, report and argument and all that.

I have taken the liberty to sketch the scene for you just because.



I am in the red car, reversing out after sending Jack to school. Looking at the photo, you can say that I am at the wrong side, since I hit a car when I was reversing.

But I was found not guilty, and the other car had to pay some fine and got himself 2 demerit points.

After the bang, I cursed myself of course. How can this happen? I was looking for oncoming cars and how did I miss this guy? After making calls to the police, my thoughts ran wild analysing the situation. Then I realised something which later became a point to why I was found not guilty.

First you have to understand that in this country we drive on the right side of the road, meaning the driver seat is on the left. refer to my entry HERE. To make it easy for you, here is another sketch. The pink arrow is the car direction.



So when I was reversing, it was natural for me to look to the right first to check for any oncoming car. What I usually do when I reverse is to check the rear mirror and both side mirrors for blind spot then look right, quickly to the left and right again. I was going to drive following the side of road I was on.

While I was looking to the road on my right, then bang the accident happened.

This perplex me really for how did I miss this car.



I hope this third picture will shed some light for you as it did for me (when the thought came).

What happen was, this guy was coming from the opposite direction. In his haste to park in front, and I mean really really in front of the school's gate, he made a swerve and got in my side of the road. And that was when I (or he) hit me.

That was the exact point I told the police. I said if you (the driver) had more sabr,you would have stick to your side of the road and park at the open space. I actually use the word sabr with the appropriate arabic accent. Sabr (Sabar) means patience.

The police, the one who can speak english looks like Morgan Freeman, were perhaps impressed with this word that they immediately agreed with my point and found the man guilty. Oh the driver protested alright, only to get a good barking from Mr. Freeman.

It was a short argument and I decided to go to my Arabic class despite being one hour late. My arabic teacher hugged me Ya habibti are you ok. Then she asked me to explain what happen.

I drew the sketches like the one I drew for you here minus the second picture because they already know which side of the road we should drive.

Somehow I don't think my teacher bought what I said. This is indeed a borderline case. In general rule, those who reverse should be wrong. But because the driver swerved his car to the wrong side of the road, I was right. Technicality I would say.

Then my teacher said, as long as you are telling the truth then it's ok. Remember that one day all of us would be judged in front of Him and that matters most. I nodded.

But I couldn't think straight after that. I was so unstraight that I decided to skip my fiqh lectures and went home. I thought about what she said. i frowned and I thought.

Did I exaggerate?
Was I found not guilty because I was far more eloquent than the driver?
Did I take advantage of my position as a woman knowing that they accommodate woman better?
Did I actually press the accelerator?
Did I really look at the car?
Did I twist the facts here and there?

I certainly believe that was what happen. Even if I were to be found guilty, I would still say that the driver was too hasty.

But I do not have the answers. I pray that I did right.

I had a headache that day.