Wish upon a star *: Me, the destructor

10 years in riding motorbike (legally) and 9 years in driving, all these years I have had a clean, safe record; meaning no mishap/injury/damage. Well, maybe one small minor accident in Parit Raja where a car did not stop at the junction and I banged into that car. That was the car’s fault, and I get a fair compensation. That aside, I own a clean record.

When everybody else is busy celebrating Christmas, coming up with their New Year resolution and welcoming the New Year of 2009, I was on my way to tarnishing my 2 clean records. What’s worse is that I had to tarnish the TWO records all in ONE week time frame.

Saturday Dec 27, 2008
First was the motorbike record. It was the weekend after Christmas. I was on the road, on my way to Krabi, Thailand. There were 8 bikes ahead of me, and another one behind. We were out of the 2-lane (each side) highway-like road just minutes ago into this 1-lane trunk road. There are some small corners here and there and they were manageable. We were going about 70 to 120km/hr depending on traffic and road conditions.

I was a little far behind because I could not overtake the car and when I did, I tried to catch up. The winding road does not allow me to see those ahead. And when saw them ahead, the bikes in front of me where all trying hard to slow down to take on this sharp corner. It was an unexpected sharp corner, not like those we’ve seen previously. Doing the same, I stepped on the brake hard, but still making sure I did not lose control. Stepping too hard will make the rear tire stopped totally (no ABS on my bike OK) and it could cause the backside to swing left and right.

Unfortunately, I screw up. The corner is just right ahead and I couldn’t slow down in time. At that moment, there was nothing else I could do except to negotiate that corner with that current speed I’m at. I bend the bike down towards the right, down down down and crash!!

There was a loud crashing sound, I managed a low groan while I feel my body slide and flip, maybe one round or two, knock my head and when the momentum was gone, I was lying on my back. Feel a sharp pain on my right hip bone/thigh. I sit up; move my hands and legs around. Oh, luckily they were still attached and I can still move them.

I looked around, on my left was the road, there was a metal barrier by the road side, similar to the road divider you can find at PLUS highway. I was sitting behind the road barrier, on the grass. On my right was a slope, and at the bottom of the slope was my bike, lying together with a pile of rubbish and mud.

Scratches all over. I am heartbroken

Thank GOD I was really very lucky to survive that crash unhurt, maybe a little hurt, but ALIVE with no broken bones, and most importantly, I was not bleeding. Maybe there were sand on the road, and when I was taking on that corner to the right, the tire must have slipped and slide off.

The Engine. Serious scratches even on metal

The bike together with me (the bike going faster than me coz it was heavier and thus have a bigger momentum), slide on the road towards the road barrier, together we manage to slide underneath the barrier, in between the barrier’s supportive leg and me landed just before the slope, my bike down that slope. The bike had scratch marks on the right side, so does my knee guard. That knee guard had saved my right leg, if not for that guard, the jeans PLUS the skin on my right leg would have been brushing against the road as I slide.

My Honda CBR600. The word CBR was scratched beyond recognition

With the protective gears I had on me; full face helmet, leather jacket with elbow pad and back sponge to protect backbone, gloves with hard protective knuckle, knee guard, boots, I survived the crash only with a broken heart but nothing else.

Knee guard. My skin will look like this if not for the knee guard

I never would have imagined there will be another bad thing coming my way.

Thursday Jan 01, 2009 (New Year)
Due to work-related stuff, I had to cancel my Tue leave and transfer it to Fri. So on that late Thu evening, I was on my way back to Taiping for the weekend. It was a rainy evening; it rained all the way from Penang.

It was drizzling, the road was wet, and the sky was gray. The time was about 6.30pm. The unfortunate incident had to happen near to home. It was just a few km more to reach Bkt Merah when my sis shout “slow slow, accident accident!!” I was at the wheel, driving my father’s old Toyota Corolla. Why Toyota and not my Nissan you may ask? That has something to do with my crashed motor a few days ago. Anyway, back to the story.

There was no hazard light or brake light when I was approaching. By the time my sis shout and I saw the gray Myvi, it was already too late to stop my car.

I hit the brake, first hard but it cause the car to be unstable (again, because no ABS) so I did my best in braking and still keeping it in control. As the accident came to a closer view, I saw a gray Myvi on the right lane, with its head facing towards me but slightly to the left covering almost the whole lane. A yellow Satria, kemek at the front and back, stopped at the middle of the road right on the dash white line separating the slow and fast lane. The road was very slippery, as I brake, I can feel the tire continue to slide towards the yellow Satria. There was no chance I can avoid the 2 cars. I do not dare to steer because it may cause the car to lost control and may go merry-go-round. What I can do is continue to press on the brake and hold tight on the steering wheel. Bang on the Satria to a stop, the feeling was like on a bumper car.

Luckily the cars behind me manage to brake in time and did not bang into my back. Fearing some other car might do, I quickly move the car to the emergency lane and turn on the hazard light. The Satria, although he couldn’t see through his front windscreen, he too moved his car from the middle of the road to the side.

The Satria that can see through windscreen no more

This is how my car looked like after the accident. It wasn't as serious as the Satria but still, it is worse than I have imagine.

My father's Toyota with a broken bumper and headlight. The bonnet cover is also slightly damaged :(

And this is the Myvi that was banged by Satria.

Myvi

I ended my year 2008 by crushing the motorcycle that I love so much, and I started my New Year by banging my father's old Toyota. Mine was sucky. How was your New Year?

Happy New Year 2009!!