boon's log 0604.03 supplementary A
WHAM! 'n Go Go
Nope, not the 80's pop group, but this is about the recent accident I encountered just before the CNY holidays. I would like to think that it must have been the most absurd event ever. Anyway, I was travelling back to my hometown and stopped at the toll gate. I was queueing up at the Touch 'n Go Tambah nilai lane with two cars and a van in front of me. As I was fishing out my wallet with Handel's Hallelujah chorus (yeah, the one Mr. Bean sang in one of his sitcom series) playing on my car stereo.... ahh... the serenity...

WHAM!!!

Next thing I saw was a red Wira behind my car. I quickly checked - the grey Premio (or something like that) was still in front, unharmed. So got down and had the normal conversation. Interesting enough the driver's wife also came down and started to scold the husband, "Saya sudah panggil dia brek! Saya sudah panggil dia brek!" ("I've warned him to step on the brakes!" x2)

By this time, the toll gate officers came out and decided to pose beside the cars for a while. Anyway, my rear bumper was crushed and the boot cover was dented. We decided to bring it back to my mechanic's "bengkel" (workshop) and repair it and then I will call him once it is done and he will fork out the money for it later (very important part of the story). After all the discussion, got back into my car and drove to the counter. Note that this happened in front of the toll gate counter and obviously the lady at the counter witnessed the entire drama... I top-ed up my card and as the lady handed me back my card, she gave me a big smile and went

"Have a Happy Chinese New Year, okay?"

I was stunned. :P but I smiled back and thanked her and drove off... Well, that was the Saturday before CNY.

So, I went to pay my mechanic friend a visit. Mechanic said that it is too late for any repair, so had to return to him after CNY. Imagine, a smashed car for CNY... sigh...

The guy (who bang-ed my car) called me up the Monday before CNY and asked whether I have a quotation for him. So, I told him the mechanic said it will cost around 300 bucks.

"So much, ah? Did you bargain with him?"

I told him I will bargain with him when I see him after CNY.

"Yeah, please bargain... Anyway, don't think so much about your car-lah and have a Happy Chinese New Year, okay?"

He had the nerve...

*****Chinese New Year*****

Took my car to repair and paid the discounted cost of 280, inclusive of knocking, painting and moulding the bumper.

The guy (who banged my car) called up today and asked me how was the car and, obviously how much. Told him 280.

He went, "So, I will pay you 200 and you shoulder the remaining 80? That's fair, right?"

WHAT THE?!

Wait... let's pause and analyze this. Which part of 280 (read as two hundred and eighty) that he did not understand? He pay 200 and I shoulder the rest??? And it is supposed to be FAIR???

I stayed cool. I believe that he was trying to negotiate or something. But he mentioned that it is fair??? That really topped everything. But then I still gave it to him...

"Excuse me, which part of it is fair? If someone bangs you from the back, do you expect yourself to pay for the damages? You told me on that day, that you will pay for the repair work and I trusted you. Otherwise, I would have made a police report! Now you are not going to pay me in full?"

I think that got his attention (the police part) and then he finally relented to pay me in full. But he made it sound like I was being unreasonable, he went like "okaylah... okaylah... since you say so... what can I do?"

Gosh, can you believe that? Anyway, I still have not received the payment yet. Let's hope for the best... else I will have to lodge a police report. Darn!

Next time you are at the toll gate, keep a look out through your rear view mirror... it may not help much if they decide to bang you anyways, but at least you can blast your horn or something like that.

boon out...