I Paid Her Off, And I'm Not Sure How I Feel About It Yet.

If I am going to die in China, it is going to be on a bike.  

No Mom, don't worry, I'm OK.  The other lady... not so much.  

I ride my bike to and from school every day.  It is a 6 mile journey each way which takes me around 23 minutes, depending on the lights.  I quite enjoy starting off my day with a good exercise.  When it is February and it is 23 degrees outside my body does not stay cold for long.  When it is July and it is 95 degrees outside it gets a bit sticky. 

The positives of bike riding are that it is great exercise, a perfect way to wake up, its fun, and its free.  The negatives of taking 2 wheels everywhere I go are the sweat on my back when i arrive in July, rainy days, and last Friday.

It was the last day of school and I was biking home so that the family and I could celebrate by going to the Beijing Aquarium for a School's Out For Summer Party.  I was only about 200 yards from school when an older lady, who I was in the process of passing to her left, decided she was going to (without looking) turn left.  The problem was that 2/3 of my bike had already passed her.  Her front tire hit my right foot and I glanced back just in time to see her 50+ year old body hit the asphalt like a sack of potatoes.  Fearing the worst, I hit the brakes and turned around.  I parked my bike right in front of her so that oncoming traffic did not add injury to injury.  The good news was that she was alive, the bad news was that she didn't move for 5 minutes - in the middle of the street.  I will permit you access into my brain for those 5 minutes:  

I killed her, nope she's still breathing, does her ankle look like it is hanging funny, she hasn't moved her arm yet, her hip is definitely shattered, man she should have looked first, whose going to believe that it was her fault, how much does a hip replacement surgery cost in China, etc.

After 5 minutes of a gathering crowd, angry drivers, and much stress on my part, her friend helped her to the side of the street.  As she limped to side my heart leaped for joy - her ankle is not broken, her hip is not shattered.  How much does elbow replacement surgery cost?  Once we realized she was probably going to be OK I asked the parking warden what I should do.  The Chinese way is that I would take her to the hospital.  If everything checks out then I am off the hook.  If she is not OK then I pay the bill.  That sounds very gentlemanly and all but 1) I don't have any money, and 2) it was not my fault.  I told the parking warden that and he looked a bit confused.  So the police got in on the action.  

Problem #1 - language barrier.  

Problem #2 - I don't have my passport on my.

Problem #3 - I just lost my cell phone so I had no phone # and I did not know Chyloe's phone #.

The policeman told me the same thing as the parking warden - I should take her to the hospital.  I explained again to the policeman, "I'm very sorry that she is hurt, but it was not my fault."  Upon finding out I was a student at the school just down the street they called in someone from the school to advocate for me.  I am thankful they did.  After about 2.5 hours of heming and hawing, the lady decided she did not want to go to the hospital.  Thank goodness.  The policeman left and then the negotiations began.  This lady obviously knew that she had the upper hand.  

Problem #1 - She was the one who was hurt.

Problem #2 - She had a friend with her who saw it all.

Problem #3 - I am white.

She said that instead of going to the hospital I could just give her 500 RMB (since she would probably not be able to work for a week) and be on my way.  The guy from the school told me we should offer her 200 RMB.  For the third time I tried to explain that it was not my fault.  He said that fact mattered little at this point it time, so we made the offer.  She countered with 300 RMB, as if we were haggling for an "I climbed the Great Wall" T-Shirt at the Silk Market.  After my school advocate laid out the process of attempting to claim my innocence, I decided that 300 RMB ($45) was well worth being able to get on my bike and go home.  

So I paid her off, and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.