Top 3 Cycle Accidents, Experienced by Me (Notes from Under the Tatami Mats–39 … My Adventures in Japan)

in #japan6 years ago (edited)

“I survived my Japan adventure. Albeit not intact, and albeit permanently scarred.”

Easy riding

In Japan, cycling is one of the most convenient and most common forms of transportation. And usually, it’s very safe. Whether you’re cycling on a bike path, a sidewalk, a narrow side street, or a major road, you can ride in comfort, and you’re in little danger of any sort of mishap.   

I was even told that there’s a chain of responsibility, which may not be official but which is generally accepted. That is, the bigger vehicle generally bears the responsibility for any damage or harm done.

So, a truck is responsible for not smashing into a car, a car is responsible for not clipping a bicycle, and a bicycle is responsible for not hitting a pedestrian. Kinda makes sense.

Scars of experience

Which makes one wonder … why did my friends and I get in so many “bad”  accidents, and suffer so many injuries?

Bruised arms, bruised legs, bruised faces (yep!), damaged teeth, lost teeth, sprained muscles, torn tendons, broken collarbones, and more.  

Given the above list, I consider myself luck to have survived my Japan adventure. Albeit not intact, and albeit permanently scarred.

   Introduction to – “Notes from Under the Tatami Mats”  (right-click on title)

Top 4 Cycle Accidents, Experienced by Friends
Top 7 Japanese Novels
Top 6 Novels by Westerners about Japan or Japanese Characters
... and more

Links to my Other Series …

      Introduction – "Intro to Vocab-ability"   (right-click on title)
      Guide – "Guide to Entries"   (right-click on title)
      Index– "Index" to all Chapters and Sections   (right-click on title)

      Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 1"   (right-click on title)
      Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 2"   (right-click on title)

Images sourced from Google Images, unless otherwise indicated or unless my own.

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This is a breathtaking narrative. From my bed here, I graphically see Japan and your many adventures. I am sure you won't do this now cause your adventures were over two decades ago when, of course, you were much more younger and daring. By the way, experience #1 above made me really laugh.

PS: You seem to have a flare for hats. I've seen that run through all (most) of your pictures.

That brings up an interesting story. I never used to wear a hat.

One evening in 1989 or 1990, in Sapporo, Japan, I took out the garbage. When I tossed our bag of garbage on the pile of neatly bagged garbage by the curb, I noticed a nice, clean, black cap (a "baseball-style" cap, with a white peace sign emblazoned on it) sitting invitingly on top of one of the bags. I picked up the cap, and it seemed clean enough, so I tried it on. It fit

I took the hat inside and washed it. The next day, I wore it to the school where I was teaching, and continued to wear it for 7-8 years.

Eventually, it grew old and a bit worn. So, I went shopping for a new hat. And instead of a "baseball" cap, I got a porkpie / bucket-type hat, with a narrow brim.

Since then, I've worn such brimmed types of hats, or sometimes a fedora or a straw hat. I rarely step outside my door without a hat on. If I do, I feel almost naked.
...
Glad you liked #1. Given the lack of injury or damage, it was also MY fave. By FAR!

Wow. Such an interesting story re how your love for hats began. Pardon that my inquisitiveness took you far back in time. I'm glad the origin is a finer tale not a grim experience of any sort.

Re #1 sure, there is every reason to fav it.

this chain of responsibility is an interesting case :D

Yep. Interesting and sensible... to a certain degree.

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Using cycle is more binificial for health and economic...but some time little accident happened..thats not matter life is the name of falling and walking..

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