05-12-2020, 02:03 AM
(05-11-2020, 03:16 PM)Cormanus_imp Wrote: Rotor, I may have missed it, but I don’t think you told us you’d been rear ended. I’m very sorry to hear and that your bike was totaled. I’m relieved to hear you’re OK.
Thanks for the kind words Cormanus. I did not write about the experience here, as I was so massively turned off by dealing with the insurance, that I was afraid post might come across as blaming others for my lack of foresight. Allthough IMHO it is hard to find fault with a motorcycle rider rear ended while stopped on red. It was the second dude behind, who rear-ended the car behind me, that hit me from behind. And I did leave enough space ahead of me, so that even as I was catapulted, I did not touch the vehicle in front of me. But the hit from behind was forecefull enough that in my rather violent breaking on both wheels (I actually had time to apply brakes after the instant I was hit) I could not keep the bike upright. I actually came almost to a stop, millimeters from the fender in front of me, but by that time the bike was already at 45 degrees, my foot on the brake, and down I went.
I got up, righted the bike with the help of the driver behind me, and confronted the offender.
This is where I made the mistake or two...
He was a young kid, student at the local uni., working weekends, could have been one of my grandkids, and I actually felt sorry for him. Instead of screaming in pain, waiting for an ambulance flat on the asphalt, I ignored the few drops of blood saturating my jeans below the knee, and dull but not unbearable pain in my shoulder, and offered to the poor kid that caused this that if he pays out of pocket for parts (one wing plastic fairing, two levers, front signal light assembly, plate holder - nothing I couldn't fix for $500.- and two afternoons) we should not call cops. (the vehicle between us did not seem to damaged at all). I knew well what having a strike against him does to a 20-something male's insurance that has to drive to work. He agreed enthusiastically, and we all take pictures, exchage the info - the usual. My bike is drivable, takes some skill to change gears with both levers badly twisted or broken, fairing flapping and turn signal dangling - but hey, that's what we do for living. Besides, it is a hot summer day, I have 2 dozen hamburgers (returning from the butcher's, it's Saturday, barbie's coming up that weekend) in the top box, what wuold be the story with all that beef if I am taken away in an ambulance and the bike is taken to some yard by the city crew?
Anyways, on Monday I call the kid, he doesn't even have the decency to talk to me, instead his mother tells me to go ahead and file, as he will not be paying anything...
This is where the sordid story centered around TD Insurance starts, and I will spare you the details as those would be of any interest only to the minority Canadian contingent here. But important thing is this: if you are hurt even a little bit, throw up immediatley (unquestionable concussion symptom!) and stay on the ground, wait for the ambulance. Consider it a necessary production, only there to put the fear of God Almightly into the liability insurer of whoever did it to you. Forget about the meat in the top box, forget what you'we been thought how it is Bad Karma pretending you are more sick or more hurt than you really are. Just leave all that in the hands of properly trained, highly paid medical professionals...
I may be in the top age slot on this fine board, but I'm still not too old to learn someting. (With the appologies for the long story, it is here only so the young ones around can also learn - for intance, when exactly in the grand scheme of things it does not pay to worry much about $50.- worth of minced meat).