I don't know why, but I was brooding on this last night...
I'm still walking on crutches and in a walking boot from my ankle surgery in December. When people ask me what happened and I tell them the story about getting hit by a motorbike, nine times out of ten they always ask me if I got money for it. No, I didn't. I got a $2.50 taxi ride home from the hospital. [insert their shocked expressions here].
In hindsight, obviously I should have received a little more compensation than a $2.50 taxi ride. But let me explain my reasoning why I didn't pursue anything.
First of all, I'm a solo, white, female traveler. I was alone at the time of my accident...I was taking a walk before meeting up with my friend later in the day. Thai people have an extremely narrow view of the world. Nothing against it, it's just how they are taught, it's part of their culture. They believe that any foreign person that comes to their country must surely be wealthy because wealthy people can afford to get on a big plane and fly half way around the world. Foreigners are overcharged for pretty much everything. I call it Skin Tax. My first week in Thailand, a guy that was on my TEFL course was involved in an accident. He was on a motorbike, merging onto the highway when a young lady in a car hit him. He was lucky to be alive. When the police showed up, although it was ENTIRELY the Thai person's fault, the police made my friend pay her 1,000 baht for damages to her car. This was the first thought that went through my head when I was hit. Fuck you if you make me pay three underage, irresponsible girls for hitting me with a motorbike because I'm foreign. Reason #1 why I didn't request to call the (corrupt) police.
Secondly, thinking rationally is pretty difficult to do after something like that happens to you. I was in shock, in severe pain, and downright scared. All rationality went flying out the window as fast as Indiana Jones goes running through a jungle being chased by a bunch of pissed of indigenous tribe members with spears, only to come back after it was too late to do anything about it.
Finally, I didn't know the rules of the game. That sounds, and is, completely naive and foolish. I should have known better or at least had the knowledge that there are police for tourists. I should have taken the girl's name and number. I should have called a friend when I got to the hospital. I should have...I should have...I should have....You can say "I should have" about a number of things. But the fact remains that I didn't and it is a lesson learned. I can't change it, so I must move on.
Those girls got off cheap. A $2.50 taxi fare when they should have fronted the $250 doctor bill and paid my substitute teacher for the time I had to take off from work (many schools don't give you sick time...if you're out, you have to pay the substitute out of your pocket...bullshit I know, but that's been my experience with teaching in Asia, so far). When I pulled my insurance card at the hospital, those girls should have come forth and said it was their duty to pay. But they didn't. Maybe Karma will come back to them eventually. It is what it is.
So no, I didn't get a big payday from any of this. I'm still broke like a joke. But invaluable lessons were learned.
My advice: know who is in your corner when you're traveling to a new country, especially a non-English speaking country. Hopefully nothing will happen to you, but no one is invincible. Make sure you have the right tools in your pocket!
Happy Trails!
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