THE MINOR MISHAP
I had a close shave on the roads tonight.
As I opened the throttle of my bike, I noticed a moped swerving to the right on my left, coming from behind me. I had been aware that he was looking to overtake me and further slowed down to let the man in a hurry proceed. What I had not been aware of was the pillion rider. This gentleman (?) had a round, filled sack that can be best described as huge.
The sack hit my bike, which wobbled and toppled over to one side. Even as I mentally cursed the driver, I was aware of shouts behind me and the screech of brakes. It was lucky that none of the vehicles were in full speed. I was also luckier that the vehicle behind me was a taxi. Taxi drivers, in my opinion, are used to any kind of interruptions. The taxi driver easily braked even as I and my bike toppled to one side.
Dazed and a little panicky (but physically almost unscratched), I lifted the bike and put it into neutral. I faced a problem though : the bike still wouldn't move. It was another two-wheeler driver who told me that the brakes were probably jammed. A pedestrian helped me move the bike to one side.
I went and scouted for a mechanic. I located one with little difficulty, since the area does have a lot of spare parts dealers and battery dealers. The man came armed with hammer, spanner and the tool kit. The brakes were unjammed easily enough. The mechanic showed me the damaged brake lining and said he would have to replace it.
Even as he did so, I called up home and informed them about the minor mishap. In a matter of half an hour, the brake lining and a spring were replaced. The left foot rest is still not level and changing gears is not smooth. The acceleration and braking are unaffected, though. Relieved at my narrow escape, I made a silent prayer to my guardian angels at the next signal that I stopped, after confirming that the indicators and, indeed, the bike itself was in more or less a stable, drivable condition.
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===== COMMON TEXT FOR ALL BLOGS =====
++++++ BEGINS ++++++
When I created my first blog, I thought I was
being clever by being "anonymous" and let my
opinions speak for themselves (see the archive !)
Imagine my embarrassment when I saw my name
displayed ! So now, while I still retain the blog
name as "Anonymous Expressions", I will only
request you to ignore my name and concentrate on
my opinions instead !
All copyrights and trademarks are acknowledged as
the properties of their owners.
The opinions expressed in the Weblogs are my
personal opinions. Please tell me if you spot any
factual mistakes or don't like the way I have
expressed a view. If I can see your point, I will
correct the mistake. You can email me at
kiran.suma@gmail.com.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
I had a close shave on the roads tonight.
As I opened the throttle of my bike, I noticed a moped swerving to the right on my left, coming from behind me. I had been aware that he was looking to overtake me and further slowed down to let the man in a hurry proceed. What I had not been aware of was the pillion rider. This gentleman (?) had a round, filled sack that can be best described as huge.
The sack hit my bike, which wobbled and toppled over to one side. Even as I mentally cursed the driver, I was aware of shouts behind me and the screech of brakes. It was lucky that none of the vehicles were in full speed. I was also luckier that the vehicle behind me was a taxi. Taxi drivers, in my opinion, are used to any kind of interruptions. The taxi driver easily braked even as I and my bike toppled to one side.
Dazed and a little panicky (but physically almost unscratched), I lifted the bike and put it into neutral. I faced a problem though : the bike still wouldn't move. It was another two-wheeler driver who told me that the brakes were probably jammed. A pedestrian helped me move the bike to one side.
I went and scouted for a mechanic. I located one with little difficulty, since the area does have a lot of spare parts dealers and battery dealers. The man came armed with hammer, spanner and the tool kit. The brakes were unjammed easily enough. The mechanic showed me the damaged brake lining and said he would have to replace it.
Even as he did so, I called up home and informed them about the minor mishap. In a matter of half an hour, the brake lining and a spring were replaced. The left foot rest is still not level and changing gears is not smooth. The acceleration and braking are unaffected, though. Relieved at my narrow escape, I made a silent prayer to my guardian angels at the next signal that I stopped, after confirming that the indicators and, indeed, the bike itself was in more or less a stable, drivable condition.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
===== COMMON TEXT FOR ALL BLOGS =====
++++++ BEGINS ++++++
When I created my first blog, I thought I was
being clever by being "anonymous" and let my
opinions speak for themselves (see the archive !)
Imagine my embarrassment when I saw my name
displayed ! So now, while I still retain the blog
name as "Anonymous Expressions", I will only
request you to ignore my name and concentrate on
my opinions instead !
All copyrights and trademarks are acknowledged as
the properties of their owners.
The opinions expressed in the Weblogs are my
personal opinions. Please tell me if you spot any
factual mistakes or don't like the way I have
expressed a view. If I can see your point, I will
correct the mistake. You can email me at
kiran.suma@gmail.com.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
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