While in Goa I debated renting a motorcycle. I had this romantic vision of riding through the Goan countryside on a Royal Enfield. Since I could rent one for the day at a rate of $10 USD I seriously considered it. Fortunately I weighed the risks and decided although I was an experienced rider as a teenager it’s been a while since I've ridden a motorbike. I decided a scooter would be the safer choice. After all, I did not want to have a wreck and get hurt in a third world country.
I found a really nice modern Honda scooter to rent at a rate of $4 a day plus fuel. It was in great condition with good tires. All the rental man needed was the name of my hotel and advance payment then I was good to go. No release forms, contracts or anything like that. I took off conservatively and got the feel for the scooter real quick. I just had to keep reminding myself to stay on the left hand side of the road. I traveled quite a ways and checked out side roads and Beach's along the coast from Colva to Agonda. Goa is actually a pretty safe place to ride as many of the roads are of the quiet rural variety with little traffic. You’ve just got to be a little extra careful when passing through the villages. I stopped in Agonda for lunch before turning around to head back.
I was really enjoying myself and it brought back many memories of riding my Honda motorcycle all over the Texas countryside as a teenager. The Goan road I was on is just inland from the coast and rolls over lazy hills shaded by variety of tropical trees and vegetation with many palms. There wasn’t much traffic at all except for an intersection or two amidst the villages. It’s was turning out to be a very nice day and I was exceptionally careful. As I said before, I did not want to have an accident or get hurt in a third world country.
As I rolled into one village in particular I notice a cow stumbling along the side of the road just like one you might see on a 60 minutes news report about mad cow disease. I took note of this and slowed down as there were a number of cows along the road. I had passed quite a few during the day with no problem so I really wasn’t worried. A car came up behind me and started honking its horn which is considered a courtesy in India but I found it to be Little distracting. At the same time I was passing a pack of cows. I had slowed down and was in total control when all of a sudden, just like a mad cow in a 60 minutes new segment, one leaped out in front of me and I hit it hard. Square on in the side! The scooter kicked up on impact but I let go at the right time and hit the pavement as the scooter landed on it’s side. My first thought was,”Oh my god, I just had a wreck and got hurt in a third world country!”. I was pretty shook up but immediately rose to my feet.
I was astounded and amazed to realize I was virtually unscathed. Aside of two surface cuts that were barely noticeable and a very small patch of very minor road rash, on my back, I was perfectly fine. Nothing else. I was actually shocked to see that I had just hit a medium size cow followed by slamming on the pavement and didn’t get hurt. It just didn’t make sense! But as I’ve said before, logic doesn’t always apply in India.
When I crashed into the cow the driver of the car behind me got out and lectured about how I needed to be more careful and that riding a scooter in India is not like riding a scooter in England. I guess he thought I was British. He asked me if I was ok and took quick inspection of me then quickly drove off. It was then that I noticed I had crashed right in front of the village home who housed the owners of the cow I ran into. The family all stood out front and just smiled at me. They could not speak English and in India often times people will smile when they are embarrassed. I assumed the whole family was embarrassed. I was just soooooo happy that I wasn’t hurt that I smiled back at the family. I spoke to them in English but they couldn’t understand what I was saying. I sensed they were also very happy I was not hurt. I then settled down a bit and yelled Namaste (used as friendly hello/goodbye in India) to them and rode ever so carefully back to where I rented the scooter.
The scooter still rode alright but cosmetically it was pretty bent up on the front. I was worried about how the business owner was going to react. We had no verbal or written agreement as to what I’d be liable for if I damaged the scooter. When I arrived safely back I explained what had happened. The manager of the rental operation handled the issue. He turned out to be very nice about it and was more concerned about my well being than anything. He looked over the damage and asked if I could pay 700 rupees ($14) to fix it. I didn’t have to think about that one as it was more than fair! I happily handed the man 700 rupees and we settled it with a handshake. After that I got a beer.
Will I be renting anymore scooters in 3rd World Countries? Probably not. It’s just not worth the risk. So many things can happen. I figure you take enough risks just being in a 3rd world country. It’s just not worth it. I still can’t believe I didn’t get hurt. I wasn’t even sore the next day!
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