Up until last week I thought I'd done pretty well avoiding scammers for so long. Maybe too long , and as a result I got caught with my guard down whilst driving to the shops.
I was taking a slow drive to the Big C when a motorcyclist pulled alongside and tapped on my window indicating he wanted me to pull over and talk. He didn't look threatening in any way so I slowed down, parked up and got out to ask what he wanted.
" When you pulled out of that junction back there didn't you see me ? " he asked.
" No....why "
" You ran over my foot . I was parked on the corner and as you went by you went over my foot "
He put his leg forward and displayed a foot with a black tyre mark runing over his toes . Seeing this ' evidence ' , I assumed he was telling the truth and maintaining that I hadn't seen him , I apologised. He asked what I was going to do about it. I offered to go with him to a nearby clinic and have it looked at. He agreed and we set off, me following him.
One hundred yards later he pulled over again . I got out to see why. He explained that had been on the way to collect his son from school and that he didn't have enough time to go to the clinic. Not wanting to waste any more time I suggested some financial renumeration and he agreed. Only having 500 baht on me , I gave it to him. He looked a bit disappointed but agreed to this and we parted company.
As I continued my journey I was naturally thinking about this. On the way home I arrived at the junction in question and remembered that there was a big pot hole on that corner forcing people away from the curb to make the left turn. How then, in making this avoiding manoever, could I have run over his foot. And if I had managed this, why didn't he shout out when it happened. Then I thought about the tyre mark on his foot. Too perfect. Just running over his toes would not have left such a black mark considering all the dust about. Then again, his foot would have had to have been sticking out a long way from his bike for me to have run over it ??
I told all this to Ms Bangyai. She was not happy.
" Oh...that old chestnut ! Lots of Thais have been caught out with that one. "
So....its easy to be wise after the event but it just shows....you can't relax for too long once you leave the safety of home or one day your number will be up