No car, No travel, Less Expenditure

Our car has been at a repair workshop since about two weeks ago. We got into a minor accident while on the way to Trg for raya on Sept 29. It was raining heavily and the visibility was bad, and there was a lot of water on the highway. I didn't know how it actually happened because I'd fallen asleep for quite a while. When I opened my eyes, I realised the car was spinning, but nobody was panicking. Am was looking 'almost' relaxed and the children were laughing at the backseat. I was the only passenger who panicked!



Thanks Allah, We were all safe. The car only hit the divider and no other cars hit us. We continued our journey and only sent the car for repair after we came back to KL, almost one week after raya.



Now Am rides a motorbike to his workplace. For two weekends, we brought the children makan-makan and jalan-jalan, by riding the commuter. It was fun, the children enjoyed the rides and thought they were cool, taking the commuter. I was all game, at least I thought I was. I don't know about my partner. He didn't smile and say much, hard to tell how he felt. I hope he enjoyed the ride too ....



I has been raining almost everyday in the past few weeks. It is 'challenging' for Am, I suppose, as he has to brave the rain, no matter what, to reach the office. But I'm sure he didn't mind much as he knows that it is the same with me. I brave the rain almost everyday too, on my feet! Well, you know how they say it ... Live within your means.



Motorbikes are not a very bad thing. Am used to ride a motorbike when he was younger, and I rode with him too. Funny, I remember we were happy, much happier, when we rode a motorbike, even when we were in the rain. How come we were happier?



I read Jeremy Clarkson's column about motorbikes. He doesn't seem to like motorbikes that much. He even considers bikes as suicidal. But still, his points made me laugh... kinds of make my day.



Clarkson writes:

" ... Bikes and cars are both forms of transport, but they have nothing in common. Imagining that you can ride a bike because you can drive a car is like imagining you can swallowdive off a 90ft cliff because you can play table tennis.

However, many people are making the switch because they imagine that having a small motorcycle will be cheap. It isn’t. Sure, the 125cc Vespa I tried can be bought for £3,499, but then you will need a helmet (£300), a jacket (£500), some Freddie Mercury trousers (£100), shoes (£130), a pair of Kevlar gloves (£90), a coffin (£1,000), a headstone (£750), a cremation (£380) and flowers in the church (£200).
In other words, your small 125cc motorcycle, which has no boot, no electric windows, no stereo and no bloody heater even, will end up costing more than a Volkswagen Golf...."

However, he admits that running a bike is much cheaper than a car.


Yes, it is indeed. Am only spends about RM5 on petrol everyday. That's sure a big difference from what he as to pay for car fuel. But sometimes, I still can't help but feel worried knowing he's out there riding a wall-less small thingy in heavy rain.

But then, like one person who responded to Clarkson's column writes:

"I bought a 50cc motorbike/moped for my son @ 16 yrs. He had it for 1 year, fell off a couple of times & no injuries. At 17 he refused to ride it cause he & his mother said it was dangerous. I bought a 1.1ltr Citroen Saxo, he was killed 2 mths later after hitting a pole side on @ 40mph doing a favour." (Pls accept my condolences)

You'd never know for sure what would actually end your life. Speed doesn't necessarily kill you. So, what does? Well, if only we knew .... But one thing for sure. When the TIME comes, then it's definitely the TIME. No run, no hide.

Allah, please save us all.