Monday 20^th November, 2017 1830

Well, Sunday was indeed the laziest of days. I never opened the door even to take out rubbish, let alone go anywhere. All I did was compose an email I have been trying to get around to for weeks, launder some clothes and bake a couple of jacket potatoes for dinner. Cooking is much nicer now the good potatoes are back.

I wasn't too happy after going to bed at 2200 last night then waking at 0350 this morning, unable to drop back off. It's a long enough day as it is without it being added to.

And God was it cold at 0645! Luckily I had anticipated it and donned my down jacket instead of the fleece because I'd have developed hypothermia waiting for the school bus. For months now we have only had the lunatic, from what I can tell the other driver only services the other two campuses now.

Anyway, you won't believe this but I had a feeling this morning. I am petrified EVERY time but this morning our chap seemed just a little bit more breakneck and as he was only 5 minutes behind it seemed odd. Very quickly we chanced upon an accident that had started a few peoples' days off badly. A Kia SUV had hardly anything left forward of the windscreen, it had rear-ended another SUV which appeared to have minimal damage but in turn had been shunted into the saloon in front.

Quite a few times on the journey I had to brace myself as we braked sharply, the only seatbelts are on the two front seats and I avoid sitting with the driver like the plague, terming it the danger seat. When we pulled into the approach dual carriageway to campus I breathed a silent sigh of relief and gathered my bags ready for decamping.

The bus has to cross the opposite carriageway to get into school and in typical Chinese fashion because nobody will give way, has to edge further and further out to force them to stop.

Well he did that all right but then booted it. Running parallel is the bike lane which is also used by public buses departing from the stop nearby. It had to happen. I barely had time to register the fact two e-bikes were barrelling in from the right abreast of each other before one marginally cleared our front end and a millisecond later the other slammed into the area of the danger seat. And when I say “slammed” I mean it, he had been doing a hell of a lick, way too fast for conditions in which there are buses, pedestrians and delivery carts to-ing and fro-ing. Of course, as an e-bike in law he is counted as a pedestrian and regardless of circumstances, the courts always blame a motorised vehicle. I would though apportion the majority of blame on our driver anyway. As I said, it had to happen, it is just incredible it took so long.

Stunned, I glanced out of the window fully expecting at the very least life-threatening injuries and at worst a fatality. Had it been me that would certainly have been the result.

Astonishingly, the old boy previously on the bike managed to struggle to his feet, now hatless and missing his left shoe. Clearly his left leg was hurt. He clutched his face and either it is normally lopsided or he had busted his jaw. Amazingly there was no blood – the Chinese seem to have an incredible capacity to bounce even in the most horrific biking accidents.

Not a soul on our bus spoke English (by the time we arrived it was just the driver, the dean and another teacher) and as no immediate first aid was needed (the old boy was on his feet) and with a large hospital 50 yards away next door, I pointed out the missing shoe to our driver (who had retrieved the hat) and we all left them to it.

Over an hour later both vehicles were still there, inconveniencing other traffic while the police made their enquiries – I could see from my office. They were gone by the time I left to get my McBreakfast at 0950.

This evening we had a different bus and, tellingly, a different driver. It was impossible to ascertain from anyone what had happened to the old man or the driver, although my bet is the elderly one would have been taken to hospital. I should think the bus will be repaired by Friday so I shall see then if Mr Crazy is back with us. If he is, I wonder if this may induce him to drive with a tad more caution.