Two evenings ago, I visited the company’s doctor at Ang Mo
Kio central after work, holding back a throbbing headache, muscle aches and a
tad of fever for the day. Physical examination showed nothing serious, perhaps
an onset of flu. I was prescribed paracetamol 500mg, told to rest and drink
lots of fluid.
It was getting dark as I lumbered out of AMK central 2
car park. I had to turn left onto AMK Ave 8, keep right and then turn right at
traffic junction onto AMK Ave 5. The car on my right, some distance away,
signalled left to turn into the car park I was exiting. His main lights were
off, only his signal light goes tick-tock.
What I did not see was a cyclist ahead of this car. I
inched forward to turn left, momentarily stunned to have this projectile
whizzed by. I must have missed this flying object by a whisker. I collected
myself and ask what I can tell this guy to keep him safe. I picked up speed,
lowered my side window, drew alongside him and shouted: “you need lights”. He was
cycling a hybrid road bike with no lights, at a frantic speed.
He shot back. It’s daylight! I dipped my eyes, read the
time off my digital clock and shouted back: “It’s past 7pm”. We then disengage,
he turning left and I turn right. He appeared to be a man in his mid-30s; white
caucasian. In the past 3 years, the average number of cyclist fatalities in
Singapore stand at 18, way too high.
It is totally daft not to have both front and rear
lights on a bicycle when cycling on main vehicular roads come dusk. May luck continue
to be on his side and if he does not change, I wonder what he is going to say
on his epitaph.
