What a very positive story, regarding the nice attitudes of the Phil people, totally contrary to what we usually hear about the Phil people as vultures when a foreigner has an accident. Well done. Thanks for posting it up. Good your injuries were minor also.
I have to retract a few kind comments about the family. The next day they had decided, that given their extensive medical knowledge, that their daughter needed a ct scan 4k. (despite the fact that the doctor was asked the day prior if one was needed and said "no"). I said we should go to the doctor again and ask if it was needed, they refused and said they wanted the ct scan no matter what the doctor said. Very well, I dish out 4.5k for the scan (the family told me it was 5.5k but I would only pay the cashier and found out they added another 1k). No doctor can read them for 24 hours. Well sh*t. I know that every day I stay there the more people this family is going to talk to and think up of new ways to dig into my wallet and god forbid this little girl comes back with a brain tumor that would have magically appeared because of the accident. So we go back to the police station and they are wanting to sign another agreement at the police station (which apparently mean sh*t as they just decided to write a new agreement when the first one didn't benefit them in anyway). They want me to stay until the ct scan results. At this point I'm pretty pissed that they didn't even care to consult a doctor and that they tried to make an additional 1k off the ct scan. I tell them I'm finished. I'm getting a lawyer and you will have to file a case against me. They went from all smalls and and laughter to complete disappointment. They frantically keep going over the agreement and I say no to every proposal they have. I tell them to get a good lawyer and expect a long time before any payment comes out. I leave the police station and a policeman walks out and says they are willing to take a payout. I ask how much, they tell me to offer. I say 2k.they laugh, I start walking away. They say 12k, I say 5, they say 8 and I say find a lawyer to write up a contract. We do. We sign the agreement and then they ask for my number. I told them to to never contact me again. A shame they went for the bullshit approach instead of doing the right thing.
Sorry to hear that, but often the lure of money is a HUGE temptation to do the wrong thing. That, and I'm sure all their "friends" and relatives pushed them into it.
Fair and responsible dealing have different meanings in different cultures Many times we try to do something fair and responsible, only to be taken advantage of at a later point in time. It seems to me that no matter how much I have tried to helpful to people nothing really matters when it comes to an opportunity to gain more money from someone that may have a little extra money in their eyes. As I said previously in my post, my policemen was cool here in Dumaguete, when the injured "handlers" originally said "give my your number so I can give you an update on the man's condition" after we had settled, the policeman's response was "No, you give him your number so he can call you if he wants." He saw what was coming, as I was a naive foreigner was blind and protected me. The 1500 P I paid here that day, would not have covered a phone call to any attorney in the US, so I was happy. Unfortunately the culture here acts pretty typical in such situations.
It never ceases to amaze me that someone expects the person with money to pay for something THEY did wrong! In this case who was at fault for the girl running out into the street without looking? While I feel for the little girl, and all parties involved, shame on the parents! What are they teaching this girl?
Good job negotiating in a difficult and perhaps can't win situation. Good to have this one behind you.
and it is past from generation to generation... with few interruptions. Unfortunately they are teaching the young girl the perceptions and attitudes of the Filipino culture. It is the same attitudes displayed by the leaders of the country: If you can take advantage of someone, then do it. The reason so many are so poor here is that the politicians have this attitude honed down to a science after so many years of passing it down within the political clans. Generally the police and all others as in the hospital billing staff will support this practice also, particularly when a foreigner is involved. A fun thing in the Philippines would be to expect something different.
I think I could have had a case in the court if I hired a very good/and connected lawyer. It was the girls bday so I just said in my head, "screw it, I'm hurt, have a headache, it's hot, my bike is screwed up and just want to get home. Hope your parents buy you something nice for your bday". (I'm sure they didn't though) I still feel bad for the girl, even though it was completely her fault, but trying to be kind and doing the right thing, certainly in this type of situation, really gets you nowhere. Next time I say, call my insurance company, here's my lawyers number and hope they throw a lowball-in-desperation-payout out there.
This one will cost me much more than $200. I still have to fix my bike (I'm guessing 25k total), pay for the gas my friends spent to get up there, their hotel rooms, their drinks at a bar, companion hook up in bacolod and ferry costs. I'm sure I have forgotten a few things as well. Not really an issue, but compared to the 22 pesos it would have, honestly, cost for the girl at the hospotal, my side is a massive loss. That's one of the reasons I was so pissed about their payout. I was far more in the hole than them, hurting much more than their daughter, and then they still wanted more than just a healthy daughter. A piece of sh*t the father was. Whatever, it's over with. The only plus is I know the parents will always remain poor ignorant filipinos without a pot to p*ss in for the rest of their lives......and I have minimal damage to my body and bike.
