In Kiev

I had the small car accident. On Friday evening coming back home jut in front of my house. The good thing is nobody is hurt. I was in the car alone. The couple in the other car is fine. Both cars have only some minor damage. Here is how the accident happened:

From the street where I live I have to go through the arc. On Friday evening I could not go through the arc as some car was parked in front of it. I stopped and indicated to the driver I need to go through the arc. The driver in the parked car was initially hesitant to move but finally understood I need to go through the arc and started to go. When I started to move to enter the arc I heard the thump. From my left side the red VW Polo hit me.

It was 19.55 hours. The couple was in the car. The man was driving. The man get out of the car and started to shout at me how stupid I am to drive backwards. Through the window I told the man I have not drove backwards.

Polo driver: "Oh you are foreigner. You drove backwards."

Me: "No I have not was my answer. You tried to pass me over two white lines".

Polo driver: "We tried to escape from you driving backwards".

Well - case of different views. No point in arguing. I stayed in the car and called Volodya - one of the bank drivers. I described what happened. Volodya told me the police will come to make a protocol I need for insurance.

Than I called Mirna to calm myself down. Than I called Kati to help me with some Russian vocabulary.

Next to my house is a Belgium restaurant. In front of the restaurant stand parking guys. The driver I saw the Polo driver taking to the parking guys. I shortly get out of the car to make the photos of the accident. In about 40 min the police came. The first policeman who approached me was very polite. He asked for my documents and than after asking me if I know Russian explained I have to fill the report. I had to fill it in Russian. With help over phone from Kati I tried to explain the situation the best I could. Than the second policeman approached me and asked to move the car not to obstruct the traffic. I moved the car. Than with the form filled but not yet signed tried to find a police. There were on the other side of the road and the Polo driver was talking to them. Bad sign. I approached the car and two policeman I have not seen before were in it. When I approached the car the driver stopped talking. Bad sign confirmed. Than the policeman started to talk to me:

Policeman: "How can you drive backwards?"
Me: "How do you know I drove backwards?"
Policeman: "The other driver said you drove backwards. It's you fault."

Me: "Will you write in the report it is my fault? I thought the court will decide whose fault is it."

Policeman: "Well we can do an experiment for USD 200 that it was you fault."

Me: "Interesting. Would you please put in the report you offered me to do an experiment for USD 200 and that I declined such."

Policeman: "You drove backwards."

Me: "For someone who was not there you are pretty confident of this. I am impressed with you confidence. But I have not drove backwards."

The conversation took place while the policeman was sitting in the car and I standing next to the car along the busy road. The policeman continued to write the report. He started to look at the traffic code to find which one was violated. He looked at one but the picture there missed two white lines and I told him so. He looked at me and told me: Please sit in the car. I joined him. He started to read me the report. The address he put there was 46 which was wrong. I told him so. He said the address describes where is the police car the scheme of the accident will show the address of the accident. OK. Than the report stated I drove backwards. Once again the conversation that I have not drove backwards continued. I told him I will not sign the protocol.

At that point I called my friend Alexey and he confirmed I should not agree with the protocol if it states what I do not consider to be correct. I returned to the policeman and said I disagree with protocol and will state why. So I wrote in Russian: "Disagreeing with the protocol as it states I drove backwards. This is incorrect". When I wrote that the policeman looked at me and said "Molodyec". This is usually something you said when the kid is good so I did not know if he is saying this sarcastically or not and decided to ignore it. But somehow during our conversations I sensed that the arrogance and hostility kind of thawed.

Than the policeman said to me: "Look you are saying you have not drove backwards. The other driver and witnesses state you drove backwards."

Me: "What witnesses? The other driver has witnesses?"

Policeman: "Yes - he does."

Me: "Why you have not told me that before? I could get witnesses too. Did you tell me that?"

Policeman: "Yes I did."

Me: "Are you sure?"

Policeman: "Yes I am."

Me: "Are you sure that when you asked me I understood the question?"

Policeman: Silence.

Me: "If you have not been sure I understood the question why have you not repeated the question so I could understand?"
Policeman looked as he looking to answer
Me: "Well I will add I have not known the other party has witnesses otherwise I would have them too."
I took the report added the sentence. I added the time of signing: 21.40 hours.
Than came the accident scheme. I insisted the scheme has the right street number on the top.

In the meantime the other driver was getting nervous. The policeman told him I have not agreed to the protocol. The police also found out they do not have forms for insurance - which is the most important piece of paper.

The policeman suggested I go on Saturday morning to the police station to pick it up. I told him unfortunately I have other plans for Saturday but can come on Monday.

The Polo driver did not like this but the policeman explained him I have other plans. I thanked him for that.

He than explained me where I should go and - gave me his name and phone number.

He also explained because I disagree with the protocol there will be a court case. Because of the court case the police will keep my driving licence and gave me a temp one. I got some small piece of paper as my temp driving licence. And that was finally it around 22.00 hours.

When I was leaving I thanked both policeman. The Polo driver stayed with them. But after two hours being very clear myself it was not my fault and clearly disagreeing with the police report - I stopped to care if the Polo driver still wants to struck the deal with them.

So tomorrow I go to the police station for insurance paper. And I wonder how long I will have to wait for the court case.

This year it seems we skipped spring and jumped from winter to summer within days. For almost a week the temperture is about 30+ degrees. One of the best way to spend hot summer evenings is in the park.

As days get hotter and evenings warmer - the park becomes more crowded. People relax on benches or on grass. Play guitar. Talk. Watch other people. Drink.
Yesterday walking Iggy some men congratulated me the blonds day. As these men were drinking vodka I thanked them and moved on. Later some men drinking beer congratulated me the blonds day too. Again I politely smiled and thanked them but was sure there has to be some "blonds park joke".

This morning I shared with my colleagues' how men in the park congratulating me the blonds day. My colleagues response was - "Ohh yes - yesterday was the international blonds day". Never heard of such day. But it seems in Ukraine - it is taken seriously. In Latvia the "blonds day" is taken even more seriously - as blonds organized a parade in Riga: http://www.euronews.net/nocomment/2011/05/30/blonde-parade-in-latvia/