Notes to self: Gaby Doman’s weekly column

Call me superstitious, call me cynical or just call me a big scared-y cat, but I believe that you should take some things that happen as a “sign”.

Last week, I was riding my bike home from Thai school along the main road when a motorbike hit me at full speed from behind. He hadn’t seen me. I lost control, and rode my bike into the side of a taxi, which was pulling out into the road. The impact made me fly over the car bonnet and land on my face, on the road. Apparently I hit the taxi so hard, I wrote it off!

While it happened, I was convinced I was going to be seriously injured. But, I was incredibly lucky; I just got up immediately, sat down by the side of the road for 20 minutes with the motorbike driver, taxi driver, the police and a few bystanders, then got up and walked my bike the five-minute walk home. I had a bruised nose, hip, hand and legs. That’s it. I went to hospital later in the day, and they confirmed I was fine. I even went to the gym straight afterwards to do a bit of yoga.

But this is the second time in three months I found myself being wheeled along in a stretcher on my way for a head X-ray. Both times were bicycle accidents — the first an attempted mugging which resulted in me hitting my head and having concussion, and now this.

I was keen to get back on my bike the first time. I just thought, “I’ll be more careful, I’ll wear a backpack, not a shoulder bag when I ride and I’ll take off all my jewellery.” But this time, I didn’t do anything silly, so how can you take any precautions to prevent it happening again?

I’ve never been in a stretcher before I had a bike, so I think the only real precaution I can take is to not ride in the city again.

I don’t want to be dramatic, I just want to highlight how some events can change everything.

I’ve had amazing adventures on my bike since I bought it this year — the most notable being three weeks of riding with my best friend from Bangkok to Singapore — but, after this, I think I can say I’m done with cycling in Bangkok.

I don’t like to push my luck, and I think flying over a taxi bonnet and walking away with barely a scratch means I’ve used mine up!

My friends are in two camps — the ones who think I should get back in the saddle and not let it scare me, and those who say I should thank my lucky stars and put the bike away now (the bike is a bit mangled up anyway, so I couldn’t ride it even if I wanted to!)

Maybe I will change my mind in time, but right now I have no desire to ever ride along a main road again.

But, overall, I’m trying to see it as a good thing. I can appreciate my health and my fitness (I am convinced all that gym time paid off during the accident), and I am more aware than ever how quickly everything can change. I will try so hard not to take it for granted.