Explanation

Just a quick note of explanation. I returned safely from Borneo a while ago, but I am finishing up the stories about the trip and will continue to post them as I get them done. So do not let the dates confuse you.
Also as a teaser, the next trip is to England. Though not as exotic as Borneo, I look forward to great adventures and fun postings.
Thanks

Car Wreck

Jasmah's car sans hub cap.

Other driver's car

The adventure never ends here. We were on our way to the mall but instead we learned about accidents, social norms, and police protacol.

We were hit by a car coming from the side street. Due to the traffic and the size of the road we had to move the cars out of the way  the cars immediately, which added to the difficulty of figuring out what exactly happened. No one was hurt, just damaged cars.

The young women who was driving the other car, we will call her Mary was in her early 20s and had only had the car for 3 days. She immediately called her mother, who told her to call the police and file a report. Jasmah called her brother Jasni, our guide and helper through everything on this trip. He was there in 15 minutes.

In the mean time we chatted with many passerbys as well as patrons of the restaurant which overlooks the street where the accident took place. Everyone said they saw what happened. They never talked about fault or offered to be witnesses, though I imagine they would have given thier names if asked.

Their main reason for talking to us was because an accident is exciting and they wanted to join the party and the other reason was that they had a lot of advice about not going to the police or filing an insurance claim.

When Jasni arrives the big negotiations begin, he immediately says "give me 1000 myr and lets be done with this." Everyone thinks that is a very reasonable offer and that she should take it, though everyone agrees that it will not actually be enough money to repair the car. Mary will have no part of it, she insists on waiting for the police and her mother. Jas is hot! She is convinced that it is the other person's fault. I think they both screwed up but what do I know.

We stand around and talk while they argue, lay blame and generally fail at reaching an agreement. Jah who is 16, Jasmah's neice was in the car with us and she was is a bit shaken up.  She had never been in a car accident before. She felt the boom. She was in the back seat on the side that was hit. The girl who was driving the other car called her mother. I think we are waiting for the police.

Suddenly we are all on the move, the cars are driven around the corner and we park again. Mom has arrived and the discussion begins again. By driving away we have lost our audience and advisors. Mom, Mary, Jasmah and Jasni stand around talking for a while. We pile back into the cars and we are off to the police station. I guess they do not come to the scene of the accident here. Maybe they only come when the cars are damaged to the point that they are not drivable or if they have not been moved twice from the site of the accident.

Off to the police station we go to make a police report in order to get the paper work needed to make an insurance claim. And now Jasni is driving and talking on the phone. (Not another accident please.)

We drive up to gate house. Most businesses and houses have gates. The larger ones have gate houses. The guard at the gate is Kadazan and he and Jasni "boss" it up. Boss is a term of respect and brotherhood. They speak to each other in the tribal language. Mary, who is Chinese, is in big trouble, no matter who is at fault in the accident. Kadazan rule here.

The first officer we talk encounter is off to a soccer match and he lets the next guy know what is going on.

Chillin in the station house.

Jasmah and Jasni are the first ones to give thier report. They describe the event and the policeman is not really interested in the pictures taken of the wounded cars. After our team gives their presentation, Mary and her mom get their turn. While this is going on Jas and I go to get something to snack on. The police station has it's own cafe. We get some tea with milk and sugar and head back to the waiting room. Jasmah and Jasni have disappeared. I get a text that they have been taken to the sergent's office. After a while Jasmah and Jasni show up in the parking lot and we head to the mall.

On our way there Jasni gets a call from the sergent's secretary who tells him that she will be happy to prepare the papers needed to make the insurance claim, but it they would like to have the process expedited, they should come back to the police station tomorrow with "coffee money."

The next day we try to contact the secretary and we are told that the sergent is in meetings all day and to come the next day. In the mean time we talk to Jasmi, another of Jasmah's many brothers and he knows the sergent, and says he will take care of it.
The family is big, the tribe is bigger and who you know makes all the difference here. Apparently many government procedures require "coffee money," like enough to pay for a year's worth of daily Starbuck's lattes. In some cases it is an envelope handed over, in some cases it is a bank account deposit.

Not sure how all this will turn out, but when I know I will let you know.