How I almost killed someone

Many of you probably are interested to here how I am fairing in the New Orleans public school system. You also probably think that I almost killed one of my students. Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with the classroom, and yes I almost killed someone.

Back when I was volunteering at a different school (before being hired), I was coming back from work. I was turning right on a one way street (so cars are only coming from the left). I was looking left waiting for the traffic to pass. This whole time I was looking left. When the traffic passed, I started to move forward.

What I did not see has a black lady about my age riding a bike on the side walk coming from the right. When I did look forward, all I was her getting knocked off of her bike. I jammed the breaks and backed up off of the bike.

The whole thing was surreal. In that moment, I understood what every med student fears. I thought that I broke her leg and was going to get my ass sued, which is not a good prospect for an unemployed teacher.

Luckily, she got up right away. I asked her how she was, and she seemed fine, and the bike seemed just fine too. I was amazed that she did not bitch me out. She really did not say anything. That would be the end of the story if there had not been a crazy bystander on the other side of the road that saw everything.

He comes across the road saying proclaiming that I hit his sister. "That's my sister, man!" He continues, "Do you want me to call the cops, you want me to call the cops," Half talking to the girl and me. I said that the decision was up to her. She continued not to talk.

Once the kind, gentleman realized that she was not interested in calling the police, he just got straight to the point. "You should really give her something so that she does not call the cops!" At this point two things happened. First, I suddenly became aware that I was wearing a tie. The second was that the anger of not being hired three weeks into the RSD school year boiled up. I informed him I was an unemployed teacher that that I did not have any money.

I opened my wallet which I knew was empty. I actually had a $25 gift card to Applebee's, which I offered to her. After they realized that I was a dead beat, they both left the scene right away.

I guess that turned out better than it could have.