Well,
I’m back.
The
trip was fairly successful except for one critical low-point. We were in a car accident. I am
extraordinarily fortunate that this event happened while we were traveling in
Eastern Europe, and not some of the other places I’ve been.
Without
going into too many details, I realized I was in a bad situation, made a
split-second decision after quickly evaluating options, and then aggressively stuck
to my plan. That probably avoided a head-on collision. In theory, it was a good
plan, but it is important to remember that there are endless ways that tiny,
random variables can greatly alter the outcome of an event. Between that and
the human condition, many simple, routine actions have a chance to become very
serious, very quickly. This was the
lesson I was reminded of during an event that only spanned 30 seconds.
The
aftermath took eight hours, plus a lot of waiting. I’ll break it down by label, beginning with
two of the 13 Dimensions.
Composure
An
accident just happened. I felt crushed
by the immense consequences. After the
initial period of “Am I okay? Is my passenger okay? Are the occupants of the
other car okay?” I found myself unconsciously
lapsing into a fit of anxiety and indecision.
“Don’t
panic” is terrible advice unless you know how to avoid panicking. During this episode, and others conducive to
panicking, I have found the easiest way to maintain composure is simply to make
a decision, and follow through. My
father told me that the worst decision is no decision, and while I can think of
some very bad decisions, a failure to act can have significant consequences in
terms of both results and morale. The choice
does not have to be huge, and certainly evaluate things as you go along, but I
have found that trying to do something productive staves off panic and I ease into
a state of mind conscious of both my surroundings and what needs to be done. In this case, it was checking to see what
people needed and whether I could provide it, taking pictures of the accident,
discussing with the translator, assisting policemen take measurements, and actively
planning logistics. My passenger had
done four tours in Iraq and said he was impressed with my composure; I laughed
at that. Being composed and looking
composed are clearly different things, but looking composed calms others and facilitates
a productive atmosphere in the midst of crisis.
Oral
Communication
I
have never been more impressed with the importance of communication. My companion and I met with about 10 locals
immediately following the incident, and only one spoke English. Tensions were
running hot, and it was very difficult to communicate with anyone until the
English-speaker offered to mediate. It
required a lot of patience to choose the words that would be easiest to
translate, listen as they were translated, observe the emotional reply, and
understand what was said. This was also
true when I had a certified translator at the police station during the
official documentation. I had never
previously witnessed serious real-time translating before, and it is far more
difficult than I had imagined, even after working at an embassy.
I
think important things to consider regarding oral communication are, again,
patience with the speed of dialogue and an awareness of what exactly is being
said in addition to the greater message.
There are many nuances in language that can significantly alter the concepts being conveyed, even while the same things can be conveyed in a myriad
of ways. Reconciling the two is
definitely a skill I have not mastered.
American
Citizen Services
American
Citizen Services is the section of the U.S. Embassy that assists American
Citizens. I assume most countries offer
something similar in their embassies, though if anyone would like to comment on
that, I would be very interested in hearing about differences.
Contrary
to popular belief, U.S. Embassy Staff will not rescue you while you are in a
foreign country. In most instances, they
are not allowed to. The vast majority of ACS cases involve passport issues and communications, but some involve
emergencies, specifically injuries and arrests and the rare evacuation. If you are arrested, you are entitled to
speak with a consular official under international law who will provide you
with a list of attorneys and possibly give you some information on the legal
system wherever you are. They will
monitor your treatment, but they are not legal counsel. Of course, whether police allow access
depends on the country. In case of
significant injuries, I am under the impression that ACS staff will facilitate
communication with relatives or contacts at home, but they are not medical
counsel or providers. If anything occurs
for political reasons, these guidelines do not necessarily hold true, and ACS
staff will act according to the situation.
Evacuations are a big deal, and ACS may facilitate transport for
American citizens out of the country. Don’t
take this paragraph as gospel; many things are subject to the host country’s
laws and what the ACS staff is able to do.
In
my case, I notified ACS of my accident by calling them. They provided a list of attorneys in case I
needed one, and asked that I notify them if my status changes.
In
all, that we did not have access to a phone or an internet connection cut us
off from many people we normally turn to in times of need, so we were forced to
make decisions and act on our own judgment.
I haven’t been in an auto-accident in the U.S. aside from a fender bender,
so being in one in a relatively rural area of a foreign country was extremely
stressful. We didn’t have anywhere to go
while waiting for our rental replacement, so we napped in the police
station at 3 am. Many people exhibited unwarranted
friendliness, and I am very cognizant of how fortunate we were that things
turned out as they did. They could have
been much worse; death was a definite possibility. I just have to take these lessons with me and
apply them as best I can. There was no
reason for us to stay in the country, so my friend and I moved on with our trip
after everything was accomplished and I am waiting to see how things turn out.
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