Hair line fractures are the worst thing that can happen to anyone. Not because of the pain associated with it, but because of the way it happens and the way you become the laughing stock of people. I had one in 2008 in the most innocuous way possible. I was driving a saffire back from office to home. That bike was such that if I had to start at 9 AM to some place, I will have to start the process of starting it at 8. It was old, but I think its sheer disrespect for people that made it behave the way it did rather than its non maintenance. Anyways,I was riding it very fast to be true - at 30KM/hr. Fast by the bike's standards and I saw a cyclist in front of me. I tried to overtake him and he suddenly took a turn without a warning. I was on the road before I knew it. I fell on my right shoulder but I didn't realize that I had broken my collar bone. I was overwhelmed by the help I received when I fell down in the middle of the road. People were rushing in to see if I was alright and helped me up. Wishful thinking. In fact, none of this happened. People just took a detour to avoid hitting me. That's the best in terms of support I got from the people on the road. Anyways, I didnt expect much from the people either as I was not anyways looking remotely like a lady. I tried to start the bike and it immediately started. Though I was in pain, I was able to ride back to my home. When my wife saw my torn shirt, she asked what happened and I told her. She immediately rushed inside and came back with a bottle of oil and started rubbing that on my shoulder. The broken collarbone responded immediately, and the swelling was becoming prominent when I told my wife, " I think you have done your job, let the doctor do his". The next day, when I showed up at office with a cast around my shoulder, people obviously were concerned. But upon hearing the story, they showed a lot of empathy, by laughing their hearts out.
