Scary news from Basel

Yesterday I heard from a colleague that a colleague/friend and her husband had been in a bad accident in Basel. Turns out they were walking in a crosswalk in one of the busiest/craziest intersections (Aeschenplatz, if you know Basel) and a car plowed into them. When you're a pedestrian there, it's easy to get complacent because you have the right of way and most drivers are very diligent about it, but all it takes is one time.

A former colleague noted that there was an article about it in the local paper, which of course identified them as tourists because they speak English (never mind that they've lived and worked there for three years)...which probably also means they'll somehow be blamed (unless, as another friend pointed out, the driver was Turkish, in which case the authorities will assuredly find him to be at fault).

It sounds like their injuries are moderately serious but not life-threatening, which is good news. They're supposed to be moving back to the States at the end of the month and this will be a heavy load to bear, so if you have any good karma to spare, send it in the direction of Basel.

(On a much happier note, I just found out that I will most likely be going back for a meeting at the end of the month. That will be my first trip back in over two years, which would make me very happy and make Gretchen insanely jealous.)