ajft

So many car doors, so few motorists with brains.

There we were, riding up Swan street on the way home. Suddenly Jo yells out “lookout,” I screamed out “Door!” Yep, both passengers in the taxi (Vic. M-3561) had decided that sitting in the lane of stationary traffic was enough, so without indicating, pulling over to the side of the road, or obeying any other form of road laws, they'd just thrown open both left-hand doors and got out. Jo made it around them, I couldn't swerve far enough without hitting her wheel so I ran into the back of the calf of the rear passenger. Both passengers then started screaming at me to watch where I was FW#$%%%ing going and get off the F*#W$@#$%ing road. Taxi driver meanwhile had driven off, caring only that he'd made another fare in the minimum possible time.

8:40 riding along Atherton Rd through Oakleigh, I had just left the traffic lights at the shops and had a two-tonne van overtaking me. A taxi (Vic. M-3631) pulled head-on into a parallel parking space, leaving at least a foot of his car sticking out into the traffic, as I drew alongside to ovetake, the driver threw open the door and stepped out without looking. The van to my right had to swerve to avoid hitting the door, I had slid to a stop inches from the driver and yelled. The driver swung his arms at me and screamed “Don't ride on the fucking road, dickhead!” As he seemed quite angry, I left the area, since I felt that he would attack me if I tried to point out that motorists in Australia are required to check before opening their car doors and it is an offence to hit someone with one!