After a long day out yesterday we came home by train, getting out at the station Jo and Cam went one way to the house while I went to the shops to get some take-away noodles for dinner. A five minute wait and dinner is ready, then back down Station street and two pedestrian crossings to the station. Half way across the road and I leap backwards to the sound of squealing tyres and an acccelerating engine, as per usual one of the local drivers has decided to plant his foot going around the roundabout to race for the crossing to get there before the pedestrian. Wryly I thought, “Welcome home, welcome back to Oakleigh and Oakleigh’s finest drivers”.

This morning I sat around the house, read a little news, here’s one article’s byline:

“Five people have been injured after a car ploughed into pedestrians in Brisbane’s south.”

…and here’s another:

“A man was killed in a hit and run in Sydney’s west around midday today.”

Spotted a theme yet?

In the afternoon I went out for a walk, just a general wander around the streets letting my mind and feet roam, then on the way home a detour over to the shops for bread and milk. Walk up to the crossing on Haughton road, step onto the crossing, leap backwards as someone decides to plant the foot and race across rather than stop like the law says, “for any person on or approaching the crossing.”

Down through the station underpass, up the other side, along the footpath to the crossing and… step back to let the driver who toots the horn and drives through, rather than stopping at the crossing.

Am I surprised that there are so many hit and runs or pedestrians injured? Hardly. The way people drive around here I’m surprised that there are so few!

I guess we can expect another idiotic police blitz on jaywalking and urging people to cross carefully and wear bright coloured clothing, it seems nothing can touch the sacred cow that is Australia’s woeful driving and appalling attitudes on the road.