#DriveResponsibly #StaySafeOnTheRoads
Another story from my taxi days. I had picked up an off duty soldier from barracks and was driving him into the cbd for drinks with his friends.
##The Dangers of Reckless Driving 🚗
We were driving on a busy winding one-way road leading into the city, when a beat up old shitbox car overtook us on a double line with traffic coming the other way. Weaving all over the place, and 100 metres further up he did the same thing to another vehicle, only this time he sideswiped them. Naturally He kept driving, and the weaving as the road turned into four lanes (two each way).
###A Close Call at the Traffic Lights 🚦
As I drove up to a set of red traffic lights, I was surprised to see that he’d actually stopped at them. Now Windows were down, and I yield out to him that he ought to go back to the car he sideswiped because we had his number plate and we would report him to the police. he’d been a lot more trouble if he left the accident of an accident. I should have looked in his eyes first before I said that. They were like saucers. He was screaming his head off calling me an “effing c***t” Over and over again.
###A Terrifying Encounter 💥
The light went green so I took off, and because I had a fairly powerful six cylinder to his little four cylinder I was able to get a little way ahead of him to avoid him sideswiping me. However I came up to another set of red lights behind heavy traffic (it was an eight lane road now – four for each way). He was about two cars away from me when my passenger said he could see him heading our way. I put my seatbelt on (it wasn’t mandatory for taxi drivers to wear them in those days) but before I could lock my driver’s side door he had it open. He was screaming his head off spit was flying everywhere, trying to drag me out of the car – I was absolutely shitting myself. I was worried he might have a knife or something.
###A Heroic Intervention ✋
I don’t know how much time passed, it was probably only seconds but felt like minutes, when all of a sudden he dropped to the ground, out cold. I looked up to see a taxi driver colleague (we wore canary yellow shirts in those days) with a big grin on his face. I found out he was from Fiji and he was a big man, possibly a former rugby front rower. He had basically hammered the mad guy on the top of his head with his fist. He said to me: “Looks like he’s been on the jungle juice, brother!”
###Justice Served 🚓
Fast forward one hour and the police were dragging old mate, who had come to, off to chokey.
The police said to me, my passenger and the other taxi driver that they’d be back in touch. I got a call about 6 months later saying Mad Guy had gone through full detox and had put his hand up for everything and copped his punishment.
No idea if this included prison, I really don’t know what happened to him next. Not really a revenge story but he certainly did get his comeuppance.
Remember, it’s always important to drive responsibly and stay safe on the roads. Reckless driving not only endangers your life but also puts others at risk. Stay safe and take care out there! #DriveSafe #ArriveAlive.
God I love a happy ending. 🙂
You did not enact revenge, your buddy did it for you. As did the police & courts. Works for me.
As a fellow Aussie (?) ex-cabbie, you have all my congratulations for getting out of that one in one piece.
Also, good on your cabbie mate for dropping him.
That’s wholesome