300 smelly dirty taxis were out of service and blocking the streets of Melbourne on Monday night.  One thing I noticed during my trip to Perth was that the taxis there are clean and don’t smell.  I almost choked on the way to Melbourne airport a couple of weeks ago as my taxi drive sat in a really stinking taxi cab. I couldn’t believe people would sit in it and not say anything…. well I didn’t so I guess others wouldn’t either.  I really should have gotten out and taken another one. But my suitcase was already in the boot.
So 300 drivers sat in the street overnight (and it got down to 6 degrees) blocking the main streets until the state government stepped in and promised to make it mandatory for taxi owners to install protection barriers around the taxi drivers seat.   Over the weekend a 23 year old student taxi driver was stabbed and left for dead.  With his car stolen he laid dying on the ground for 3 hours before anyone saw him.  In Australia at least one taxi driver is killed each year.  It’s really shocking the danger these guys put themselves in when they drive at night. My dad tried his hand at driving taxis a long time ago and I’m glad he gave it up.