He'll do anything to get a day off...

After my thoughts on Thanksgiving about safety, and our travels, Tom had a close call this morning on the way to work. He doesn't drive often, being able to carpool and leave the car for me, but today he drove so he could stay late for a meeting.

A blue Porsche came at him in his lane, passing 4 cars on a curve on a solid line. This is not acceptable driving anywhere, including the winding, narrow roads of the Dandenong Ranges. Tom had to hit the brakes in order not to be in a head on collision, and the blue car barely managed to sneak in what should have been his (the driver was apparently male) driving lane. The car behind Tom hit the rear end of the Saab which is not damaged at all. The other car has its front end caved in, so it's a write off. The driver of the blue car continued on his way, not noticing the damage he caused. Or likely exhilarated by the adrenaline of race car driving on the winding roads... Fortunately no one was badly hurt, but Tom is shaken by the experience. I've had someone come at me head on on Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, passing on a curve, and had to hit the brakes to avoid a collision.

The police are now involved, and an astute motorist behind the Porsche got the license plate so the "hoon" driver will now have received a call from the police. There are strong laws here about hoon driving, usually resulting in people losing their vehicles and receiving major fines. So I'm sure this morning's little racing session will result in the loss of the vehicle. These roads are posted at 60 km, with a few exceptions, and regardless of the posted speed, there are always people who think it's ok to either tailgate (something we have NEVER experienced in Canada's wintry, slippery roads without disastrous consequences) or pass on these dangerous roads.

So Tom has himself a day away from the stress of the classroom in order to recover from his experience.