Aussie Cab Takes the Steps

SHOCKED City pedestrians watched in horror early yesterday afternoon as a taxi that made a wrong turn ended up balancing at the top of a steep flight of stairs in Charlotte St. The taxi was manoeuvring around the St Stephen's Cathedral when the driver turned the wrong way along one side of the landmark building. It stopped just in time to keep from falling down 40 stairs. Passerby Steve Bolack said up to 50 people came out of their offices to look at the spectacle. "It looks like the cabbie must have thought a road was there because he drove straight at it," Mr Bolack said. "It's lucky he wasn't going faster because he very nearly could have fallen all the way." The driver escaped uninjured and a tow truck pulled the taxi to safety about 2pm. Police interviewed the contrite cabbie yesterday afternoon but it was unknown if charges would be laid. Black and White Cabs general manager John Tighe said it was an unfortunate incident. "The driver is shaken but OK," he said. "He just made an error and turned the wrong way. I'm not sure how he ended up down by the side of the building. He obviously hasn't done that job before and it's fortunate he was going slow."