[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Nothing like a little extortion on a Wednesday morning...

A letter came in the mail yesterday, addressed to me, from the local NSW small claims court. I opened it and nearly fell over.

Last August, I was in the Sydney CBD near St James, driving to the camera store to pick up my new OM-D. I was stopped at a set of lights about a metre behind a taxi, idling and waiting for the lights to change to turn right. I absentmindedly depressed the clutch and put it in to first to be ready for the impending change. As I did so, my foot slipped off the clutch and I lurched forward slightly - enough to kiss the taxi in front's bumper. I've never done it before, it's just one of those things - an accident.

I motioned to the driver to pull over after we had turned the corner and we swapped details. It was agreed that the damage was entirely inconsequential - a small depression from my offroad recovery loop (approved and blue slipped) and upright on the bull bar. At worst, a new white plastic bumper cover for one of the most common cars on the road, plus taxi company stickers - thre hundred bucks at most. The bumper was already full of scratches, dents and scrapes from being on the job - it was a taxi for goodness sake. I did the right thing and stopped, unlike many would have I suspect - especially since it was a taxi.

Well - my mistake. The letter I received was from the courts, already having being determined without my knowledge over two months ago. It stated that the determination was for the plaintiff to the tune of $7,950 - yes, seven thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars. I nearly feinted.

Luckily, I had taken a few photos of the damage on my iPhone and can prove what damage my car did to the bumper with photos supplied of the contact points on my car. It's easy to see that the damage was negligible. Standards in this country ensure that manufacturers produce bumpers that deform and return to shape for hits at walking pace. I wasn't even doing that at contact. The company that owns this taxi is trying to extort me out of eight grand. My insurance will look after it - and I'll bet they they will run a sword through this company for trying it on so blatantly. This is criminal - pure and simple. If I wasn't insured I don't know what I'd do.

Nevertheless - I have to pay an excess of over $600 today - unplanned. I have fuel debts for the eclipse trip which I'm now going to have to defer for a week or two. On a single salary these days, it's hard to cover everything one's self - let alone having to be hit with this sort of rubbish. Taxi companies - you SUCK.

/rant_over