I hopped on the tram yesterday to meet an old friend in the city for lunch. I have a habit of being 10 minutes late to everything, and this occasion was no exception. To save face I often blame the tram; but in reality it’s usually my own fault.

But THIS TIME I could legitimately say the tram was late. Not for the usual reasons of poorly coordinated traffic lights, bad drivers, old people, tourists asking directions, single parents with prams or punk kids unneccessarily ringing the bell, but because the driver locked himself out of the cabin! And he spent about SEVEN MINUTES trying to open the door!

So, being the upstanding member of GEN Y that I am – with a camera phone and lots of free time – I got most of it on video and rendered in into a bite-sized sketch, which if you haven’t watched already, is at the top of this post.

The driver was struggling with the keys for about 3 minutes before I started recording.

He used one of those poles (the ones they use to switch the points and change the track’s direction) to try to open the door from the inside. Then a hipster passenger offered a helping hand (and foot), but was unsuccessful. Eventually the driver jimmied open the sliding window, tossing the pole loudly into the cabin in frustrated celebration.

I tell ya… the things you see on a Melbourne tram…

Kind regards,
David M. Green
Big tram fan.

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