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First some background. My friendly local computer megahypermarket has just moved into new and larger premises, opposite one of the ferry terminals. The city hasn't yet finished building the tramlines in that area - until this year the route was blocked by the railway line to the freight harbour - so the only public transport is the tiny network of buses which already served the ferry terminal, connecting it to the nearest Metro station and the main railway station.
And, since I needed to pick up something which I'd ordered, I was riding that bus this evening. Buses are not my favourite mode of transport.
In order to enter the bus station alongside the railway station, buses have to thread their way around the back of a couple of large buildings. There is a wide and well-maintained road provided for that very specific purpose, which is accessed from Mannerheimintie, the main thoroughfare to the northwest of the city.
And it was at this junction that Taksi Fail happened. (TAKSI being the Finnish spelling of TAXI.)
Blocking our path through the junction were a pair of taxis. The one behind was simply waiting for the one ahead to move out of the way. *That* one was... taking on passengers. In the middle of the junction, just clear of the busiest street in the city, and directly in the path of a frickin' BUS!
There was *almost* enough distance between him and the opposite-direction stop line for the bus to simply drive around him. That's how thoroughly in the middle of the junction they were.
The second taxi soon gave up and used the pavement as an exit from the clusterfark. The bus driver soon got fed up too, but as his vehicle was too big for that kind of shenanigans, he simply gave them the horn. Several times.
When the passengers have finally managed to get themselves into the taxi, it cleared off - into a nearby layby that looked suspiciously like a taxi waiting area. This layby started no more than 20 metres from where it had originally stopped.
The bus driver gave the taxi yet another blast of the horn as he drove past. And, fortunately, the delay was not sufficient to make me miss my train - at that time of the evening, they are not very frequent.
And, since I needed to pick up something which I'd ordered, I was riding that bus this evening. Buses are not my favourite mode of transport.
In order to enter the bus station alongside the railway station, buses have to thread their way around the back of a couple of large buildings. There is a wide and well-maintained road provided for that very specific purpose, which is accessed from Mannerheimintie, the main thoroughfare to the northwest of the city.
And it was at this junction that Taksi Fail happened. (TAKSI being the Finnish spelling of TAXI.)
Blocking our path through the junction were a pair of taxis. The one behind was simply waiting for the one ahead to move out of the way. *That* one was... taking on passengers. In the middle of the junction, just clear of the busiest street in the city, and directly in the path of a frickin' BUS!
There was *almost* enough distance between him and the opposite-direction stop line for the bus to simply drive around him. That's how thoroughly in the middle of the junction they were.
The second taxi soon gave up and used the pavement as an exit from the clusterfark. The bus driver soon got fed up too, but as his vehicle was too big for that kind of shenanigans, he simply gave them the horn. Several times.
When the passengers have finally managed to get themselves into the taxi, it cleared off - into a nearby layby that looked suspiciously like a taxi waiting area. This layby started no more than 20 metres from where it had originally stopped.
The bus driver gave the taxi yet another blast of the horn as he drove past. And, fortunately, the delay was not sufficient to make me miss my train - at that time of the evening, they are not very frequent.
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