But the attack by killer leeches was not to be the only problem of my day. After a filling meal of chicken and avocado rolls at Terry's, Maria and I jumped in his car and headed across town to visit my mates at the timber machining workshop where I used to work. I was making good time, slipping up the left lane (that's the slow lane here, folks!) beside a long line of stationary traffic, when all of a sudden there was a huge orange shape in front of me. It was the side view of a Brisbane Yellow Cab, that had turned across in front of me. I hit the anchors as fast as I could, but it was no use. We were almost on top of him and we skidded for about a metre before plunging convincingly into his front guard. The front bumper of Terry's immaculate little hatchback was smashed. The taxi driver was pointing the blame squarely at me, because my lane had been ending, and I should have been merging to the right instead of trying to gain position along the left. But when it's all said and done, he turned across the flow of traffic, and the liability rests firmly on his shoulders. I hope!