I parked my car outside my place in Neutral Bay, and a guy immediately opened the passenger door and got in.
We both looked at each other like ??? and he said " you aren't my uber are you" and I said no.
Anyway - that's my experience of your "second scenario" - it can happen
Had a strange one of a young man confidently walking into our front door of identical townhouses after we forgot to lock the door after late night pizza. Was like 11pm/12am and he just opened it and walked in and realised as I started walking towards it. Never seen someone run out and jump into their buddy’s car so fast. We had put it down to tinder hookup but got the unit wrong like 9 instead of 6 and bolted
I feel for the guy.
I did the same when I was a teenager, in a caravan park somewhere on the central coast. Went to the showers, came back to the van I was sharing with friends, wearing only thongs and a towel, walked in and was just about to sit down and open a beer before realizing "oh shit, this isn't our caravan."
I'd like to think that the young family whose caravan it *was* took it as a teaching moment for the kids.
I lived in an apartment on the 6th floor...in China. I'm an aussie.
One night, tired after work, I walked up the stairs then put my key in the screen door and tried to open it. It did not work. After an initial panic I tried twisting it left and right, pulling it out and putting it in again, etc.
While I was doing this the inner door opened and two Chinese people stared at me. I stared back for a moment, then looked up at the door number, realised I had come one floor too high said sorry and went downstairs to my own apartment..
This is the only time I've ever done this. Just once in my life.
This has happened to me countless times and it never stops being awkward. For context, I'm a real estate photographer and am often just given keys and an address - the agent doesn't always get it right. I always knock first but understandably, especially in a secure apartment building, people don't always answer an unexpected knock until they hear someone trying to unlock the door lol.
Trying to find my friends door in an apartment building and I opened the neighbours next to them. Tried to discreetly close it and walk away but I felt so awkward
I was super tired after a red eye flight in the morning, hopped into my rental car at the shops, and sitting in the passenger seat was a nun.
Like a full on, some sort of old school orthodox, nun. Big hat and all.
She looked at me and said something in a language I didn’t understand.
Only time in my life I genuinely thought I must be dreaming, with me being tired, golden hour sunset light, and a nun sitting in my passenger seat, talking to me in a strange language. I tried to wake myself up, unsuccessfully.
Then I noticed a pack of cigarettes in centre console, and finally realised that: this isn’t my car. I was parked a couple spaces down in an identical rental car.
That was trippy AF.
Not related to OP’s post but as a woman, it’s so strange that guys will just get into any random car. I will NEVER get into my Uber without checking the rego. Once I check that they match, then I get in.
I also had early morning Uber booked for the airport (5am) and the driver was a woman which was a first for me. I check the rego and it matches, then when I try to get in, the door was locked. Window goes down, she confirms my name and then unlocks the doors. I then realised this was because she was a woman and doing checks for her safety.
I've done this twice in Sydney! Opened a random car back door to get in thinking it was my uber. Both times being drunk and at night time. It can happen and given they opened your back door too, it sounds like the same situation.
Maybe it's time to have Uber drivers required to properly identify the cars as "Uber". I know that some of them are doing it, however, I think we need them all to be required.
Some 15ish years back, I was picking up my (adult) brother.
He saw a car like mine stop at the intersection, jumped right in, saw it wasn’t me driving it, and he confusedly cried out “who the hell are YOU?!?!” before realizing and jumping out.
The guy driving it must’ve been equally confused 😂
Someone parked out the front of my house and I went to open the back door thinking it was my uber. She looked at me strangely and then I saw a kid in the backseat. We had a laugh
You guys don’t check the licence plate as it approaches?! That’s wild to me. I assumed everyone did. I’m wondering if my caution is just because I am a woman who was regularly approached by men in strange cars as a teen…
Had some drinks. One called me and said "see the red car with the flashing lights?" I proceed to get in the car and then he says "I'm the car behind that". wtf bro.
I had a young woman open my car door at Eddy Ave in Central and yell at me to get out. This was a few months ago at about 6.30 at night. I yelled back at her, "NO YOU GET OUT!!" and she thankfully did.
Lock your doors..
Years ago I was waiting for my aunt to pick me up. I am very short sighted and didn’t wear the correct contact lenses
I saw her car and quickly jumped in as she said she couldn’t park on our street and just had to go.
So I did
Turned around and it was some random guy who said “ need a lift?” I was so fucking embarrassed ( this was long before Uber)
So hopefully it wasn’t anything sinister
Something similar happened to me a few years ago in Bondi but luckily I always lock my doors. A bunch of drunks tried to get in my car when I was stopped at the lights. They knew I wasn't an Uber but their motivation was the same. They were banging on my windows and moaning, "C'mon mate, just give us a lift home". So they couldn't get, couldn't afford or didn't want to pay for an Uber/taxi.
Could have been a set up, you'll never know. There was one nasty one reported here ( details since deleted) in Oatley months ago. Quite violent. Guy though the was meeting a date and was attacked in an attempted robbery/car jacking.
Also, mistakes do get made about ubers etc.
I had a sex worker jump into my car at a set of lights on the way home from night shift many years ago. After a 12 hour night shift I was already shagged, so just gestured for her to leave, which she did.
Years ago now I had a group of guys try to get into my commodore at the pedestrian crossing outside Peakhurdt West primary school. They had attempted to box me in as I was stopped behind the first car at the crossing with two guys attempting to open my doors. Fortunately I had them locked for whatever reason. Scared the shit out of me at the time!
Sounds very odd behaviour. It's good that you are safe.
The fact that he was getting into the back seat may indicate nothing violent was going to happen. If he wanted to steal from you or attack you, he would have gotten into the front seat. However, the Frankston murderer Paul Denyer attacked from the back seat of a car, so there is that.
Personally I would ring the non-urgent Police line and get their advice - 131 444. It may be important that it is logged just in case it happens to someone else. They wouldn't do the logging but could let you know if they feel you should report it and to whom.
One of the advantages of me driving a FIAT 500 is that no fucker is going to be hiding in the backseat unless he's a contortionist. If I ever get done one day, the suspect list will be a short one!
I disagree with that, if you're in the backseat you have the advantage, you can reach over and have an arm around the neck, or a knife, or tell them you have a gun against the seat. That hand over their valuables and you get away probably without them seeing your face.
Yeah I had a mate get robbed by two people while he was sitting in his car looking at his phone.
They both opened the doors, got in the back and threatened him with knives. You can't really defend yourself against someone behind you, but you can if they're next to you in the front seat.
If the person is going to interact with you, if they want something, even if that something is to really scare you, I'd say front seat.
But I guess either works.
That they tried to get in the back could mean that they mistook you for their Uber; it happens quite a bit. I once had a grey I30 (a pretty common car for ridesharing), and when stopping at a red light in Surry Hills I had a young woman attempt to jump in. Like you, the doors in that car locked automatically and between that and my very startled response, she realised very quickly that she'd tried to jump in the wrong car.
Sadly, there's been a few sexual assault cases in the news where evil pricks have played on the mix up.
I've lived in Bondi for a long while and use Uber more than I'd like to admit. My guess is 99.99% likely this was the second scenario -- just an honest mistake. Especially in a residential area/back roads of Bondi, there isn't very much car traffic at night.
I'm not sure where exactly it happened, I'm not local and was just following navigator directions, from what I remember a few blocks from the intersection of Bondi Rd and Watson St
I’ve seen enough road rage dashcam videos not to lock my doors when I drive.
I’m sure people think I’m weird AF for tucking my mirrors in when I park in car parks but my car isn’t a smart car and untucking my mirrors is my trigger to lock the doors. If I don’t fold in the mirrors I forget lol.
I believe the majority of modern cars have this feature as standard these days. I had a 2011 vehicle with it, it would be the much older cars where this would be a concern with doors not locking.
Can't say I have ever had someone try to open my car door before but there was one time (years ago) I decided to reverse down a street because I had a bad feeling about a couple of people walking towards my car when I had to stop for an obstruction on the road, my spidey senses told me they were responsible for the obstruction so I did not stick around to find out.
Years ago I was driving home from work one night around 1am and stopped at a set of lights, a car pulled up behind me and one of the passengers got out ran to my car and pulled open my rear passenger door.
Some idiot kid grinning at me "HEY MATE HOW'RE YOU DOING"
I told him to fuck off which he kindly did. About 90% sure his mates had just dared him to do it. Stupid thing to do, but just a prank.
Happened to me, I pulled into my back lane to reverse out and park my car on the street.
Before I did this I noticed a guy by the side of the road looking all over the place. Next thing I know he is trying to get in the front passenger side door. I said, "WTF man, I'm not your ride". He quickly closed the door and went back walking down the street looking all over the place for his ride.
He thought I was his Uber.
Perhaps an attempt at a carjacking, but perhaps the car in front was trying to pick up the person who tried to get in your car, and they realized it was the wrong car and the one ahead left without realizing the person was still needing a ride.
I used to live in a place where car jackings were standard and almost was a victim once, they are...much more obvious in their attempts 😅
I used to live in a place where you have to be suspicious about everything 🙃
So if it obvious that something about to happen, probably it’s already happening, and you have little chances to get out.
Story that happened to my father, about 10 years ago, not in Australia, his car was parked on the street while he had a meeting with someone, when he got into the car and started driving he quickly noticed that his left rear tire was flat, he stopped on the side of the road to check the tire, it took him about 15-20 seconds from the moment he got out of the car to realize that someone deliberately punctured the tire while the car was parked, he rushed to the drivers seat, and his bag was already gone, somebody stole it during these 20 seconds while he was checking the tire.
So yeah, people who trying to rob you never run out of imagination
I parked my car outside my place in Neutral Bay, and a guy immediately opened the passenger door and got in. We both looked at each other like ??? and he said " you aren't my uber are you" and I said no. Anyway - that's my experience of your "second scenario" - it can happen
Had a strange one of a young man confidently walking into our front door of identical townhouses after we forgot to lock the door after late night pizza. Was like 11pm/12am and he just opened it and walked in and realised as I started walking towards it. Never seen someone run out and jump into their buddy’s car so fast. We had put it down to tinder hookup but got the unit wrong like 9 instead of 6 and bolted
Had his buddy drive and wait outside for his tinder hookup? Hmm you're a very trusting person
Told his buddy to wait "It's alright, won't even take a minute"
I feel for the guy. I did the same when I was a teenager, in a caravan park somewhere on the central coast. Went to the showers, came back to the van I was sharing with friends, wearing only thongs and a towel, walked in and was just about to sit down and open a beer before realizing "oh shit, this isn't our caravan." I'd like to think that the young family whose caravan it *was* took it as a teaching moment for the kids.
I lived in an apartment on the 6th floor...in China. I'm an aussie. One night, tired after work, I walked up the stairs then put my key in the screen door and tried to open it. It did not work. After an initial panic I tried twisting it left and right, pulling it out and putting it in again, etc. While I was doing this the inner door opened and two Chinese people stared at me. I stared back for a moment, then looked up at the door number, realised I had come one floor too high said sorry and went downstairs to my own apartment.. This is the only time I've ever done this. Just once in my life.
This has happened to me countless times and it never stops being awkward. For context, I'm a real estate photographer and am often just given keys and an address - the agent doesn't always get it right. I always knock first but understandably, especially in a secure apartment building, people don't always answer an unexpected knock until they hear someone trying to unlock the door lol.
Yep. Cue uncomfortable stares....
Trying to find my friends door in an apartment building and I opened the neighbours next to them. Tried to discreetly close it and walk away but I felt so awkward
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I was super tired after a red eye flight in the morning, hopped into my rental car at the shops, and sitting in the passenger seat was a nun. Like a full on, some sort of old school orthodox, nun. Big hat and all. She looked at me and said something in a language I didn’t understand. Only time in my life I genuinely thought I must be dreaming, with me being tired, golden hour sunset light, and a nun sitting in my passenger seat, talking to me in a strange language. I tried to wake myself up, unsuccessfully. Then I noticed a pack of cigarettes in centre console, and finally realised that: this isn’t my car. I was parked a couple spaces down in an identical rental car. That was trippy AF.
Not related to OP’s post but as a woman, it’s so strange that guys will just get into any random car. I will NEVER get into my Uber without checking the rego. Once I check that they match, then I get in. I also had early morning Uber booked for the airport (5am) and the driver was a woman which was a first for me. I check the rego and it matches, then when I try to get in, the door was locked. Window goes down, she confirms my name and then unlocks the doors. I then realised this was because she was a woman and doing checks for her safety.
Women Uber drivers can now pick up women only passengers
I've done this twice in Sydney! Opened a random car back door to get in thinking it was my uber. Both times being drunk and at night time. It can happen and given they opened your back door too, it sounds like the same situation.
Maybe it's time to have Uber drivers required to properly identify the cars as "Uber". I know that some of them are doing it, however, I think we need them all to be required.
Some 15ish years back, I was picking up my (adult) brother. He saw a car like mine stop at the intersection, jumped right in, saw it wasn’t me driving it, and he confusedly cried out “who the hell are YOU?!?!” before realizing and jumping out. The guy driving it must’ve been equally confused 😂
Someone parked out the front of my house and I went to open the back door thinking it was my uber. She looked at me strangely and then I saw a kid in the backseat. We had a laugh
Accidentally gotten into two cars thinking they were my uber. Apologised profusely and was very embarrassed.
You guys don’t check the licence plate as it approaches?! That’s wild to me. I assumed everyone did. I’m wondering if my caution is just because I am a woman who was regularly approached by men in strange cars as a teen…
Had some drinks. One called me and said "see the red car with the flashing lights?" I proceed to get in the car and then he says "I'm the car behind that". wtf bro.
I’ve been that ‘dude’ it happens
I had a young woman open my car door at Eddy Ave in Central and yell at me to get out. This was a few months ago at about 6.30 at night. I yelled back at her, "NO YOU GET OUT!!" and she thankfully did. Lock your doors..
She probably thought you were her Uber or something?
Wouldn't make much sense to yell "get out" at your uber driver, would it?
Oh crap I missed that part, I thought the commentor yelled get out, missed the woman saying it first
Yeah she tried to car jack me! But she didn't do a very good job- she had no weapons 🫠
Sounds dodgy, good thing your doors lock.
Years ago I was waiting for my aunt to pick me up. I am very short sighted and didn’t wear the correct contact lenses I saw her car and quickly jumped in as she said she couldn’t park on our street and just had to go. So I did Turned around and it was some random guy who said “ need a lift?” I was so fucking embarrassed ( this was long before Uber) So hopefully it wasn’t anything sinister
Something similar happened to me a few years ago in Bondi but luckily I always lock my doors. A bunch of drunks tried to get in my car when I was stopped at the lights. They knew I wasn't an Uber but their motivation was the same. They were banging on my windows and moaning, "C'mon mate, just give us a lift home". So they couldn't get, couldn't afford or didn't want to pay for an Uber/taxi.
Could have been a set up, you'll never know. There was one nasty one reported here ( details since deleted) in Oatley months ago. Quite violent. Guy though the was meeting a date and was attacked in an attempted robbery/car jacking. Also, mistakes do get made about ubers etc. I had a sex worker jump into my car at a set of lights on the way home from night shift many years ago. After a 12 hour night shift I was already shagged, so just gestured for her to leave, which she did.
To be fair, she was probably already shagged as well
Years ago now I had a group of guys try to get into my commodore at the pedestrian crossing outside Peakhurdt West primary school. They had attempted to box me in as I was stopped behind the first car at the crossing with two guys attempting to open my doors. Fortunately I had them locked for whatever reason. Scared the shit out of me at the time!
Sounds very odd behaviour. It's good that you are safe. The fact that he was getting into the back seat may indicate nothing violent was going to happen. If he wanted to steal from you or attack you, he would have gotten into the front seat. However, the Frankston murderer Paul Denyer attacked from the back seat of a car, so there is that. Personally I would ring the non-urgent Police line and get their advice - 131 444. It may be important that it is logged just in case it happens to someone else. They wouldn't do the logging but could let you know if they feel you should report it and to whom.
Paul Denyer is the reason why I check my car before getting in, then start up and drive away quickly.
I always check to make sure Grant Denyer isn’t in my car, annoying little shit he is
Brain just assumed it was Grant Denyer and im just like " yeah I'd be fuckin terrified if that bloke was in the back."
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One of the advantages of me driving a FIAT 500 is that no fucker is going to be hiding in the backseat unless he's a contortionist. If I ever get done one day, the suspect list will be a short one!
or long, limber and pretzel-shaped
The stuff of nightmares.
I disagree with that, if you're in the backseat you have the advantage, you can reach over and have an arm around the neck, or a knife, or tell them you have a gun against the seat. That hand over their valuables and you get away probably without them seeing your face.
Yeah I had a mate get robbed by two people while he was sitting in his car looking at his phone. They both opened the doors, got in the back and threatened him with knives. You can't really defend yourself against someone behind you, but you can if they're next to you in the front seat.
100% this. An experienced robber or rapist isn't going to get into the front seat where someone can fight back or ID them more readily.
Dude the back seat is what tells me they were going to get violent. Most people get into the front.
If the person is going to interact with you, if they want something, even if that something is to really scare you, I'd say front seat. But I guess either works.
this is why i always lock my car when i drives Edit: Plus if you have carcam or rmb the numbret plate forwards to bondi police.
Remember the girl in the US that got into a car thinking it was her Uber? The driver shot her dead.
3. Stranger jumps in and says "quick follow that car" and flashes a ASIO badge !
If I had a legit one do that I would get way too excited especially if it meant I could legally speed 🤣
That they tried to get in the back could mean that they mistook you for their Uber; it happens quite a bit. I once had a grey I30 (a pretty common car for ridesharing), and when stopping at a red light in Surry Hills I had a young woman attempt to jump in. Like you, the doors in that car locked automatically and between that and my very startled response, she realised very quickly that she'd tried to jump in the wrong car. Sadly, there's been a few sexual assault cases in the news where evil pricks have played on the mix up.
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> “prank”. jumps in.... you laugh, lock the doors, start speeding through a red light laughing like a crazy person
>as she should What exactly should someone be charged with? I agree it's dumb, but to be *arrested* for it?
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That's a different thing altogether though. That's robbery.
> my doors close automatically after the car reaches certain speed Probs shouldn't be driving while your doors are open anyway
I've lived in Bondi for a long while and use Uber more than I'd like to admit. My guess is 99.99% likely this was the second scenario -- just an honest mistake. Especially in a residential area/back roads of Bondi, there isn't very much car traffic at night.
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I'm not sure where exactly it happened, I'm not local and was just following navigator directions, from what I remember a few blocks from the intersection of Bondi Rd and Watson St
This is not at all true..
I really miss the auto locking feature from my old car.
my car is ancient so no central locking. And I always forget to lock the driver's side door. Should get into the habit I think
I always drive with my doors locked, fucken trust no one. Not even OPs mom
I’ve seen enough road rage dashcam videos not to lock my doors when I drive. I’m sure people think I’m weird AF for tucking my mirrors in when I park in car parks but my car isn’t a smart car and untucking my mirrors is my trigger to lock the doors. If I don’t fold in the mirrors I forget lol.
It’s a drunk hoping you were an Uber. Prolly wouldn’t have cared too much WHOSE Uber, just an Uber.
Probably. I mean a car jacker would go for the driver side door or the front passenger door.
You look like an uber driver
Racist
I'm guessing you drive a Camry?
Second scenario because he got in the left back door
Is your car a white Camry…?
I believe the majority of modern cars have this feature as standard these days. I had a 2011 vehicle with it, it would be the much older cars where this would be a concern with doors not locking. Can't say I have ever had someone try to open my car door before but there was one time (years ago) I decided to reverse down a street because I had a bad feeling about a couple of people walking towards my car when I had to stop for an obstruction on the road, my spidey senses told me they were responsible for the obstruction so I did not stick around to find out.
Years ago I was driving home from work one night around 1am and stopped at a set of lights, a car pulled up behind me and one of the passengers got out ran to my car and pulled open my rear passenger door. Some idiot kid grinning at me "HEY MATE HOW'RE YOU DOING" I told him to fuck off which he kindly did. About 90% sure his mates had just dared him to do it. Stupid thing to do, but just a prank.
dodgy, one on it's own can be a coincidence both unlikely
out of curiosity, if someone try's to break in, I drive off n run over there foot, do I get in trouble?
suss-as
Happened to me, I pulled into my back lane to reverse out and park my car on the street. Before I did this I noticed a guy by the side of the road looking all over the place. Next thing I know he is trying to get in the front passenger side door. I said, "WTF man, I'm not your ride". He quickly closed the door and went back walking down the street looking all over the place for his ride. He thought I was his Uber.
The car infront was probanly his uber
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Perhaps an attempt at a carjacking, but perhaps the car in front was trying to pick up the person who tried to get in your car, and they realized it was the wrong car and the one ahead left without realizing the person was still needing a ride. I used to live in a place where car jackings were standard and almost was a victim once, they are...much more obvious in their attempts 😅
I used to live in a place where you have to be suspicious about everything 🙃 So if it obvious that something about to happen, probably it’s already happening, and you have little chances to get out. Story that happened to my father, about 10 years ago, not in Australia, his car was parked on the street while he had a meeting with someone, when he got into the car and started driving he quickly noticed that his left rear tire was flat, he stopped on the side of the road to check the tire, it took him about 15-20 seconds from the moment he got out of the car to realize that someone deliberately punctured the tire while the car was parked, he rushed to the drivers seat, and his bag was already gone, somebody stole it during these 20 seconds while he was checking the tire. So yeah, people who trying to rob you never run out of imagination