Last week I attended my first antenatal pregnancy class. My vehicle was out of action, so thankfully one of my friend dropped me off at the Mount Isa Hospital.

I assured her that I would be fine to get myself home, and that I would call a cab when my class finished in three hours.

The antenatal class finished at 9pm, but I had a quick check-up with a midwife while at the maternity unit. 

By the time I was ready to go home, it was nearly 10pm. 

I called the 131 008 taxi number and was put through to an operator.

The lovely lady took my address and I asked to be picked up from the front reception of the Mount Isa Hospital.

This is where my problems started.

While standing out the front of the hospital, I felt the time was going really slow.

After looking at my phone 15 minutes had already passed.

I walked out to Camooweal Street to make sure the cab hadn’t mistaken my location- but no one was there.

I returned back to the hospital reception area.

There a group of intoxicated men had started lingering around the emergency department entrance. I felt uneasy.

I wanted to call my friend back to pick me up – but felt guilty – what if she was already asleep?

The men attempted to sling a few words together to try and talk to me – I ignored them and moved further away from the entrance.

By now 20 minutes had passed and I was feeling more unsettled.

I was about to ring and ask for another cab when a security guard appeared and stood near the emergency department entrance – which calmed my nerves.

Not long afterwards, a taxi arrived and pulled up where I was standing.

The gentleman kindly asked me if I needed a lift.

I jumped in the cab without hesitation.

He asked me if I had been waiting a while. In reply I told him more than 20 minutes.

He said “That doesn’t surprise me,” but what he said next surprised me.

“Six cabs had already rejected your call tonight before it came through to me,” he said.

Shocked, I asked the driver “Why would they have rejected my call?”

“They were a bit worried about who they were picking up,” he said.

“Sometimes calls from the hospital can be more of a hassle then what they’re worth.”

I realised I was purposely rejected by multiple Mount Isa taxis because they were worried about who I could have been.

There were two things on my mind.

One, I was frustrated the cab drivers didn’t even make the effort to show up to see who it was.

And two, that hospital calls had become such an issue that they would rather turn down the call than take the job.

However, I was very grateful for the kind gentleman who made my life a lot easier and assisted me home.

- Senior Journalist, Samantha Walton.