A taxi was on Ching Cheung Road in Cheung Sha Wan at midday on 28 September. Four passengers were inside. The driver was 66. Then he lost consciousness.

The taxi veered along the road. Dimsum Daily says it briefly left the vehicle without proper control. That is a polite way of saying four passengers were suddenly riding in a very heavy, very unsupervised box.

Let's walk through what that moment is like. You paid for a ride. You expect to sit, look at your phone, and complain about the fare. Nobody's contract includes "grab the handbrake." The person who is meant to be in charge has stopped being in charge, and you have about two seconds to notice.

The passengers noticed. They halted the vehicle. Good on them.

Honestly, that is the story. No system caught this. No sensor, no app, no department. Four passengers did it.

We talk a lot about taxis in this city. Who holds the licences, who is allowed on the road, who should be regulated. All fair. But every day, drivers spend long hours on roads like Ching Cheung, and when something goes wrong, the nearest safety measure is whoever happens to be sitting behind them.

So if you take a taxi this week, spare a thought for the driver. And know where the handbrake is. Not a joke.