NEWS DESK
Uber driver exposed to lewd behaviour Stephen Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au
Music treat: International Youth Silent Film Festival goers will see and hear Kingston City Hall’s 1928 Wurlitzer theatre organ.
Film festival comes roaring back KINGSTON Arts is rolling out the red carpet with a Great Gatsby themed celebration of the Roaring Twenties at this year’s International Youth Silent Film Festival. Attendees are being encouraged to wear 1920s inspired outfits while heading along to the Kingston City Hall at the end of the month. Aspiring young filmmakers’ works will be showcased on and three winners will be awarded major prizes. The return of the annual event sees filmmakers aged 20 years and under invited to create a three-minute film to accompany one of seven original scores in the genres of slapstick, action, horror, romance, mystery, sci-fi and hero.
Each film is accompanied by music composed by awardwinning organist Nathan Avakian from the US to perform on Kingston City Hall’s iconic 1928 Wurlitzer theatre organ. The event features pre-show entertainment, screening of top-quality short films followed by classic tunes to help the crowds dance the night away. The 2016 International Youth Silent Film Festival will be screened at the Kingston City Hall, Moorabbin on Saturday 29 October, 6pm, $20 adults, $15 groups of six or more or $5 for children. Call 9556 4450 or see kingstonarts.com.au for bookings.
A YOUNG woman driving for ridesharing service Uber was subjected to a barrage of lewd comments and offensive behaviour after picking up a fare in Bonbeach early Sunday morning. The 25-year-old told police she drove to Harding Av to collect a man who ordered a ride via the Uber mobile app and when she arrived, two men were waiting to be picked up. The man with the Uber account hopped into the back seat while the other man – possibly named Sam – sat in the front passenger seat. The unidentified man in the front then began making “inappropriate sexual remarks” and exposed himself before trying to force the Uber driver’s hands onto him. He then tipped two small bottles of water onto her lap. The driver decided to stop and drop him off, near Mathilda Way, where he stood inside the open door and again exposed himself and urinated in full view of the driver. As the woman drove off, the backseat passenger repeatedly apologised for his friend’s actions before being dropped off elsewhere in Keysborough. The woman called her boyfriend afterwards and they reported the incident to police. Sam is described as Caucasian, 25, blond hair, blue eyes, no facial hair, with a black nose ring in his right nostril and wearing a black baseball cap.
Police have been provided with screenshots of the pick-up and dropoff locations. Uber communications manager Mike Scott confirmed the incident had been reported to police. “Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and we treat the safety of all drivers and riders seriously,” he said. “We’ve been in touch with our driver-partner to offer her our support and have been actively assisting police with their investigations.” Detective Sergeant Ian Bucher, of Moorabbin Sexual Offences Unit, said the investigation was ongoing but he was confident of tracking down the offender soon. “There’s always a presumption of innocence [and] if the person involved was to come forward we would be happy to arrange a meeting where we could discuss the incident,” he said. The state government last month announced plans to legalise Uber in Victoria by setting up a registration system for taxis, hire cares and ridesharing services. Passengers will pay a $2 levy per trip for eight years to contribute towards a $75 million “fairness fund” to help taxi drivers facing immediate hardship due to Uber’s legalisation as a competitor. The Uber ride-sharing service relies on passengers and drivers giving each other online reviews after journeys to try to ensure reliable drivers and well-behaved passengers use the service.
Five businesses hit by thieves FIVE businesses in Carrum and Chelsea were robbed or had attempts made to rob them overnight on Tuesday (11 October) last week. The businesses – all in Station St or Nepean Hwy – included a coin laundry, pizza shop, fast food caravan, antique shop, and licenced tavern. In two of the robberies, thieves used heavy implements to punch holes through plaster walls to gain entry. Police have charged a 36-year-old Whittlesea man with the coin laundry robbery. CCTV footage shows a
man placing a magazine between the back door and the wall of the Nepean Hwy premises about 10pm, possibly to prevent it closing. A man is then seen attempting to jemmy open a wall mounted change machine before using a sledgehammer to smash his way through a plaster wall into an office where he stole $50 coins. He is also seen cutting through electrical wiring, possibly to disable the CCTV camera. A man was arrested on the weekend and charged with robbery. He appeared at Melbourne Magistrates’
Court on 13 October and was further remanded until 14 November. Thieves climbed over a two-metrehigh wire fence and smashed a glass door to enter a Chelsea antiques shop, corner Nepean Hwy and Chadwell Gr. They ransacked the counter and office area and stole $200 in coins and notes as well as a charity tin. Next door, a few hours later, thieves broke into a fast food caravan by bending metal surrounding a door vent and stealing a small number of gold coins. The van was previously
robbed on 21 September. Police are checking a fingerprint found at the scene with records held by Australian Border Force officials. It may match those contained in a possible suspect’s immigration application. A pizza shop proprietor told police thieves tried to enter his Station St premises by jemmying open a back door and placing a garbage bin near a fence. They also jemmied plaster from a wall and damaged a wall jamb. Nothing was stolen.
Thieves pushed down a two-metrehigh wire fence topped with barbed wire in an attempt to enter a Station St tavern the same night. They failed in their attempts to unscrew bolts on the backdoor and window and ripped flywire off window screens at the tavern, which is next door to the pizza shop. Police are appealing for witnesses to the incidents. They should call Crime Stoppers, 1800 333 000. Stephen Taylor
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19 October 2016
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