Call for law change after comedian's 'terrifying' roadside assistance ordeal

Laura Johnston shared her story on social media and was "overwhelmed" by the response. (TikTok) Link copiedShareShare articleA comedian has gone viral on social media after describing an encounter with a contractor she says came to provide roadside assistance but did not carry identification. In a widely viewed TikTok, Laura Johnston said when she called NRMA for assistance late one evening in February, she was confronted by a man who behaved aggressively, swore at her and then left when she asked for identification. The experience led her to start a petition calling for companies providing roadside assistance to ensure their staff carried identification or registration details. By lunchtime on Wednesday, her petition had already garnered more than 20,000 signatures, and other comments echoing concerns about the lack of safety awareness for those stranded in remote areas. Ms Johnston told ABC Radio Canberra her experience began when she broke down about an hour outside the city and called the NRMA. She said she was told someone would be there to help in about 120 minutes. Feeling scared due to the remote location and late hour, she stayed in her car and called her sister, who overheard the exchange that followed. The NRMA requires metropolitan patrols to arrive at jobs in branded vehicles, but not those in regional areas. (Supplied: NRMA) "A guy gets out [of the car] and then aggressively tries to get me out of my car," she said. "He ends up swearing at me when I ask him for identification and then he storms back to his own car and tells me that I'm going to have to wait until the guys from Canberra come. Ms Johnston said her sister, having overheard the man say "F**k you", then called the police while she herself contacted the NRMA again. She said it took 22 minutes for the NRMA to verify that the man was one of their contractors. In a statement, an NRMA spokesperson said their regional contractors were required to wear branded uniforms. The spokesperson said patrols operating in metropolitan areas were "always required to wear NRMA uniforms and arrive in branded vehicles". "In regional and remote areas, the NRMA uses a contractor system to provide roadside assistance and towing services," the spokesperson said. The NRMA said its contractors were required to wear branded uniforms when operating in regional areas. (ABC News: Maren Preuss) There are no laws requiring companies to have their staff or contractors explicitly display branding or provide identification. But some states do mandate that tow truck companies ensure their vehicles have markings that display details such as their business name, address and telephone number. Earlier today, Western Australian laws aimed at better regulating the operators of towing businesses came into effect. The laws were drafted after a report found it was common for tow-truck operators to intimidate drivers to secure business, charge excessive fees, and drive illegally. Ms Johnston said she had turned down work in remote and regional areas since the incident, which she said was impacting her ability to earn an income. "I think that we should have a unique code given to all contractors every time that they come out to a car so that we can then check with our unique code if we've got the same code and verify that they are who they say they are." Laura Johnston is a comedian and often travels for work. (Supplied: Colin MacGillivray) Since launching the petition, hearing from others who had gone through experiences similar to hers had been overwhelming, she said. "It's also going back; I've had some messages from people who experienced this 10 years ago. "So it's a long-term problem, it's a mostly unknown problem, and it's got what I think is a really easy fix." One man who responded to the petition said he supported Ms Johnston's idea and that it should go further. "Furthermore, they need to provide training [on] how to de-escalate a potentially volatile situation like that." Helen, who contacted ABC Canberra after hearing Ms Johnston's story, said it was sometimes a challenge to find any tradespeople who could produce identification. "I do think that all contractors and tradies — it should be mandatory that they carry some form of professional ID," she said. Helen said she understood why many people did not feel safe enough to get out of the car when unsure if the person approaching was the contractor. Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)See more ABC coverage in your search results PromotionTop StoriesHousing price downturn accelerates as 'perfect storm' hits marketTopic:Property Prices

Call for law change after comedian's 'terrifying' roadside assistance ordeal

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