Why did the taxi door open by itself?
Short answer
The driver opened it. The rear kerbside door is worked from the front seat — stand back and let it swing.
Who is opening it
The automatic one is the rear door on the kerbside — the left, since traffic here drives on the left. The driver operates it from the front seat, so nothing is reacting to you standing there. The timing feels attentive because someone is choosing it.
The front passenger door is not automatic. If you ride up front, that door is yours to open and close.
What you actually do
Stand back and let it swing. The tourism board's instruction is plain — do not handle the doors yourself as you get in or out — so there is nothing to do at the kerb except wait.
The same applies when you arrive. Stay seated until the door opens, then get out and leave it. Closing it yourself is not helpful; it is a small correction the driver then has to make.
When it is not automatic
Not every taxi has it. Where the door is manual, the driver will usually still open and close it for you — the convention outlasts the equipment.
So the rule holds either way. Hands off the handle, and leave the door to whoever is in the front seat.
Good to know
- Only the rear kerbside door is automatic — the front passenger door you open yourself
- The same applies when you get out: wait rather than reach
