Set the timer to 178 seconds

Online timer for 178 seconds

You are waiting for a taxi that is already approaching, watching the map without starting another task. A countdown of two minutes and fifty-eight seconds covers that awkward final stretch while the car turns into your street or reaches the pickup bay. It is brief enough to stay put, yet long enough for the arrival estimate to shift.

While you wait, keep the end signal where you will actually hear it. Your phone may look silent even though the alert has been sent to wireless earbuds tucked in a pocket or bag. That matters when traffic outside an Australian station or apartment entrance makes the driver easy to miss. Watching the screen avoids relying entirely on sound.

For this kind of wait, a phone usually suits the situation better than a laptop because it stays with you as you move from the lounge to the foyer or kerb. A laptop can work if you are already beside it, but closing the lid or leaving the room may hide the finish. If the taxi appears first, simply leave the remaining time; if it is delayed, the map becomes more useful than extending the original count.