Tony Abbott's generous act as former PM spotted directing traffic inside busy underground car park in Sydney's CBD
It's not every day Aussies witness the 67-year-old, who served as the Liberal Party leader from 2013 to 2015, off their screens and in real life.
That's exactly why drivers whipped out their phones on Tuesday when Abbott guided them inside the Theatre Royal car park on King Street.
Footage captured from inside cars showed the politician dressed in grey trousers, a white shirt and a blue tie as he stood on the curb and instructed perplexed Aussies around the bend of the packed parking lot.
Without a speck of high vis in sight, the politician manned a boom gate that was understood to have malfunctioned.
One driver could be seen softly chuckling to a passenger who recorded in the back seat as Abbott gave her a smile and the green light to drive on.
The footage quickly made the rounds on social media, with bemused Aussies divided in the comments over the unusual moment.
'First time he's been useful in his life. Good on him,' one person wrote.
'How the mighty have fallen,' another person said, as a third added they guessed the former prime minister had likely 'screwed that up too.'
"More effective than his entire career in politics," another dissatisfied Aussie said.
'Trying to stay relevant,' one more person said.
However, other people praised Abbott for his good deed, with one person saying they were impressed by his leadership behaviour.
"He always was a real one," another person said, as many other viewers chimed Abbott was a "legend" and "top bloke" who puts others first.
"Just doing this has provided more value than Anthony Albanese has in his entire tenure as Prime Minister," a commentator said.
"I disagree with all his politics...But I think he would be the type to stop and help if he saw you stranded on the side of the road," said another.
It's far from Abbott's first selfless act.
The politician has been a volunteer with the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Davidson Brigade in northern Sydney for more than 20 years.
RSF members are often trained in traffic control and put their skills to use during emergencies.
Abbott has been on the front line during national disasters, including the 2019–2020 Black Summer bushfires and 2018 fires in NSW.
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