Driving to work and finding a park in town has been so easy over the summer break. I guess it will all come to a grinding, gridlocked halt when school goes back and the Western Bay's traffic frustrations get back to their snarliest, gnarliest worst.

It's a peculiarity of the Tauranga traffic that addition of the school mob seems to push it over the brink. More of you should walk or cycle, I don't care which, really. (Tauranga's Motto: Just get out of my way.)
Perhaps we need to take a tougher line on traffic infringements and parking, to discourage road users generally and punish those who get it wrong.
Maybe not as harsh as China, where the penalty for parking in a loading zone is probably burning at the stake for driver and his village.
Speaking of China, there's been a resurgence in popularity of the Guns N' Roses song:
'Sweet Child o' Melamine.”
I went to China once. That's what happens if you stand in the wrong queue at Heathrow. It was a good place to visit, briefly, from the perspective of having a look and deciding 'what the hell am I doing here?”
[At this point, I'd recommend anyone from China, Hamilton, Australia and the Race Relations Conciliator's Office should turn the page, and do not read further.]
China is not high on my priorities of places to visit again. (A bit like Hamilton.)
After this, there's probably no chance of me being invited back. (A bit like Australia.)
And, similar to Australia, the problem with China is it's full of Chinese. Not that Australia is full of Chinese, but it's full of Australians. But unlike Australia, which is a problem because of the Australians, China's problem is that it's just FULL.
They are lovely people, but they are everywhere, and this causes problems. Overcrowding, pollution, nervous cats, shortage of checkers, lack of good English. Unlike Australia, where you can have a conversation in perfect English: 'Yeah bonza, strewth, bewdy, no wuckin furries,” and you know exactly what they're saying.
Worse than that, the watch I bought in China doesn't go any more. It was from a reputable dealer, Wong Houa, who ran a tasteful yet compact little boutique jewellery store inside his overcoat.
I did enjoy the food, however, and readers can have a sample of superb Chinese cuisine on page 33.

On your bike
Getting back to the traffic situation, it's a shame Tauranga is considered such a dangerous place to cycle, because back in my school days, lots of students used to bike to school and there wasn't nearly the same congestion caused by school traffic.
Here at the Sun, we've been getting on our bikes regularly and it's a real pleasure to amble around the streets of the city without the parking hassles, traffic queues and drama of trying to use a car. Which is timely, since it's 'Get on Your Bike” Month. That probably isn't the official name, but you get the message. (There's a great story on page 13 of this issue.)
Another good thing about China, they use a lot of bicycles. However that is probably due to economic circumstances rather than healthy choice. I was impressed how many bicycles could effectively transport so many people quietly and sustainably, with only three or four per minute being run over by our airport shuttle.

Lessons
If even a fraction of the Western Bay's motorists on the roads at peak times were on bikes or scooters, we'd have a lot better traffic flow. Which would be useful for all the extra ambulances racing around the streets, picking up the pieces of the unfortunate bikers who would, undoubtedly, be smoted at every intersection by the blind and arrogant idiots driving cars.
A case in point this week: A friend of mine tells the story of zooming along a city street on his scooter, barely able to contain the unbridled throbbing horsepower of the unleashed 50cc but holding his speed back to 60kph. Still 10 over the limit, he reasoned the rest of the traffic was flowing at that speed so a little bending of the lawful limit was acceptable. As soon as the car he was following turned off, a couple of clowns behind roared past, one nearly having a head-on with oncoming traffic. This, despite the scooter travelling at a more than respectable pace, over the limit.
The stupid thing is that the overtaking woofter had, conveniently, a very memorable personalised plate!
Road Rage Lesson 101: If you're going to do stupid things on the road, don't have a plate that's easy for victim/witness to remember.
Road Rage Lesson 102: make sure the victim/witness doesn't follow you home.
Some people just can't tolerate travelling behind a scooter or a small car. Even when the speed isn't an issue. It's the Fiat 500 Syndrome. Anyone who has had the pleasure of driving one of these little beauties will know what I mean.
Of course I have counselled my friend against doing anything silly in retribution. However, if you do happen to see the burnt corpse of a Mazda driver nailed to a stake, among the charred ruins of his village, you'll know my friend didn't listen.
And is Chinese.