Be alert...

I’ve been driving, biking, bus-riding, and walking all over the Tauranga area for several weeks now and I keep thinking I will get the hang of things soon. Some of my struggles are related to the fact that I’m not from New Zealand, while others stem from my small town lifestyle. There may also be a few struggles related to the fact that I may not be very bright, but I’ll let you decide for yourself. (No need to comment on that, by the way…)

Here’s one I attribute mainly to the fact that I’m not from New Zealand, though maybe it has something to do with my small town background… I struggle with zebra crossings. For those of you unfamiliar with this term, these are simply crosswalks (indicated by the traditional white markings on the black asphalt and by poles painted in white and black stripes, hence the name). At these crossings, vehicles yield to pedestrians. “How tough can that be? She only has to cross the street,” you say. Right. Well, I keep forgetting that the cars are definitely (theoretically) going to stop. So I wait on the sidewalk, as opposed to simply looking and crossing, thus forcing the driver not only to slow down and yield to me, but to come to a complete stop and, often, wave me across, so that they can continue on their way. Surprisingly, not one driver has done more than look slightly exasperated.

Another little struggle of mine involves crossing a busy street near the school where I volunteer. To get to Kaka Street School, I ride a bus from the Mount and get off at Cameron Street, right by the hospital Cory works at, actually. I then walk maybe 8 blocks to school. However, I have to cross Fraser Street, which is a pretty busy road. The intersection I cross at is also pretty highly trafficked and sits atop a hill, so visibility from one direction is pretty poor. There is no magical zebra crossing here, nor is there a stoplight to provide some definite break in movement. (Please remember, I’m from a smallish town.) I am fine at judging traffic crossing in front of me, but I keep forgetting what lane the turning traffic is turning in to – I forget about that whole driving in the left lane thing! This has actually led to a few close calls. But, I’ve got a new plan now…If I time things just right, I can arrive at the intersection with a few students from the nearly intermediate school - then I just cross when they do! They are very good guides.

I’ll relate just one other little struggle, lest I lead you to believe I’m a hazard to myself and society with my ineptness… Today I was biking back from getting groceries and stopped to cross the street at a stoplight. (I have to get off to do this; I can’t bounce around and balance while waiting.) When you are at a crossing with a stoplight, you push a button on the light pole to tell the system there is someone there waiting to cross – and, yes, I’ve done this before. Here, though, there is also a cool little “blip, blip, blip” sound that indicates you are to wait. When it is time to cross, the sound changes to indicate so. Fascinating. It works well, especially in those times when you can’t see the little indicator light-up person. So today, I approached and the “blip, blip, blip” sound was all ready going. I think it is set so that you don’t even have to push the button at some busy intersections. So I waited for the sound to change. And I waited. I do pay attention to the flow of traffic, and, after awhile, I was thinking that there had probably been several opportunities for me to cross that I had missed while listening for my magic sound. But then, you know, there is that whole turning traffic thing that befuddles me so and this was a busy intersection. So I waited. I wondered if maybe I should just push the button anyway, even though it was “blipping” and leaned over to look at the pole. Well, fancy that, there was a sign that said to stand on the yellow spot, which activates the crossing signal. That was certainly the missing element; I was able, after only a slight wait, to cross the street. Seriously, I could’ve been there for days.

Which leads me to a quick plea… Cory and I are planning an overnight camping trip this weekend. The plan is to hike to the Pinnacles outside Thames, stay over night in a “hut” and then hike back down. Should I not post on the blog by, say, late Monday, please contact someone. Anyone. I’ll probably be dead from exhaustion next to a trail or waiting patiently by a street crossing, hoping the light will change.