RobiNZ Personal Blog

Brilliant, the Truck Protest "gridlock" eased my commute

Normally I leave for work at about 08:20 to get across Auckland, from the West to the Shore, for a 09:00’ish start. This avoids the worst of the commuter and school run traffic. An 08:30 start means a 60 minute +commute so I don’t unless it’s necessary.

Today I expected the truck protest to cause havoc but, because of car  pooling, didn’t leave early as advised. I actually left a little bit later, nearer 08:25, and was amazed to arrive at work at 08:50. That’s a record time thanks to deserted roads and no cross traffic triggering red lights.

Riding the green wave on empty roads was brilliant. Could we have a Truck Protest every day?!

Protest fails to bring traffic chaos - 04 Jul 2008 - NZ Herald: New Zealand National news
An estimated 4000 trucks converged on the main city centres and smaller towns throughout New Zealand in protest at the government's plan to increase road user charges.
By 8am the roads were jammed but police estimated the number of private cars on the roads, particularly in Auckland, was down between 30 and 40 per cent and the predicted nightmare of a city-wide traffic gridlock did not happen.

Traffic Light Thought - A close shave, a long shave?

How can you shave with an electric razor, like the gentleman glimpsed in the rear vision mirror during the rush hour crawl, for over 20 minutes?

Traffic Light Thought - 60, 70, 80 km/h on a clear day? I blame LTNZ!

• It’s 9:00am on a clear fine day:
• It’s the motor way.
• The traffic is light, amazing for Auckland
• The speed limit is 100 km/h
• So why are the few cars on the road dawdling along, like mindless triffids, at 60, 70, 80 km/h?

I blame the Land Transport New Zealand. Their lame advertisements are making lame drivers.

Traffic Light Thought - Can you trust a weather forecast

Can you trust a weather forecast when it’s sponsored by an Umbrella Manufacturer?

I mean, rain today…      Really?      Or maybe just to sell…

(Radio Live Morning weather is sponsored, currently by an umbrella company…)

Tags: Radio+Live

Traffic Light Thought - Glad I'm not...

As I watch hail bouncing off the bonnet think glad I’m not:

• In a flash new car
• That guy on a motor bike in front of me!

Traffic Light Thought - The AutoCAD Car?

I thought I saw an AutoCAD car…

Traffic Light Thought - Roadworkers go green?

While sitting at the lights this morning I watch three workmen – big guys complete with fluoro vests – unloading tools and a few bags of pre-mix concrete to repair a footpath…  from a Toyota Prius!

I wondered what DodderyOldFart would have made of that?

Traffic Light Thought - Doesn't "The Barn Dance" happen everywhere?

I think it’s known as “Barn Dance crossing” due to the sometimes weird interactions of everyone meeting in the middle:

• All the lights are red
• Pedestrians crossing
• From all corners
• At the same time…

Maybe it’s just a Kiwi thing?

Traffic Light Thought - Why am I here?

Why did I take the old off-ramp, to get to the North Western Motorway, which requires a detour through town with three sets of traffic lights rather than the new connection which by-passes the whole lot?

Sitting at the lights for old times sake…

Traffic Light Thought - BMW Camry?

I was sitting at the lights and saw the back 1/2 of a new car in an adjacent lane. I looked and thought from the side view of tail light and boot/rear guard forms that it was some sort of mid-size Beemer. I couldn’t see any badges but then realised there was no Hofmeister kink!

In fact it was a new Toyota Camry but that leads me to wonder:

• Are the, once controversial, Bangle Beemer features like the ill fitting boot so mainstream Toyota use them?
• If so what will BMW do next?

This was further reinforced when a little way up the road a new shape 3 Series pulled out in front of me. The back of it is so dull it could be from a Toyota.

Tags: Toyota+Camry, BMW

Traffic Light Thought - It's nice to be polite but...

A nice lady in a stream of traffic lets a nice man out of a side street.

As he heads for the gap, he looks at her, smiling & waving a thank-you

While the traffic in front of him stopped… 

Crunch!

It’s nice to be polite but it pays to watch where you are going.

Traffic Light Thought - Where is everyone?

Drove to work thinking where is everyone?

Then remembered…

School holidays, no “School Run SUV” clutter…

Tags: SUV

Traffic Light Thought - Holdens Modest Ambitions

On a Holden Cruze number plate:

When I grow up I want to be a Commodore V8

A Fiat Punto would have:

When I grow up I want to be a Ferrari

Traffic Light Thought - Windy Corollas?

When they named the Toyota Corolla II Windy I wonder which definition they were thinking of ;

• Characterised by or abounding in wind: a windy night.
• Open to the wind; unsheltered: a windy terrace.
• Resembling the wind in speed, force, or variability: a windy dash homeward.
• Lacking substance; empty: windy promises.
• Given to or characterised by wearisome verbosity: a windy speaker.
• Flatulent.

Traffic Light Thought - Choose a midwife because of a number plate?

Sitting at the lights and the car in front has a number plate with contact details.

• Would you choose a midwife because of a number plate?

Traffic Light Thought - Mugged on the way home...

Not me, but my car. Sitting at the lights by the end of the motorway, waiting for the green when out of the blind-spot comes the dreaded windscreen cleaner. Before I could react the screen is covered in wash, of some sort, so had to let him finish. The light changes and off I go without parting with a cent.

I didn’t want it, would have refused given the opportunity, as my car has this incredible system that cleans the screen at the press a button. So why do I feel a bit crappy about not tipping?

Traffic Light Thought - Death at the lights

Traffic is worse than usual, school are back after the holidays and it’s been raining all night. I’m sitting gazing at a red traffic light, at the front of the queue, when in the corner of my eye I see something head across the road.

Didn’t wait for the red, didn't press the button for the crossing, just picked a gap in the crossing traffic and took off. Where were the parents? Nobody else around to stop it but then it’s too late.

The driver had no chance, it’s struck with a glancing blow, and a small body is flung across the road. With luck it would have survived, but the odds are against it. The final blow, a large SUV coming the other way, crushed into the asphalt, just another victim of the mighty automobile.

In 15 seconds, while my light was red, a tiny butterfly fluttered by and died.

It’s strange what you notice on the way to work.

Traffic light Thoughts

Commuting means time spent sitting at traffic lights

Random thoughts occur in an attempt to fill the void…

I call them Traffic Light Thoughts