Editor’s Desk: 15-minute wait at traffic lights is a reminder of how lucky we are in Geraldton

Last weekend, after a trip to Bunnings, I found myself waiting at a set of traffic light ... and waiting ... and waiting. It had been 15 minutes or so on a red light, and the lights weren’t changing for anyone. What the hell was happening? It’s like they were frozen. A driver opposite the highway resorted to getting out of his car and directed those behind him to turn around. We were so exasperated that my mother in the front seat called Main Roads to alert them to a possible malfunction. What else could explain having to wait such an ungodly time for lights to change? Eventually a warning vehicle drove past indicating a truck with an oversized load was approaching. And yes, indeed it was oversized, the monster load with some mining-type machinery equipment barely squeezed through the intersection. So the wait made sense, although do you really need to stop traffic on a busy highway for 10-15 minutes in advance of an oversized load — overkill much? But the whole episode got me thinking and made me realise how truly I have reverted back to country ways after being back in Geraldton for the past two years. Before that I had been living in Perth for 12 years, and in Perth it would be normal to be sitting at traffic lights for 10-15 minutes. You would bitch and moan about it, but it wouldn’t come as a shock. Yet in Geraldton if you’re waiting at traffic lights for more than 30 seconds you start to get antsy. It’s just one example, one facet of our laidback lifestyle that perhaps we take for granted. We live in a city where it doesn’t take you much more than 10 minutes to get from end to end. In Perth at times it used to take me 45 minutes to get into work. I rarely got home before dark, couldn’t take my dog for an after-work walk. Thinking about it now, at least it gave me time to delve into the world of podcasts, something that has fallen by the wayside a tad since I don’t have to spend large chunks of my day behind the wheel crawling in the rat race. Don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of things I miss about living in Perth. The seemingly endless opportunities and things to do at your disposal (you never get stuck wondering what you can do on any given day), the choice of shops, restaurants, pubs, and so on. It’s safe to say my online shopping habit has worsened since moving back to Geraldton. And although it’s a convenience which ensures those not living in major cities don’t have to go without, it comes with its risks. In just the past two weeks, I’ve had two packages arrive — one with a wallet a completely different colour to the one I ordered and another with a dress that wasn’t the best fit. If only I could have been able to pop into the shops to ensure I got what I wanted, instead of having to waste up to an hour on the phone to complain about the stuff up, then deal with the hassle of sending parcels back and waiting for the right items to arrive. But Geraldton is never going to be a shopping metropolis with every store you wish for under the sun. So there will always be demand for online shopping (and despite my recent mishaps, I’ll be ordering my next item in no time). I am well aware these sound like first world problems and they are. But the little wait and whinge episode I had at the traffic lights last weekend was a reminder of how lucky we are in Geraldton, in so many respects. Things that help us even the ledger in the constant battle of work-life balance. If I have to accept the risks that come with online shopping, then so be it.