As I sat in standstill traffic on my way to work yesterday morning, I found myself envious of commuters starting their day bypassing the congestion.
These people - on their bicycles, walking, riding electric bikes and one man on a hoverboard-type of contraption - looked as though they were enjoying their journey.
As I looked into the cars around me, drivers and their passengers did not have the same calm expressions. Although no one seemed stressed or angry, no one looked to be enjoying themselves either - not like those outside of their vehicles.
Read more: Tauranga survey gives city a fail mark in reducing reliance on cars
It should be noted Tauranga's Monday morning traffic delays were particularly bad yesterday due to two crashes, luckily without any injuries suffered, leaving much of the city in gridlock. However, that's all it takes to turn a 10-15 minute trip in normal traffic into a 40 minute journey.