The Final Steps of

This is a picture of me and the kids on Maroubra Beach at dusk. We went to see Ian, a mate from the radio show, and went walking before he shouted us dinner at the local pub. After the holidays my cards were tight as, and there was a million things to do to catch up. Nothing was straight forward. We were still disorientated, not used to the price of things, hovering unprotected in a city we did not love. But here, at the beach, a contrast to inner-city Redfern, the best things about Sydney were all available. Able to look out at space from almost any vantage point, healthy open faces, the salt in the air and the coolness after the heat of the day. Like most people in Sydney, I had long ago abandoned the beach as any part of our normal routine. Let's just duck down the beach, I used to say years back, having two growing kids, and we would bundle into the car and head off; soon to be caught in the chocking traffic on Cleveland Street, only, eventually, to reach Bondi, Australia's most famous beach. From here the difficulties only multiplied.

The councils of Sydney long ago worked out that the best money generator in town was to fine people for parking and make it impossible to find anywhere to park. They rake it in. It's a criminal abuse of the citizenry, because the fines are unbelievably high, starting at $70 for your run of the mill breach, $90 if you're in a loading zone and going up to $395 plus a $50 late fee for parking in a disabled zone. There is no place to park. If the councils actually spent all these millions providing parking space for the citizenry, they could solve the problem and make everyone's life easier. But of course they don't want to do that, they just want to take the money.

Parking cops are the most despised people in Sydney; but they are trained to brush off the abuse that is heaped on them everyday, somehow justifying making people's lives a misery, supposedly for the greater good. There is no one who can be held account. The officers, scumbags one and all, are just doing their job. The staff behind the counter at the council's are just doing their job. The anti-car mayor thinks it's not her responsibility and people should be encouraged to use public transport, even if the public transport is a disaster. The magistrates imposing the penalties think it's not their fault either; and as they impose unreasonable fines on reasonable people, pensioners who have stopped for five minutes to pick up their disabled partners, taxi drivers who have pulled into the curb to let someone off; they impose these injustices without conscience. "You can't really expect me to take that seriously," they ask, when someone tells them what they think. Creating a city where it is impossible to get around and making it impossible to find a parking spot is all part of the tyranny of the city, the reason why so many people are leaving what was once a great town. Everyone my age says much the same thing; this used to be a nice place, it ain't anymore, it's simply too crowded, too aggressive, too nasty; leading to the white retreat, the sea change, the tree change, whatever you want to call it, everyone wants to get out now, and leave the place abandoned to ethnic enclaves, to strangers who are changing the face of the country, to cruel and aggressive herds of trendoids in flash cars. The social engineers have won the day; promoting the illusion of multicultural harmony, happy to live their lies as long as their theories remain unchallenged. If you're wealthy, you just whack your credit card into the parking machine and it takes your money. If you're not, you find yourself driving around and around, looking for somewhere to leave the car in the stifling heat; the cool of the beach another illusion in the tyranny that has become city life.

THE BIGGEST STORY

From the SMH:
Barricades were in place on roads leading to Sydney Airport as US Vice-President Dick Cheney wrapped up his visit to Australia.
Mr Cheney left about 9am today after a four-day visit marred by violent protests, arrests and traffic chaos in Sydney.
He also faced intensive media questioning about Australian terror suspect David Hicks, Australia's continued military role in Iraq and a possible US-led invasion of Iran.
The near perfect weather during the visit turned to rain today as the 20-vehicle vice presidential entourage travelled to Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport and entered Gate 12A near the domestic terminal.
Airforce 2, a Boeing 757, and a much larger US Air Force KC-10 transport, were loaded by US support staff prior to Mr Cheney's arrival on the tarmac.
No Australian politicians were present at the airport, but US Ambassador Robert McCallum, and his wife Mimi, farewelled the vice-president.
Under a heavy guard of NSW police, US Secret Service and other security personnel, Mr Cheney boarded the flight.
Airforce 2 will have to refuel at an undisclosed location before reaching the US mainland.
Many Sydneysiders experienced the fourth day of traffic chaos in a week when the Sydney Harbour Bridge and part of the Rocks were cleared to give visiting US Vice-President Dick Cheney a clear ride.
All lanes on the bridge and the sea surface below were cleared to allow Mr Cheney's motorcade to travel to John Howard's residence, Kirribilli House.
The situation was made worse by maintenance work on the CityRail network, disrupting services on six suburban lines with many trains running to amended timetables and some services and stations shut down in the CBD and replaced by bus transport.
AAP