The quay was an interesting place to observe the oddities of Papeete, like the huge Club Med ships that frequent the Society Islands, full of ignorant holiday-makers who believe the huge sails on those boats actually push the things along (they're engine driven, with four huge gibs stuck out to make them look good when sailing). Perhaps the most amusing and downright French spectacle was the pedestrian crossing just opposite the boat. In typical Parisian fashion, the cars have absolutely no intention of stopping for mere pedestrians, which produces a collection of bemused and critical Americans and Englishmen standing on the crossing and mumbling about how rude these French drivers are. As Tahitians casually think to themselves that the world would be a better place if the tourists calmed down. There's no doubt that Papeete is a pedestrian's nightmare, with blind corners coinciding with a disappearing pavement, drivers who think the whole world is Le Mans, scooters that treat the sidewalk as an extension of the road, and parking rules that were obviously made to be broken.