Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Travelling Gravely

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  • Shep Cheyenne,

    My Street has battled the Riccarton Retailers over over our insistence of having 2hr max parking. So as the retailers don't park here all day long (which is what they want). Behind Katmandu there is a parking space for them which isn't used greatly.

    Riccarton Rd has a has Girls High, Boys High, Middleton Grange, Kirkwood Int., Riccarton High, St Teresas Primary, Villa Maria, & Riccarton Primary, either on it or one block off it. Just turn the current car parks on the side of the road into cycle ways but physically seperate fron the road itself & it instantly removes 90% of the SUVs from the road.

    We might remeber Fingers Fahey was the idiot who launched Cycle Hlmets on the population of NZ.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • linger,

    Ah, thanks Emma, that clears it up. Surely most customers wouldn't have that much difficulty bringing their heads with them on the bus :-)

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    We're looking forward to your hotel review, Russell. Already we have one of the Holiday Inn, and on the Aucklandista I reviewed eight different hotels - and if you're too lazy to read it all, let me say the best was The Quadrant, the worst by a long shot was The Copthorne Harbour City, and the Elliot St Apartments offer a taxi service for $25 to the airport.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • Tony Kennedy,

    meanwhile in another part of the universe Traffic jams often stretch to more than 130 miles

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 225 posts Report Reply

  • rodgerd,

    But might it be possible that some businesses require some parking space close at hand for delivery vehicles?

    Loading zones.

    And perhaps f the retailers value "their" parking so much "they" could pay for exclusive use of it. I pisses me off how much city parking in Wellington has been converted to 1 - 2 hour maxmimums at the behest of retailers. If people are going to commute to the city - and they are - surely it is best, from an environmental point of view and from a "building livable cities" point of view, for them to park around the edges of the interesting bits, get out of their car, and leave it there for as long as possible? Far better, it seems to me, if Mum, Dad, and the kids leave the car at 9 am, and wander around doing their thing until 2, and then go home.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 512 posts Report Reply

  • Evan Yates,

    What is PAS but online talkback?

    Kind of...

    However, I can look at a list of blog postings and after a few lines of each one can see if they are making a relevant or interesting (to me) point. If not I can decide to skip to the next one.

    On radio, the host makes that decision for me. Sometimes they like to let some caller blather on just to stir controversy.

    The difference in t/b-radio to blog is the reader of a blog has some control over what gets their attention. Not so much on radio.

    Hamiltron, Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Nov 2006 • 197 posts Report Reply

  • pkiwi,

    On taxis:
    Wellington Combined - I have been off them for a number of years for their xenophobic, racist, and down-right patronising advertising. Thank goodness for Green Cabs now - efficient in all ways!
    Dunedin - charning southern hospitality - the most friendly drivers in the country.
    Auckland - stressed out drivers - you can see why.

    Since May 2008 • 7 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Entirely off-topic, has anyone else discovered that the Preview button is functioning as the Post Reply button? And if this appears at this point, it's not a vice-versa situation.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    Stephen - I must contest that we have reached Peak Lycra!

    Some things just jump right out at you & make you wonder who's been watching too many Baywatch reruns.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    Pour encourager les autres - harks back to the unfortunate fate of poor Admiral Byng, who failed to show sufficient aggression when confronted by a superior fleet of scurrilous and thoroughly unsanitary Frenchmen and was executed for his troubles. Voltaire, a political refugee in England at the time, recorded a memorable quote: "in this country, it is wise to kill an admiral from time to time to encourage the others" (Dans ce pays-ci, il est bon de tuer de temps en temps un amiral pour encourager les autres).

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Reid,

    Green Cabs now - efficient in all ways!

    Except if you want to leave too early in the morning in Chch, in which case they send another taxi company! This was in the their first few weeks of operation so perhaps it's not the case anymore. Ironically it was a big six cylinder number.

    Shuttle makes you leave incredibly too much early for your flight. But as Shp said, the bus is great if you don't mind an extra 1/2 hour.

    Tried to fly out of Chch this morning but fog cancelled me out.

    What's his name who took on the IRD & then made a movie about himself (shrinking violet), developed SOL & did it backwards by building puds first - should have been accomodation first & it would have limited the pub developments/noise etc (& his profit). When he did build the accomodation he didn't use double glazing & so the noise & cold come right inside.

    Completely agree about David Henderson (SOL is South of Lichfield for you out of towners). He's also behind Sydenham Square on Colombo & Brougham, which is stalled for lack of funds...

    South Africa • Since Nov 2006 • 80 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    What is PAS but online talkback?

    That dubious honour most certainly belongs to the Heralds "Your Views" section. It must have taken some IT womble moments to figure out that if you put the posts in a reverse order, last first, that you stilfle all discussion. Here on PAS the forum follows the simple logic of first first, as God intended. On the Harolds site the comments just seem to come out of thin air and so have little substance, just a bitternes that exposes the contributors shallowness of thought.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    If any developers are out there - I recon Colombo St South offers a real oppitunity.

    Glorious but run down Red Brick old styled shop fronts, flat upstairs & coffee shop downstairs seems perfect.

    Better still a few of the little people might want to divert from owning residential rental property and go into small retail/flat options close to town?!

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    surely it is best, ... for them to park around the edges

    Best would be for them to take the train/bus.

    Next best would be to build a big carpark with it's own exit ramp out by the stadium somewhere. $5 to park, $10 congestion charge if you continue into town. Free trolley shuttles included in the parking fee, or free skateboards.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    On the Harolds site the comments just seem to come out of thin air

    Not aided by the arbitrary approvals process that leaves comments in limbo for hours. I've responded into threads with no comments that end up putting my contribution on the second or third page because so many people replied before anything was submitted.

    And, really, I'd argue that KB and WO get far closer to online talkback. After all, the Herald only allows comments on some of its posts :P

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Reid,

    If any developers are out there - I recon Colombo St South offers a real oppitunity.

    I reckon too, and so does Henderson apparently. The fence surrounding the building site at Sydenham Square has Vespas, pearl neclasses, outside coffee tables... There is a decent cafe down that way now, but the shopping centre with Spotlight is a bit depressing and empty.

    But, the main problem is that from the CBD Colombo has that awful rail overbirdge which kind of unnatrually cuts the street off. You certainly aren't going to get pedestrian flow from town. Which is why it might make sense to have people live there, in those beautiful brick terraces.

    Maybe an idea yet to find it's full realisation.

    South Africa • Since Nov 2006 • 80 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    What's good about PAS:
    - There are fairly few wingnuts.
    - Almost all of the comments are thoughtful and literate
    - The volume is enough to retain interest while not overwhelming.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    There's a really good student accomodation/hotel place called LivingSpace by SOL. Not only was it cheap, but the desk dude was really nice and tolerated having 15 pissed-up people in wierd clothes for a pre-party in my room.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    Matthew - bowl both bridges on Colombo & Moorhouse cnrs creating a tree lined walk/cycleway (OK with a set of lights for rail) seperated from cars & open the city to the south.

    Brilliant - we've fixed it.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    Rich - LivingSpace doesn't have double glazing & so if you wanted to live there ment noise & cold would come right through.

    Be warned Hendersons 5Mile in Queenstown seeks to go underground for a couple of stories - including accomodation.
    Really horrid thing is the mall/shopping complex is going to be a private space.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    What's good about PAS:
    - There are fairly few wingnuts.
    - Almost all of the comments are thoughtful and literate
    - The volume is enough to retain interest while not overwhelming.

    To which I'd add:

    - diversity of writers/topics
    - consistently high quality of writing
    - tolerance

    To invoke the 8 tribes analogy, pretty Grey Lynn, whereas talkback is generally Papatoetoe.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Reid,

    Matthew - bowl both bridges on Colombo & Moorhouse cnrs creating a tree lined walk/cycleway (OK with a set of lights for rail) seperated from cars & open the city to the south.

    Brilliant - we've fixed it.

    And reconvert the Hoyts into a railway station again, and everyone who is now driving from Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Belfast (and soon Pegasus Town), Halswell, Prebbleton, Lincoln can get off there and go for a morning coffee on Colombo South then free shuttle into CBD. Wicked.

    South Africa • Since Nov 2006 • 80 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    To invoke the 8 tribes analogy, pretty Grey Lynn, whereas talkback is generally Papatoetoe.

    PA System - there's a bit of Raglan and Cuba Street in there too.

    Talkback - much of it overlaps with the Balclutha tribe as well.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    On the Harolds site the comments just seem to come out of thin air and so have little substance, just a bitternes that exposes the contributors shallowness of thought.

    Provide the bucket and they'll vomit.

    Meanwhile the 'Medical Matters' thread here at PA has swollen to twenty-something pages, for little purpose other than providing a playpen for a single obsessive trollfoetus.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Neil Smart,

    At the beginning of the year I flew to Auckland on one of the Virgin deals cost me $50 from memory.

    The cab ride home to Eastboune cost $70. I wonder what law of economics applied?

    Since Nov 2006 • 71 posts Report Reply

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