Ask Phoebe: Church near airport safe in new home
5:30 AM Tuesday Nov 13, 2012Q: We were taking our Hawkes Bay friends out to the airport the other day and Janice asked what had happened to the wee church on the corner of George Bolt Drive and Ihumatao Rd. Kaye Proctor, Torbay.
During the expansion of Auckland Airport, the Westney Church and the associated Westney Homestead were placed on a temporary site until a suitable home could be found for them. The buildings can be found at the Abbeville Farm Estate, which is situated within the Auckland Airport Business District precinct, in Nixon Rd. It will be used as an events function venue. In 2006, the graves were re-sited, many to Mangere Lawn Cemetery. The names of those buried are recorded on a memorial inside the restored church.
Q: On a daily basis, I turn right into Gavin St from Penrose Rd. Whenever there is a vehicle turning left into Gavin St from Penrose Rd, they without fail give way to me. There is an island dividing my path from that of the left-turning vehicles however they do not have a give way sign. Can you please confirm that I should be giving way? Warren Brown, Northcross.
Contrary to your observation, left-turning traffic from Penrose into Gavin does face a give way sign. Thus, left-turning traffic from Penrose must wait for you.
Q: I travel home along Aviemore Drive and turn left to go up Highland Park Drive. At this intersection there is a give way sign and painted lines. Most cars waiting opposite to turn right do not realise this. Even when the lane is clear of cars travelling straight through, if I stop to give way, like I should, the cars opposite never move, or wave me through thinking that the new law applies. This normally results in a Mexican stand off and ends with lots of hand and arm waving as well as shaking heads.
Could you please confirm that a) the new give way rule does not apply here as the intersection is controlled by a give way sign, and b) maybe ask to have the give way sign removed as no one gives way there anyway and it would be an easy solution to the issue. Hayden Stephenson, Pakuranga.
You are correct, Mr Stephenson. Traffic turning left from Aviemore into Highland Park must wait for right-turning vehicles, as they face a give way sign, and so the new rule does not apply. Auckland Transport planners might like to consider your suggestion of removal of this sign.
There are a great many places where the demands of driving safely in traffic, keeping out of the path of idiot drivers, and avoiding suicidal pedestrians and cyclists, takes so much focus that to take your eyes away and search around for poorly-sited signs would itself be dangerous. Causing an accident under such circumstances would lead to a charge of careless driving.
It is painfully apparent that nobody with any brains bothers to check the positioning of the signs after they are erected. Some are ok but too many of them seem to be placed with no regard for the fact that no two roads or intersections are ever alike. Each one needs to be treated on its own merits. What works for one is so often totally inappropriate for another. Regardless of what the "book" says.
In four clear words: Signs are for communication.
That's their sole purpose. And time after time they are not achieving it.