Rants & raves: Slow hop card transactions

Photo / Greg Bowker

Rant

Why does it take Auckland Transport Hop up to 72 hours from the transaction time to actually credit a Hop card? I was taking my kids to the Auckland Anniversary events in the CBD and in preparation topped up my card but didn't know if I could actually use it when I got to the train station. Mayor Len should put that under the Fixing Transport section of the 10-year Budget document that arrived in our letterbox.

Jane de Ville

Rave

To the young man and woman who spotted an elderly couple standing on the bus and immediately offered their seats: Great to see Kiwi courtesy still happening.

Ann Ryan

Rant

Yesterday, Don wrote: "The squealing and screaming of kids is the worst noise imaginable ... " You know, when I was a kid in London many years ago, we heard the noise of the V1 flying bombs overhead, then stopping and a few seconds afterwards exploding. I thought that was the worst noise imaginable, but it seems I was wrong.

Countryman

Rave

Thank you, Auckland Libraries, for the Dare to Explore summer reading programme. I had fun doing activities and learning about magic and science, planet Earth, and space and beyond. We then had a free magic show at the end. The librarians at Waiuku Library are always friendly and helpful.

Ella Faithful (age 9)

Rant

On Friday, I was able to watch a group of foreign students enjoy fishing on the North Wharf near the Kestrel ferry on a beautiful Auckland day. The problem was all the fish they caught, mainly snapper, were undersized at 20cm and less. They were not the only ones catching illegal-size fish. On having this pointed out, they were very obliging and returned all eight snapper to the sea. They said they did not know that New Zealand had fish size restrictions and bag limits. There are no signs on the wharf that I could see pointing out the legal size of any fish or bag size. If this is happening here, what is happening around the rest of New Zealand? Perhaps with every new fishing rod sold in New Zealand, a fishing size chart should be handed out and more fixed signs should be placed in strategic fishing positions.

Rohan

Rave

Ports of Auckland has done a wonderful thing by freshly painting the red fence along the wharf. It looks so much better - shiny and new. Thank you. Thumbs up to the two hardworking men who were wielding paint brushes in the heat of a classic summer's day to get it done! And, a polite nudge to the manager, who needs to agree to do the rest of it, please.

Angela Clemens

Tell us what you love about life in New Zealand - and what needs to change. Email rantandrave@nzherald.co.nz.