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It’s only a Blues game tonight but you would think it was an armed offenders callout.
And good luck if you work in one of the small businesses in one of the neighbouring streets and forget to move your car before 4.30pm when parking was prohibited. The tow truck drivers had no sympathy.
And good luck cruising the streets looking for a parking thinking you could sneak through the army of officials and cones.
As for the trains, well early on the crowded Friday night commuters heading home had to share with the start of the throng heading for Eden Park. Even when they got off at Kingsland to head for the park, there was still standing room only.
But this operation has been done so many times in preparation for the RWC2011, it runs as a clockwork operation.
Even so, I spotted a KiwiRail engineer in the Kingsland shelter, presumably with a few tools in his back pocket in case a train breaks down!
6 Comments
Some people I know rented out parking on their property near Eden park on match nights. Recently the council told them to stop since they are in a residential zone.
This was on normal match days/nights only, no chance of doing anything during RWC games when cars won’t be allowed near the stadium
I had to give first aid to a guy that had had his head kicked in after the game, pissed of course. I think just having the security guards there is a small price to pay if it stops stuff like that happening, he was a mess.
The towing is a tad harsh but that was just a blues game, think of the traffic of a world cup game. I told six people that there was a high risk of their car being towed and they said they would risk it, so there may be a method to Auckland council’s towing madness.
Trust me there are Kiwirail guys in the shadows on game nights, just in case.
If people are going to start complaining about standing room on on trains at games, get real.
try going to twickers for a test in london.
with the all the transport in the world they have, you can still wait up to an hour after the game to get on the trains in either direction.
when 60k people pour out of a stadium and head down one blocked off street to the traino, its all under control.
I think people need to learn it takes time and practice to get things sorted.
as for the car towing, if your going to ignore the signs, your an idiot and deserved to be towed.
any car around a stadium during game time sadly these days is a threat.
we didn’t make it like that, but the people that run the show carry on like it. live with it.
They stuffed up 3 arterial roads! A mate on his bus home via New North rd got off and walked it was so bad! apparently it ground to a halt back to Symonds st.
I took the train to the game and back. The train there (a rugby special) left on time but was extremely slow, probably because it was following an all stops service that had left left about 15 mins late and also we had to wait for a Britomart bound service at Sarawia st. The service arrived at Kingsland 15mins later than scheduled despite departing on time which is a bit of a worry for the RWC. If the train is scheduled to depart and arrive at a specific time it needs to do just that or close to it when it comes to a major event. I think for people going to the rugby, going early is the big lesson.
Coming back was still fairly slow speed wise but at least with no stops.
As far as the towies are concerned Jon, when do they have any compassion? And Eden park was criticised (including on this blog) after the lack of security at the league test last year so isn`t it a bit rich to criticise them now when they`ve added security? Sorry mate but you can`t have your cake AND eat it on this one.
@Simon Fair comment!