American Gardner is having a laugh at public transport users over at Roar Prawn with some carpark porn in Auckland. As a non-car owning prole, it is one of the reasons I actively dislike Auckland. You can't go anywhere there without a car. Alternatives are all but active discouraged. Not at all like Wellington.
However, I have my own gripe on public transport here in Wellington. Apart from working animals such as guide dogs, animals are not allowed on the buses. This makes it very difficult for non-car owning proles to get their pets to the vet. Which is a shame considering all the vets in Wellington are on or near main bus routes. The SPCA in Newtown is on Routes 10 and 23. The Central Vet Hospital is on Routes 7, 8 and 9. Wadestown Vet is on Route 14. Kelburn Vet is on Routes 17, 18, 20, 22, and 23.
A return taxi fare to the SPCA is prohibitive at a cost of around 200 percent of their basic vet charges. The nearest vet is a cheaper taxi fare, but costs double or triple the SPCA prices. Besides, every time I go there they try to sell me on getting the cat's teeth cleaned. It might be alright for the lawyers and suits who take their pampered alter-egos in regularly to get their canine cholesterol levels checked or pooch nails manicured, but for this underdog, it's all too pricey.
Letting sick dogs on buses might also be a bit of a problem. In most cases, there's the option of walking the dog to the vets anyway. Have you ever tried to walk a cat anywhere? It doesn't work. Surely it can't be too much of a health and safety issue to let smaller pets on buses in suitable boxes or cages, especially during off-peak hours. In the meantime, I might start checking around for vets that do house calls.
