Crossposted from Pacific Empire.

Well done New Zealand, you are now the proud owners of the Linden train station.

They can't even spell swear words right?

I travel to Linden on the train for work. The Wellington railway station has a supermarket, is clean and tidy, and the trains leave in the morning exactly on time.

Linden Station is a different story. In the mornings, I just walk through it on the way to work.

But in the evenings, the trains stop being on time and I often have to wait 15-20 minutes in these surroundings.

Photos, of course, can't convey the strong smell of dried urine. I wonder how much it would cost to hose the place out every week?

Contemporary art by disadvantaged and misunderstood youth?

No, I don't think so either.

You'd think they would get around to replacing the perspex covering the timetable. What would that cost, $50? It has been like this for about a month.

They do seem to paint the place every few months. But I can't help thinking that two or three $350 cameras could save a lot of money and hard work.

I predict that now the trains are state owned, this sort of problem will get worse, not better.

Why is there rubbish here? Is it because people are inherently selfish litterbugs? Well, no. It is because there are neither rubbish bins nor ashtrays here. Not one. This stuff isn't rocket science, folks ...

Are you listening, environmentalists? This is why public transport - even in Wellington, where the geography is particularly suited to it - will never replace cars, no matter what the council's Long Term Plan says. People prefer climbing into their car at their house, when they are ready, and driving straight to work. Even if it is more expensive, and, yes, even if it pollutes a tiny bit and (gasp!) uses up more precious resources.

Who likes to look at graffiti and smell urine?