PARNELL BATHS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22792, 28 July 1937, Page 17

PARNELL BATHS

Sir, —Business men make access to their shops as easy as possible and will go to a great deal of trouble to avoid a single step between tho pavement and their counters, knowing that prospective customers will hesitate to go inside when they see that one or two steps have to be mounted. Prospective bathers have the same reactions when they think of going to Parnell for a dip. From the Parnell side several very steep flights have to be negotiated before the swimming pool can be reached and this is unavoidable, but tho approach from Tamaki Drive could be very much improved and the baths thereby made infinitely more attractive bv the expenditure of a comparatively small sum of money. In approaching the pool from the waterfront road it is, of course, necessary to go up and over the railway lines and the average bather does not mind this, but he does strongly object to tho necessity for climbing scores of additional steps only to negotiate a similar number coming down again. This additional climbing could be avoided by the construction of a narrow ramp from the overhead bridge level along the face of the cliff at a gentle incline over the dressing sheds and down to the turnstiles. I know that numbers of people, like myself, in contemplating a swim change their minds when they think of this otherwise unnecessary climb and the council's revenue suffers accordingly. I believe the cost of the proposed ramp would be offset by additional entrance fees in a very short time. W. J. Hoacii.