A Papakura dog owner who took his chihuahua for a train ride was left stranded in the city on Sunday after staff at Britomart wouldn't let him back on.
Peter Davidson, 69, said he was faced with the prospect of leaving his pet behind after being escorted out by security.
"This guy called Ross stopped us and said, 'You can't get on with the dog.' I explained that we were allowed on at Papakura, so why aren't we allowed on now? How are we supposed to get back to Papakura?"
Ross, an Auckland Transport staff member, wouldn't reveal his full name - and even allegedly flipped his ID badge around so Davidson couldn't find out.
"I asked to see his manager. He said, 'I am the manager.' I say, 'So there's nobody above you at AT?' 'No, I'm the manager.'"
Auckland Transport last week started letting passengers take small pets on trains at off-peak times, including weekends. Davidson - who doesn't use public transport often - decided Sunday would be a good day to give it a go, so packed up his tiny 10-year-old friend and set off for the Papakura station.
"We went down to the station and there was a lady there who saw the dog in the bag. She said, 'Oh yeah, that's fine...' We went down to Auckland, had lunch on the viaduct, a walk and a cup of tea."
The restaurant he and his wife ate at also had no problem with the chihuahua.
"Being 10 years old he's quite happy to lie down and sleep."
But Ross at Britomart did.
"He appeared to be more like a bouncer at a club, this guy... He just wouldn't discuss anything. He actually got security to take us out of the station. There were three security guards there who looked rather embarrassed."
Davidson said if his carry bag didn't meet Auckland Transport's requirements, he should have been told in Papakura - and he would have been okay with that.
"We had to impose on somebody on a Sunday afternoon at half-past three, getting on towards four o'clock, to come down and pick us up... We couldn't get on a bus, they wouldn't let us on a bus... I don't believe taxis could do it. The only other way to do it would be to leave the dog in Auckland, I could get on the train, get the car and go back."
Auckland Transport confirmed Davidson was approached by the Transdev Gate-line Supervisor as he headed toward the Britomart train platforms with an "unrestrained small dog".
"Ross informed him that he could not take the dog onto a service without the dog being contained in a cage or carry case," a spokesperson told Newshub.
"The dogs' owner asked if wrapping him/her in a blanket would be OK. He was told no and then became verbally abusive towards Transdev Staff.
"It was at this point that Ross requested assistance from Security and the party were asked to leave the station and were escorted offsite by Security."
Trains, ferries and buses across Auckland were free on Sunday. Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said four times as many trips were taken on public transport than on a usual Sunday.
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Davidson said he wasn't even aware it was a free day, having a SuperGold card. He says if Auckland Transport wants to boost the number of people using public transport, it needs to get its act together.
"Maybe that's what [Ross has] been told - that's fine, he's doing his job, fine... but when he decided to get security to take us out, it was just ludicrous."
Newshub.
