The little yellow dots you stand on at intersections have been revealed to be a dangerous hazard.
They were glued into the pavement to help the visually impaired but instead of helping they have caused a number of painful injuries.
They're dotted around much of Aotearoa and are officially called tactile ground surface indicators, or TGSI. And for some they're vital.
"For us, every dot and every line tells a story," said Dan Shepherd, head of access and awareness at Blind Low Vision NZ.
But there have been impassioned pleas to ban the yellow dots on pavements after a series of serious slipping injuries.
Leo Breva may be fighting a losing battle to save his leg.
"If the compartment syndrome comes back and I don't get the immediate medical attention that I need, I could still lose a leg. That's what they [are] saying," he told Newshub.
After slipping on the yellow dots at a west Auckland train station, he fractured his leg in four places and a delay at the hospital led to extensive surgery. That happened in May, yet months later things still aren't better.
"Today is just one of those bad days when the pain is quite intense and the swelling is quite severe," Breva said.
"It's hard to believe what really caused that accident were those little yellow dots."
They're a severe risk in more places than one. Monica Bush broke her ankle at dots worn smooth in Takapuna.
"They're lethal - they're so slippery," she said.
Left unable to walk and climb stairs for weeks, Bush eventually decided to move.
"We decided after I had this injury - because we're living in a two-storey house with all the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs - we made the decision it was time to go one level," she told Newshub.
The spot's notorious.
"I've seen about five or six people slip over just on these ones around here over the last year - it really is dangerous," said Takapuna bar owner John Sweetman.
"You can see my foot - I don't need to do bugger all to get my foot to slide."
Even Shepherd agreed something needs to be done.
"Authorities should take the recent reports into consideration - seek to put processes in place to assess TGSI around communities and maintain it where needed," he told Newshub.
Auckland Transport's known about the problem for a number of years but has never warned the public. An urgent review is underway but each location will cost about $15,000 to repair.
A handful of spots are scheduled for an upgrade but the two spots that have already claimed victims aren't among them.
Community advocate Ruth Jackson says enough is enough.
"If this doesn't get fixed - there will be more injuries and they'll be serious injuries," she said.
"It's absolutely horrific."
Those hit hardest are calling for an outright ban.
"Whatever they're made out of - the yellow ones - I don't know what they're made out of, all I know is that I hate them. Ban the dots," Bush said.
"The pain is manageable, it comes and goes - but trying to stay positive and looking at the rainbow after the rain is really difficult," Breva added.
An attempt to help that's become a hazard.
