Given the finger by a traffic warden...
Discussion
There was an unfortunate story in my local rag where the traffic warden got run over and the car then reversed over him for good measure! Main road and street full of people, guess how many witnesses? NONE!!
No one likes em, fact!! They are just another tool used by wasteful and useless local authorities to raise more money. Their job has nothing to do with traffic. I personally have no sympathy for them whatsoever.
No one likes em, fact!! They are just another tool used by wasteful and useless local authorities to raise more money. Their job has nothing to do with traffic. I personally have no sympathy for them whatsoever.
I fully support traffic wardens, because they ticket the 
wits who park on the double-yellows at the bottom of my street; when they park there, the simple act of turning in becomes an exercise in millimetre-perfect car control. Not fun on a dark, wet Wednesday night when you've had a bad day in the office and just want to get home.
More power to their elbows.
(at least until I get a ticket, at which point I shall, no doubt, call for the public gibbetting of these people)
The OP, though, was an obnoxious bully ("get a life"? He has. He's a traffic warden. Gotta bring home the bacon somehow) and I applaud the warden for not just rolling over. Manners would have worked better than snottiness, I believe.
wits who park on the double-yellows at the bottom of my street; when they park there, the simple act of turning in becomes an exercise in millimetre-perfect car control. Not fun on a dark, wet Wednesday night when you've had a bad day in the office and just want to get home. More power to their elbows.
(at least until I get a ticket, at which point I shall, no doubt, call for the public gibbetting of these people)
The OP, though, was an obnoxious bully ("get a life"? He has. He's a traffic warden. Gotta bring home the bacon somehow) and I applaud the warden for not just rolling over. Manners would have worked better than snottiness, I believe.
If only that were true - that traffic wardens ticket vehicles obstructing the traffic. This situation runs a dismal second place as most TWs or their privatised clones are just plain ticket happy and enforce petty parking regulations where no obstruction or traffic flow / safety problem exists, purely in order to raise more Council tax for their ultimate paymasters.
A traffic warden's income is based purely on number of tickets. Greedy companies make sure they are always desperate and will ticket innocent people when they can get away with it. The company exploits it's workers and the workers have to fill their quota.
They are all parasites by any definition. Regular people provide goods and services and the traffic wardens/companies ride on their backs using the 'law' to fine them - the only thing close is the government taxation system, i.e. VAT. You do the work, we'll take the money.
Because of this for many people one yellow line is as meaningless as another and a yellow line with a purpose will probably be ignored. A short width restriction is probably a better way to force people not to park where they obstruct turnings etc..
Now where is my blackboard paint?
They are all parasites by any definition. Regular people provide goods and services and the traffic wardens/companies ride on their backs using the 'law' to fine them - the only thing close is the government taxation system, i.e. VAT. You do the work, we'll take the money.
Because of this for many people one yellow line is as meaningless as another and a yellow line with a purpose will probably be ignored. A short width restriction is probably a better way to force people not to park where they obstruct turnings etc..
Now where is my blackboard paint?
CommanderJameson said:
quite sensible stuff
On the other side of the coin though......
You do get all sorts. I recall getting an excess charge for overstaying by 10 minutes on a Sheffield meter. (btw does anyone give these anymore or is it the full whack after two minutes over.
Anyway fair cop; hands up; was 10 minutes late due to Cole Brothers staff muppetry.
TW was standing by wall opposite vehicle presumably waiting to upgrade to a full penalty notice. I just lifted the ticket off the screen and got into the van saying nothing nor even looking at the TW.
Having opened the drivers window and in the process of manouevring out of the space I observe the TW standing by my door and pronouncing very belligerently "Haven't you got something to say to me then?"
Needless to say he was ignored. Now my assessment is that was an individual going out of his way to attract trouble.
It's like some plod are in the job weeks and have been on the receiving end of more verbal and physical aggro than others have had in 20 years. Takes all sorts.
my 2p anyway.
CommanderJameson said:
I fully support traffic wardens, because they ticket the
I just wish they'd double yellow some roads by near my house and enforce some ticketing to stop people from parking in most unreasonable and idiotic places, most residents have parking spaces but are too lazy to walk the extra 20 metres. Instead the double yellows are often in more revenue available areas that perhaps don't always deserve to be.
As for TW's they often seem to be a certain type of person and I too doubt they would have many frends or family members who admit being related, Their personalities wind you up before they've even spoken.
7db said:
A traffic warden's income is based purely on number of tickets.
Can you prove that?
In public domain re PA's (as opposed to proper TWs) who have been fired because they did not achieve their daily quota.
In the decriminalised world of civilian enforcement lots of examples of misuse of powers where the income of the issuer (or more commonly) the income of their direct employer is directly related to numbers of penaly notices issued.
Even this sad excuse for a Goverment recognised whilst redrafting the Traffic Management Bill that the bill required reworking due to the excesses of certain council enforcemnt departments, e.g. Manchester.
Which doesn't show that they are being paid purely on the basis of number of tickets issued - just that they failed to issue and were fired.
Presumably the proper test out to be number of tickets compared with a sample rate from those issued by one or two sample super-wardens who go round and do ticketing as well but for the employer, not the enforcement agency.
Less ten times the number of appealed or withdrawn tickets.
Presumably the proper test out to be number of tickets compared with a sample rate from those issued by one or two sample super-wardens who go round and do ticketing as well but for the employer, not the enforcement agency.
Less ten times the number of appealed or withdrawn tickets.
7db said:
Which doesn't show that they are being paid purely on the basis of number of tickets issued - just that they failed to issue and were fired.
Presumably the proper test out to be number of tickets compared with a sample rate from those issued by one or two sample super-wardens who go round and do ticketing as well but for the employer, not the enforcement agency.
Less ten times the number of appealed or withdrawn tickets.
Agreed if you interpret the question on the basis of a piece work rate.
By that I mean no basic pay but paid "commission" on each ticket, or even a low basic plus bonus. Even the privatised enforcement industry isn't that cynical, though I do believe it applies/applied to some clamping operators.
However if you look upon it that their income, in a salaried sense, relies on the number of tickets issued then it does apply does it not? As in not enough tickets = no income. Especially if promotions and therefore higher income relies on heading up a league table of PAs.
Not to mention that it does apply to their employer, who is the real driving force behind the ticketing policy.
As far as I know these privatised bodies are paid on numbers of tickets issued with a penalty for incorrectly issued tickets. Maybe they also have a penalty for withdrawn / overturned on appeal.
"one or two sample super-wardens who go round and do ticketing as well but for the employer, not the enforcement agency."
Didn't really understand what you meant by that bit. Do you mean PCSOs or Police TWs as compared to civilian PA or what?
I meant the idea of having someone independent also issuing tickets so that "the right" number of tickets could be measured. Ideally no tickets would be issued -- that would mean that enforcement had worked but we know that would now happen.
My dispute with the previous assertion was that their income was "purely" based on number of tickets issued. It strikes me as unlikely.
My dispute with the previous assertion was that their income was "purely" based on number of tickets issued. It strikes me as unlikely.
Oh 7db and fif ye of little faith.
www.tinyurl.com/dnspv
........just wonder why it has so far reached the Statute Books?
dvd
>> Edited by Dwight VanDriver on Monday 2nd January 14:43
www.tinyurl.com/dnspv
........just wonder why it has so far reached the Statute Books?
dvd
>> Edited by Dwight VanDriver on Monday 2nd January 14:43
7db said:I don't have to, several of Nigeria's finest explain the whole scam the this BBC documentary:
A traffic warden's income is based purely on number of tickets.
Can you prove that?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/breakfast/4596
Even if you don't believe them, you'll have to explain why people who are not (legally) on piece rate are so keen to ticket anything and everything. There is a motive, and it is money per ticket.
This illegal parasitic scam makes a mockery of law and order, it's just easy money for councils so don't expect them to be prosecuted.
I also found this appeals site too which looks rather nice.
www.appealnow.com/
raja said:
There was an unfortunate story in my local rag where the traffic warden got run over and the car then reversed over him for good measure! Main road and street full of people, guess how many witnesses? NONE!!
No one likes em, fact!! They are just another tool used by wasteful and useless local authorities to raise more money. Their job has nothing to do with traffic. I personally have no sympathy for them whatsoever.
So its ok to run a man over purely because you dislike what he does for a living? I drive a HGV and plenty of PHers don't like that so does that mean its ok to run me down?
Where does it end? Can people be right to run someone over on the basis of your dislike against anyone for anything? Occupation, race, sexual orientation or whatever?
Prejudice they call that!
I didn't run him over, nor do i know what went on. The point was that there was not one witness, even though there were plenty of people around. Of course its wrong, but does it surprise anyone?
My definition of prejudice is though different, people do not choose their ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. They do choose to become a traffic attendant (?). My experience over the last decade is that the roles of these people have changed. Once it was about road safety, now it is without doubt about income generation for local authorities.
My definition of prejudice is though different, people do not choose their ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. They do choose to become a traffic attendant (?). My experience over the last decade is that the roles of these people have changed. Once it was about road safety, now it is without doubt about income generation for local authorities.
Maybe my post appears more serious than it was meant to be, however the point still stands. You say "Of course its wrong" as regards to running over traffic wardens but earlier you said in your 'running over' post "I have no sympathy for them" which to me implies that you would condone such an act. If I mis-interperated(sp??) that then I apologise.
Someone else pointed out earlier that the real beef is with the council/local authority and not the individual warden personally. You don't know what reasons they may have had for taking the job, there may be a perfectly good reason such as that was the best option for supporting his or her family.
Anyway not trying to start a row, just saying how the post looked to me
Someone else pointed out earlier that the real beef is with the council/local authority and not the individual warden personally. You don't know what reasons they may have had for taking the job, there may be a perfectly good reason such as that was the best option for supporting his or her family.
Anyway not trying to start a row, just saying how the post looked to me
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