Traffic Wardens not welcome
Discussion
http://www.pendletoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=8&ArticleID=1038243
Wardens not welcome
Cafe 'losing business because of too many parking tickets'. A NELSON businessman has banned all traffic wardens from his cafe, saying that he is sick of their over-zealous approach.
Mr David Cassidy (42), of Aroma's cafe and takeaway, Scotland Road, has put a notice up saying "traffic wardens not welcome". He said: "I have told them all, they can go elsewhere for their lunch. I have got customers who have had to stop coming in because they keep getting tickets.
"I had one regular customer, a carer for a wheelchair user, who came in and apologised, saying that they couldn't come in any more because they couldn't park.
"My sign has had a fantastic response from customers. People have been chuckling and swapping their stories."
Mr Cassidy, who has run the cafe with his partner, Mr Chris Taylor (42), for seven months, has had problems with the traffic wardens from the very beginning of the business, and he has had to open a second depot for catering deliveries, as his staff cannot park near the original shop.
"When we were starting up, our electrician was ticketed twice in one hour. He got one dropped, but these are busy, hardworking people. They shouldn't have to go out of their way to right other people's wrongs," said Mr Cassidy.
He also claims that he has been given a ticket 10 minutes before his time was up, and that Parkwise staff were very unhelpful when he telephoned Parkwise to ask about the reasons for serving the notice. "Their attitude was that I had broken the law, and there was nothing I could do. I flatly refuse to pay up," he said.
Mr Cassidy's shop used to be a regular lunchtime haunt for a number of the town's traffic wardens, before they were banished.
"I used to have a laugh with a couple of the ones that came in, and tell them it was like a ticketing marathon, but I'm past laughing now," he said.
"This has had a big impact on my trade. I had two friends in for dinner a little while ago and they were only four minutes outside their time, but they had to pay £30 each, so that lunch cost them £70."
He added that although he agreed people should be penalised for parking illegally, there should be more flexibility for people who had simply made a mistake, or been a few minutes late back from their shopping trip.
"Nelson is struggling enough as it is, without all this, and what's going to happen when the bus station is moved and the multi-storey is affected? Are we going to end up with no long-stay parking at all?" he said.
"This really needs bringing to attention, and something has to be done."
27 May 2005
Wardens not welcome
Cafe 'losing business because of too many parking tickets'. A NELSON businessman has banned all traffic wardens from his cafe, saying that he is sick of their over-zealous approach.
Mr David Cassidy (42), of Aroma's cafe and takeaway, Scotland Road, has put a notice up saying "traffic wardens not welcome". He said: "I have told them all, they can go elsewhere for their lunch. I have got customers who have had to stop coming in because they keep getting tickets.
"I had one regular customer, a carer for a wheelchair user, who came in and apologised, saying that they couldn't come in any more because they couldn't park.
"My sign has had a fantastic response from customers. People have been chuckling and swapping their stories."
Mr Cassidy, who has run the cafe with his partner, Mr Chris Taylor (42), for seven months, has had problems with the traffic wardens from the very beginning of the business, and he has had to open a second depot for catering deliveries, as his staff cannot park near the original shop.
"When we were starting up, our electrician was ticketed twice in one hour. He got one dropped, but these are busy, hardworking people. They shouldn't have to go out of their way to right other people's wrongs," said Mr Cassidy.
He also claims that he has been given a ticket 10 minutes before his time was up, and that Parkwise staff were very unhelpful when he telephoned Parkwise to ask about the reasons for serving the notice. "Their attitude was that I had broken the law, and there was nothing I could do. I flatly refuse to pay up," he said.
Mr Cassidy's shop used to be a regular lunchtime haunt for a number of the town's traffic wardens, before they were banished.
"I used to have a laugh with a couple of the ones that came in, and tell them it was like a ticketing marathon, but I'm past laughing now," he said.
"This has had a big impact on my trade. I had two friends in for dinner a little while ago and they were only four minutes outside their time, but they had to pay £30 each, so that lunch cost them £70."
He added that although he agreed people should be penalised for parking illegally, there should be more flexibility for people who had simply made a mistake, or been a few minutes late back from their shopping trip.
"Nelson is struggling enough as it is, without all this, and what's going to happen when the bus station is moved and the multi-storey is affected? Are we going to end up with no long-stay parking at all?" he said.
"This really needs bringing to attention, and something has to be done."
27 May 2005
what about 'no Scammers' 
Well a) I think he is wrong saying the yellow peril is not welcolm, and b) they do a good job.
If is says "no parking" then dont park, how many times are you pissed off being blocked off by someone parked where they sholdnt be, I personally think traffic wardens do a good job.....
What if someone parked a lorry in front of his cafe, and the deivery van couldnt deliver his goods to the cafe, would the cafe owner just say "Oh well no worries"£?.
If is says "no parking" then dont park, how many times are you pissed off being blocked off by someone parked where they sholdnt be, I personally think traffic wardens do a good job.....
What if someone parked a lorry in front of his cafe, and the deivery van couldnt deliver his goods to the cafe, would the cafe owner just say "Oh well no worries"£?.
I've heard tell that the Chief Constable of a UK police force has had to issue a memo to his officers, asking them not to leave the canteen en masse when the scammers walk in.
Don't know if it's true, but I sure as hell hope it is.
They should realise they are total and utter pariahs.
Don't know if it's true, but I sure as hell hope it is.
They should realise they are total and utter pariahs.
Vipers said:
What if someone parked a lorry in front of his cafe, and the deivery van couldnt deliver his goods to the cafe, would the cafe owner just say "Oh well no worries"£?.
And what if that lorry was delivering supplies to his cafe? I fully agree that the number of numpties taking the pee with parking needs to be stamped upon, but each case should be judged on it's meritis, i.e. using discretion. Many traffic wardens are just out to write as many tickets as possible.
I don't think we're talking "yellow peril" here, Vipers. The article mentions "Parkwise", a private firm of parking enforcers. Generally, firms like this are known for enforcing the letter of the law (when it makes them money) whilst ignoring its spirit.
Give me the old "yellow peril" wardens back anyday.
Give me the old "yellow peril" wardens back anyday.
I walked along Cornhill in London at around 8 am the other morning. The traffic was light in both directions.
Three ... count 'em ... three! ... 'red-tops' were assiduously booking three delivery vehicles ... one each!
The following morning I saw the same three hanging about together on the same stretch, comparing notes and obviously itching for a vehicle to stop
.
Streaky
Three ... count 'em ... three! ... 'red-tops' were assiduously booking three delivery vehicles ... one each!
The following morning I saw the same three hanging about together on the same stretch, comparing notes and obviously itching for a vehicle to stop
. Streaky
MMC said:
I've heard tell that the Chief Constable of a UK police force has had to issue a memo to his officers, asking them not to leave the canteen en masse when the scammers walk in.
Don't know if it's true, but I sure as hell hope it is.
They should realise they are total and utter pariahs.
I would be *extremely* surprised if the general BiB like the Scamera thugs at all (but won't be allowed to say so), given that they are causing the rapid reduction in trafpol, and reducing public/police cooperation, and damaging the views of Police Officers in general.
Most of the BiB ; by far the majority are decent and honest. There are a tiny few who should be shot.
With Scammers, it's the other way round. Except there aren't any decent and honest ones.
Vipers said:
Well a) I think he is wrong saying the yellow peril is not welcolm, and b) they do a good job.
If is says "no parking" then dont park, how many times are you pissed off being blocked off by someone parked where they sholdnt be, I personally think traffic wardens do a good job.....
What if someone parked a lorry in front of his cafe, and the deivery van couldnt deliver his goods to the cafe, would the cafe owner just say "Oh well no worries"£?.
Not really.
It's like the difference between Scameras and Trafpol.
If you are stopped for speeding by trafpol (IMLE anyway) then yes, you might grumble a bit to yourself, but usually they've got a point.
They aren't interested in crucifying people for 77 on a Dual Carriageway because (mostly anyway) their targets are unsafe and dangerous driving.
The modern traffic warden, like the Scumera Thugs, is simply in it for the money ; or his unit is anyway.
They should allow them in the cafe, but put a small sign at the bottom of the window and menu to say that "Parking Enforcement Operatives' are allowed 30 seconds to load their stomach, any longer and they will be subject to a £100 penalty.
The contract is formed when they sit down and order. This way, you cannot be seen to be discriminating and is it written down and they have the choice whether or not to sit & eat there.
The contract is formed when they sit down and order. This way, you cannot be seen to be discriminating and is it written down and they have the choice whether or not to sit & eat there.
m-five said:
They should allow them in the cafe, but put a small sign at the bottom of the window and menu to say that "Parking Enforcement Operatives' are allowed 30 seconds to load their stomach, any longer and they will be subject to a £100 penalty.
The contract is formed when they sit down and order. This way, you cannot be seen to be discriminating and is it written down and they have the choice whether or not to sit & eat there.
:roflIf I were the cafe owner, I'd be worried about them bringing a police escort next time ... or a council official to issue a compulsory purchase order for their elevenses. In reality, he'll probably find he gets frequent visits from Environmental Health Officers (or whatever fancy title they give themselves nowadays) - Streaky
Vipers said:
If is says "no parking" then dont park, how many times are you pissed off being blocked off by someone parked where they sholdnt be
But there aren't many parking restrictions which are genuinely required to prevent the roads being blocked. Mostly they are designed to force you to park somewhere where you have to pay.
Droitwich is a good example: the car parks used to be free, and parking on the streets was also unrestricted apart from a small number of places where there was a genuine need for it. Then they started charging for the car parks and at the same time put loads of double yellows down so you had nowhere else to park. Scum. (Fortunately in recent years they seem to have relented over short-stay on-street parking.)
Another, slightly different, example comes from Bedford, where they have one of these evil "controlled parking zone" schemes, meaning that you have to pay to park anywhere on the street, even if you live there. During the process of setting this up they made some kind of legal cockup which meant that for several months none of the parking restrictions in Bedford were enforceable. This was widely reported in the local paper, so everyone knew they could park where they liked and get away with it. Traffic flow in the town (which is shit in any case) was not affected in the slightest, thus providing a perfect demonstration that the parking restrictions have nothing to do with free traffic flow and everything to do with extortion.
And they wonder why people drive all the way to Milton Keynes to shop...
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