erm need some urgent advice re clamping and getting silly!

[paul001]

OK,

So this morning I pop into my local travel agents in the high street behind which is a large car park for patrons etc and supposedly for people using the shops. Signs clearly there and i know they clamp there although recent articles in the press suggest it's fine to park there if using certain shops/businesses - the travel agent being one of these. Anyway, get back to car to find a nice big clamp on it and two gorillas sitting in a van waiting for my return. I explain I was using the travel agents to which they reply they would just call a tow truck charge me £290 and I could pursue the matter by writing to their head office. Problem is,

1. I hate clampers
2. It takes lots and lots to wind me up but once I am unfortunately i can't see through the red mist once it comes over me!

So, I managed to pursuade them I live locally, my wallet is at home but I will run back get it and sort them out. I then phoned a friend who is a builder and asked to borrow an angle grinder. When I got back to the car the clampers were not around so I proceeded to start cutting away - they didn't show up again and I've ditched the clamp somewhere no one will ever find it. Anyway, no doubt I'm going to get done for criminal damage on this one but should i wait or go and present myself down the nick now and admit to it all in order that it might look better for me in court? Or should i take my chances and try the denial route?

[esselte]

Can they prove it was you who cut the clamp off?

[Fer]

"... and when I got back it had gone! Talk about my lucky day!"

Goodluck.

ETA: And can they prove you were driving? I thought the contract is with the drive, yet they can only chase the RK via DVLA.

Edited by Fer on Wednesday 25th October 14:45

[Dwight VanDriver]

>>>>>>>I've ditched the clamp somewhere no one will ever find it.<<<<<

OOOOhhhhhhhh, in addiution to CrimDam........THEFT.

dvd

[paul001]

yeah i nicked the clamp and disposed of it.

I can't say for sure nobody saw me angle grinding the thing off - to be honest - at the time I just didn't care. Probably lucky the clampers weren't there as I would have thrown the thing at them and could add in some kind of assault charges as well

[Parrot of Doom]

lmao. Regardless of what happens, its still bloody funny Top job mate!

[chrisgr31]

So if the signs allow you to park there whilst using the shops how come you got a clamp in the first place?

Anyway surely all you need to do is buy a good new padlock for the clamp. and return it with the clamp to the clamping people? No theft then and difficult to argue crim damage as damage rectified?

Incodentially I met someone who runs a clamping firm, and his firm have given up clamping in some locations as they lost so many claims. They just remove the vehicle instead.

[BliarOut]

paul001 said:

yeah i nicked the clamp and disposed of it.

I can't say for sure nobody saw me angle grinding the thing off - to be honest - at the time I just didn't care. Probably lucky the clampers weren't there as I would have thrown the thing at them and could add in some kind of assault charges as well

No, imagine your surprise when upon your return the clamp had gone. You were pleasantly surprised when it appeared that the clampers had a change of heart and had released your car

[catso]

paul001 said:

yeah i nicked the clamp and disposed of it.

But you didn't nick it, they put it on your car without permission, anyway a bloody good job done we need to encourage this kind of spirit and get rid of the 'wouldn't want to make a fuss' attititude that is so prevalent in the country.

If the clampers & scammers were treated by all as the scum that they are, maybe they wouldn't have the same attitude towards their (non) job......

Have some more

[smilerbaker]

So how does it work then? when my car was hit in a car park, and the guy who hit it still parked next to it, the police said as it was on private ground they were not intersted, so is this not the same with the clampers?

Good luck to you by the way, exactly what I would have done.

[paul001]

cheers for the replies, feel a bit more chilled out now and can't see the police exactly being desperate to come after someone for a "possible" criminal damage complaint from some w***er clamping company either.
I'll get me ski mask on later and go and free some more poor sods!

[Marki]

Parrot of Doom said:

lmao. Regardless of what happens, its still bloody funny Top job mate!

[james_j]

Well done.

[monkeyhanger]

Well done that man


Is this you then ?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/3112670.stm

[martind]

Paul001
Is this local to Reading ? Whereabouts ?

[7db]

chrisgr31 said:

...
Anyway surely all you need to do is buy a good new padlock for the clamp. and return it with the clamp to the clamping people?...

Can anyone think of an amusing place to put a clamp to which only you have the key and when the clampers work in a van... Hmmm.

[fat richie]

7db said:

chrisgr31 said:

...
Anyway surely all you need to do is buy a good new padlock for the clamp. and return it with the clamp to the clamping people?...

Can anyone think of an amusing place to put a clamp to which only you have the key and when the clampers work in a van... Hmmm.

[justinp1]

I just have to say well done.

I have often thought the same myself, and the legal consequences.

I think you are safe. As long as there is no CCTV there is no proof whatsoever that it was you who cut the clamp off - or even if it was cut off at all.

You drove off and it came off somewhere along the journey!? Improbable but difficult to disprove!

[fluffnik]

Dwight VanDriver said:

>>>>>>>I've ditched the clamp somewhere no one will ever find it.<<<<<

OOOOhhhhhhhh, in addiution to CrimDam........THEFT.

In (marginally more) civilised Scotland clmping == theft.

[herewego]

Why didn't you just ask the travel agent to come and tell the clampers to take it off?