Thursday 6th February 2003

Clamp Down on Clampers

New department of busybodies to monitor clampers

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[apache]

great, but, whose going to keep an eye on this department?

[CarZee]

load of crap - just outlaw private clamping like they have in Scotland.

[jeremyc]

PetrolTed wrote: Over the last oranges eleven years the RAC Foundation has...

Is this the start of your new 'spot-the-hidden-fruit' competition Ted?

[randy]

I had a great run in with some clampers the other day.

The f**kers clamped my car in a very unreasonable spot whilst I stopped to buy a burger at 9.30 on a Friday night.

The car was parked down a back road in Henley where I live; my intention was to park it off the main road and out of people’s way. When they appeared on the scene they came over all threatening and tried to pull me out of the car! I lost my temper and, knowing that they had only tied a chain around my wishbone as opposed to the wheel itself, reversed into the small lane behind me and proceeded to try and drive onto the main road 30 yards in front of me (if they intended to assault me then I wanted it to be witnessed). One of the clampers jumped in front of my car so I ended up pushing him all the way onto the main road. He then jumped onto my bonnet and grabbed onto my windscreen wipers so I floored it for 10 yards or so before slamming on the brakes! He still didn’t fall of so I put the car in reverse and floored it again. By this time there was a crowd watching as there was tyre smoke pouring out of my wheel arches! The clamper was still holding on so, knowing my car was causing an obstruction, I got out and walked straight to the local Police station. When the Police arrived they agreed that these heavies were the scum of the earth, ordered them to remove the clamp and let me get on my way.

I still have a dent in my bonnet but there was no way I was going to pay their £90 and it was well worth seeing this guys face when I hit the load pedal!

Clampers should be shot.

[plotloss]

Years ago my uncle used to have to park up quickly and run in and out of suppliers in the West End. He was only ever gone for 10 minutes or so, but more often than not found that he had been clamped.

As a solution this he took to double parking, as if you do that they cant clamp you, and if you do it near Bond St theres no way they are going to get a tow truck to you either.

Matt.

[skittle]

great, but, whose going to keep an eye on this department?

Typical govt response - if theres a issue create another dept that we have to pay for that will prove ineffective. Then an inquiry will be commissioned that results in 500 improvements, most ignored by the govt, and the set up of a national executive that will employ more people, all by the way on final salary pensions

etc etc etc

sigh.......

[308gt4]

just by a good heavy duty hacksaw with several tungsten blades and WALLAH, no more clamp....err, well it worked for me

[rich 36]

Scumba@s the lot of them, got my jeep clamped TWICE, its just a couple of doormen doing a sideline job with menaces, (and yes those clamps do fit, off road tyres)

[markqelise]

Under european human rights legislation a lot of private clamping is probably going to become illegal as you are technicaly depriving someone of thier property. Only need some twat of a clamper to do someone with a big fat wallet and the clmaping company will get rogered.

[chrisgr31]

I am on the other end of an umauthorised parking problem. I run a community hall which has a private small car park for users. However a nearby garage often park their customers cars in it. This is exceptionally annoying for bona fide users who then find there is no space left for them.

I have written to the garage owner, asking him politely not to park his customers cars there, however he denied they were anything to do with him. However between christmas and new year I caught a member of his staff parking a car there. I remonstrated he said he wouldn't do it. Two days later the car park is full, so I parked by car in the entrance blocking it and went off. When I returned 2 hours later the garage owner was fuming, and again said they wouldn't do it again.

However they continue to do so, so I am beginning to think a clamping firm is the only solution. I can't get a gate and lock it due to the number of different users for the hall. And in any event why should a registered charity have to spend money to prevent a local business doing what it has been asked not to do?

So whilst I agree some private clampers are a law unto themselves I am tempted to employ them!

Chris