Illegally parked safety camera van
Discussion
Did a search on this but didn't turn up anything other than a Daily Mail article.
On the way to the station this morning in Reading, I happened upon a 'Safety' Camera Van, parked on double yellow lines in the central reservation on Vastern Road.
This is a very short stretch of dual carriageway in the centre of town with a central reservation that widens considerably. As it widens, there are keep left arrows and double yellow lines along the stretch of tarmac in the middle. The van was parked in front of one of the signs.
I was travelling at just under 40mph and I cannot remember whether the speed limit was 30 or 40mph on this stretch. The annoying thing is that normally you are lucky if you get to travel at walking pace along here in rush hour, but the school holidays seem to have reduced traffic to such an extent that traffic today was free flowing. I will be really p1ssed off if I get a FPN from this. I haven't seen any accidents between cars along this stretch and there are traffic lights for pedestrian crossings, so pedestrians are very safe here. I can only think that the van was positioned here as a revenue earner.
Parking is very expensive in Reading and people park in some daft places - but in the 15 years I have lived in the town, I have never once seen a vehicle parked where this van was sited. If I parked there I would expect to be ticketed at least and probably towed away as it a daft place to park.
I have rung Thames Valley Police to tell them and written to the Chief Constable.
Anything else I can do? If I do get a FPN, is there anything I can do as the van was illegally parked? (expecting the answer no....)
On the way to the station this morning in Reading, I happened upon a 'Safety' Camera Van, parked on double yellow lines in the central reservation on Vastern Road.
This is a very short stretch of dual carriageway in the centre of town with a central reservation that widens considerably. As it widens, there are keep left arrows and double yellow lines along the stretch of tarmac in the middle. The van was parked in front of one of the signs.
I was travelling at just under 40mph and I cannot remember whether the speed limit was 30 or 40mph on this stretch. The annoying thing is that normally you are lucky if you get to travel at walking pace along here in rush hour, but the school holidays seem to have reduced traffic to such an extent that traffic today was free flowing. I will be really p1ssed off if I get a FPN from this. I haven't seen any accidents between cars along this stretch and there are traffic lights for pedestrian crossings, so pedestrians are very safe here. I can only think that the van was positioned here as a revenue earner.
Parking is very expensive in Reading and people park in some daft places - but in the 15 years I have lived in the town, I have never once seen a vehicle parked where this van was sited. If I parked there I would expect to be ticketed at least and probably towed away as it a daft place to park.
I have rung Thames Valley Police to tell them and written to the Chief Constable.
Anything else I can do? If I do get a FPN, is there anything I can do as the van was illegally parked? (expecting the answer no....)
Here is a transcrpt of my letter to the Chief Constable.....
Dear Sir/Madam
Illegally parked Safety Camera van
Whilst driving to Reading Station this morning at approximately 08.30, I passed a Safety Camera van parked on Vastern Road. The van was illegally and dangerously parked in the central reservation, on double yellow lines.
Had a member of the public parked a vehicle in this location it would quite rightly have received a fixed penalty notice for illegal parking and should have been removed for being in a dangerous position. I am at a loss why a vehicle with the purpose of promoting road safety should be parked in a manner which itself creates a potential road hazard.
The operators of this vehicle have a duty to uphold the law as well as to enforce it. I should be grateful if you would please explain what action will be taken on this matter.
Furthermore, in the years that I have been using this stretch of road, I have not seen any accidents between cars and there are traffic lights crossings catering for pedestrians. It was my understanding that Safety Cameras were only positioned at accident black spots. I suspect that this van was situated with revenue generation in mind rather than road safety.
I cannot help contrast this with a particularly dangerous stretch of the A4074 Reading – Oxford road as it passes through Green Dean Wood, about 5 miles from Reading. The road goes through a dip and through a number of corners. Serious accidents regularly occur on this stretch, known to local residents as ‘The seven bends of death’. I frequently see badly damaged cars which have left the road and collided with trees. Yet despite this, I have never seen a speed camera to discourage excessive speed through this stretch.
I cannot reconcile the questionable positioning of a mobile camera on Vastern Road, with the lack of action to control speed on the A4074. Please would you comment on why the Vastern Road location was chosen?
Dear Sir/Madam
Illegally parked Safety Camera van
Whilst driving to Reading Station this morning at approximately 08.30, I passed a Safety Camera van parked on Vastern Road. The van was illegally and dangerously parked in the central reservation, on double yellow lines.
Had a member of the public parked a vehicle in this location it would quite rightly have received a fixed penalty notice for illegal parking and should have been removed for being in a dangerous position. I am at a loss why a vehicle with the purpose of promoting road safety should be parked in a manner which itself creates a potential road hazard.
The operators of this vehicle have a duty to uphold the law as well as to enforce it. I should be grateful if you would please explain what action will be taken on this matter.
Furthermore, in the years that I have been using this stretch of road, I have not seen any accidents between cars and there are traffic lights crossings catering for pedestrians. It was my understanding that Safety Cameras were only positioned at accident black spots. I suspect that this van was situated with revenue generation in mind rather than road safety.
I cannot help contrast this with a particularly dangerous stretch of the A4074 Reading – Oxford road as it passes through Green Dean Wood, about 5 miles from Reading. The road goes through a dip and through a number of corners. Serious accidents regularly occur on this stretch, known to local residents as ‘The seven bends of death’. I frequently see badly damaged cars which have left the road and collided with trees. Yet despite this, I have never seen a speed camera to discourage excessive speed through this stretch.
I cannot reconcile the questionable positioning of a mobile camera on Vastern Road, with the lack of action to control speed on the A4074. Please would you comment on why the Vastern Road location was chosen?
Photos are a good idea. I went one better. I called the local council who are responsible for site selection. I complained that the speed limit of the road was unclear and couldn't believe it when the guy from the council told me he can't do anything about it until someone dies BUT he did admit that the mobile speed trap had recently been revoked from the area.
I emailed the Lancashire Evening Post and ended up front page news!!!!
My friends in the council have told me that I really pi55ed a lot of people off.....tee....hee.
I emailed the Lancashire Evening Post and ended up front page news!!!!
My friends in the council have told me that I really pi55ed a lot of people off.....tee....hee.
Good luck with your letter to the Chief Constable. I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt very much it'll get you anywhere.
As you may have seen in the Daily Mail, the buggers don't care about public opinion. The West Yorkshire plod backed illegal talivan parking 110%. We've even had a police officer on this forum saying he wouldn't be prepared to move on an illegally parked talivan because he viewed them to be "batting for the same side."
brigadier
As you may have seen in the Daily Mail, the buggers don't care about public opinion. The West Yorkshire plod backed illegal talivan parking 110%. We've even had a police officer on this forum saying he wouldn't be prepared to move on an illegally parked talivan because he viewed them to be "batting for the same side."
brigadier
brigadier said:
We've even had a police officer on this forum saying he wouldn't be prepared to move on an illegally parked talivan because he viewed them to be "batting for the same side."
Taking the Toad hat off for a second in my memory MC has only said two stupid things here. The rest of us talk sh1te most of the time so let's give him a break! ;-)
toad_oftoadhall said:
We've even had a police officer on this forum saying he wouldn't be prepared to move on an illegally parked talivan because he viewed them to be "batting for the same side."
Taking the Toad hat off for a second in my memory MC has only said two stupid things here. The rest of us talk sh1te most of the time so let's give him a break! ;-)
Actually I think TonyRec said that...
Actually I wouldn't waste time sending letters to the Chief Scammer I would write a letter to the CPS complaining about the illegally parked car - show pictures - and ask the CPS whether a charge should be raised against the officer in question - obviously it's within the interests of the public!
That should really annoy some folk!
That should really annoy some folk!
brigadier said:
Good luck with your letter to the Chief Constable. I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt very much it'll get you anywhere.
As you may have seen in the Daily Mail, the buggers don't care about public opinion. The West Yorkshire plod backed illegal talivan parking 110%. We've even had a police officer on this forum saying he wouldn't be prepared to move on an illegally parked talivan because he viewed them to be "batting for the same side."
brigadier
"We've even had a police officer on this forum saying he wouldn't be prepared to move on an illegally parked talivan because he viewed them to be "batting for the same side."
That was in fact me and i did qualify this by saying that if itm was parked in a dangerous position then IT WOULD BE MOVED.
However, if it was parked on a grass verge etc etc then i doubt that i would stop and tell it to move.....There is a difference!
People who read my posts would know exactly how i feel about these Vans and what i was saying in regard to this.
In short, i dont agree with them in any way shape or form.
Just thought that i would own up and point this out to new readers as i dont want/wish this to twisted and become an issue.
In future if im to be quoted then please put the whole jigsaw on the table and not selected pieces.
Not wishing to quote you out of context, maybe we should look at our respective messages again.
After reading I think you'll agree that your reply is rather ambiguous. I asked about illegal parking, NOT dangerous parking.
>> Edited by brigadier on Thursday 31st July 13:52
brigadier said:
A police battenburg parked behind the Talivan eh. Were you there to protect the occupants from motorists out for vengeance?
Nice to hear that your Talivan is clearly marked. Those in our area have orange/yellow chevrons on the rear doors only. Problem is, they have taken to parking sideways on to the road being targeted. No markings visible this way, hence more revenue. This county is in the hypothecation scheme.
One of their favourite perches even has double yellows. Not that it deters their activities.
I wonder - would any of the police officers on here stop and move on Talivans plying their trade whilst illegally parked.
brigadier
tonyrec said:
It would be very difficult to move them on especially as we are supposed to be playing for the same side dont you think?
It makes me think though, how many more would be caught if the van was hiding.
I honestly thought that it would not catch anyone with us being there for 10mins BUT i was wrong
I note that its been said that there must have been 40 crashes during that time....lets not go there
but i would like to point out that in the last 7 Fatal crashes that ive attended, speed has been a major factor.......and that ladies and gentlemen is a fact.
brigadier said:
As suspected. Yet again the spectre of "One rule for you, another for us" is raised. You really are a sickening bunch of hypocrites. And you expect respect from the public!
brigadier
tonyrec said:
Thats exactly the sort of remark you would expect from a class 1 nobber!
I think that youre on the wrong forum whoever you are.!
All any of us can be on here is very honest.To clarify the situation, obviously if the Talivan was dangerously parked then it would have to be repositioned...thats only common sense and i feel its a bit strange to have to explain this point!
We are all supposed to be one big happy family on here but YOU do insist on putting us in a them against us situation WHICH I DONT LIKE.
>> Edited by tonyrec on Saturday 14th June 12:10
After reading I think you'll agree that your reply is rather ambiguous. I asked about illegal parking, NOT dangerous parking.
>> Edited by brigadier on Thursday 31st July 13:52
Good to know your views Tony!!
This van was parked in a way that you would think 'God, look where that to55er has parked' if it was a member of the public - which is why its positioning winds me up so much.
Presumably the cross hatching is there for a reason, and that reason applies to all....
Would you move a member of the public on if they were parked on double yellow lines in the middle of a white cross-hatched area bordered with a solid white line?
This van was parked in a way that you would think 'God, look where that to55er has parked' if it was a member of the public - which is why its positioning winds me up so much.
Presumably the cross hatching is there for a reason, and that reason applies to all....
Would you move a member of the public on if they were parked on double yellow lines in the middle of a white cross-hatched area bordered with a solid white line?
Pesty said:
Tony that sounds fair enough to me but can I ask you a question.
you say that if it was parked dangerously you would move it but if it was on a verge you may let it off.
would you apply the same rules to a regular citisen?
Yes i can honestly say that it would.If he was parked there just for a jolly then i would move him/her on, if only for his own safety.
On the other hand, if he had broken down...i wouldnt get it removed (within our guidelines) unless it was dangerous and it would agian be because of safety issues.
Brigadier......
Obviously this is a crusade, and one which iam not going to enter into.
I dont feel the need to explain agian what i was trying to say.
Ive been posting on here for a while now and im as honest as i can be (without giving names, index etc), and would like to think that regular readers know EXACTLY what i mean in my replies.
I also try to make my Topics informative and give my own personal views (not always in accordance with Force policy)....i dont think that i need to say more!
Griff2be said:
Good to know your views Tony!!
This van was parked in a way that you would think 'God, look where that to55er has parked' if it was a member of the public - which is why its positioning winds me up so much.
Presumably the cross hatching is there for a reason, and that reason applies to all....
Would you move a member of the public on if they were parked on double yellow lines in the middle of a white cross-hatched area bordered with a solid white line?
Yes indeed.....anyone!
Those markings are there for a reason and i would class it as dangerous without hesitation.
This position cannot in my opinion be classed the same as an elongated Bus stop or a bit of grass verge.
Road verge is a different scenario altogether.
Its all about common sense, cant ask for more than that.
griff2be said:Vastern Road, is that the elevated section? Anyway, there is an equally stupid instance on the Braywick Road in Maidenhead. Dual carriageway, 40 limit, couple of cameras and so they feel the need to park a Scamera van a couple of hundred yards after the camara to get a few more bob in the coffers.
On the way to the station this morning in Reading, I happened upon a 'Safety' Camera Van, parked on double yellow lines in the central reservation on Vastern Road.
This one parks in the slip road for making a left turn, bloody stupid if you ask me but they don't, so I parked up (safely
) and went and had a word. The bloke was most indignant and said that if I couldn't make a left turn after his van then I shouldn't be driving. He completely missed the piont that the road is a 40 limit and the slip off road allows cars to slow down safely without affecting the flow of traffic. His argument was that we should brake in the main flow of traffic to about 20 then indicate left and make the turn around his van. Safety may arse - bloody idiots if you ask me! Rich...
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