Illegal parking could cost lives
Discussion
Well almost. Essex County Council's full-colour taxpayer-sponsored rag 'Essex Matters' arrived today and justified draconian parking restrictions on the now-familiar 'saving lives' theme. Apparently on two occasions in Colchester, fire engines had been unable to get to calls because of vehicles parked on double-yellow lines. (the calls were hoaxes)
Anyway, that has, according to ECC, been sufficient to see new parking enforcement (that's a popular word these days isn't it?) in Brentwood, Colchester, Chelmsford, Epping - and eventually Basildon, Maldon, Harlow, Castle Point, Tendring, Rochford, Uttlesford and Braintree.
The fact that it coincides with the 'decriminalisation of parking enforcement', that now ECC can do what it likes, that it can make money out of it, as well as make life yet more difficult for the motorist - is of course nothing to do with it...
Replies from ECC welcomed - they are probably at home taking a sickie so ideally placed to join the debate.
Anyway, that has, according to ECC, been sufficient to see new parking enforcement (that's a popular word these days isn't it?) in Brentwood, Colchester, Chelmsford, Epping - and eventually Basildon, Maldon, Harlow, Castle Point, Tendring, Rochford, Uttlesford and Braintree.
The fact that it coincides with the 'decriminalisation of parking enforcement', that now ECC can do what it likes, that it can make money out of it, as well as make life yet more difficult for the motorist - is of course nothing to do with it...
Replies from ECC welcomed - they are probably at home taking a sickie so ideally placed to join the debate.
'by the ambulance crew that they'd hit a jaguar en route to collect me, and hadn't stopped.'
Fair enough if they were rushing you to hospital. But who caused the accident? Was the Jag parked illegally, did it pull out in front or were the crew going too fast for the conditions?
I have to add that in 18 years of driving I've never felt that any other drivers were 'out to kill me'. Some did seem keen to kill themselves, but as long as they do it on their own, I guess that's their problem.
Fair enough if they were rushing you to hospital. But who caused the accident? Was the Jag parked illegally, did it pull out in front or were the crew going too fast for the conditions?
I have to add that in 18 years of driving I've never felt that any other drivers were 'out to kill me'. Some did seem keen to kill themselves, but as long as they do it on their own, I guess that's their problem.
Well at least Basingstoke hasn't gone for the "saving lives" argument. Consider just how rare occasions myst be where a badly placed car is in the way of an Emergency Services vehicle...in most of the country.
I can see how in London in those tiny little streets it could be an issue though.
What makes me mad about parking though is that just as parking regulations enforcement has been handed over to the council from the cops nearly all the free parking in Basingstoke has been removed.
After all...people who want to visit the town can *pay* to park in one of the nice new multi-storey car parks that the council gave permission to build...can't they..
I can see how in London in those tiny little streets it could be an issue though.
What makes me mad about parking though is that just as parking regulations enforcement has been handed over to the council from the cops nearly all the free parking in Basingstoke has been removed.
After all...people who want to visit the town can *pay* to park in one of the nice new multi-storey car parks that the council gave permission to build...can't they..
I used to go to Colchester about once a week to go to the bank, do bits of shopping etc. Then they made the very-convenient parking into a trendy bus lane.
So that part of the road is now empty for 99% of the time - a great use of limited resources!
I can now fight my way into an expensive car park, or drive round in the traffic at walking pace for a few laps, creating congestion and pollution, until I spy one of the few other places left.
I don't go to Colchester any more.
So that part of the road is now empty for 99% of the time - a great use of limited resources!
I can now fight my way into an expensive car park, or drive round in the traffic at walking pace for a few laps, creating congestion and pollution, until I spy one of the few other places left.
I don't go to Colchester any more.
The set up is an @rse. There is bad parking and bad parking etc. Witness the guy/girl poping into the news agents on a Sunday after leaving the car on double yellows causing a mini jam whilst getting the paper (to lazy to park and walk). Then the poor sod who gets done because his wheel is 6 inches the wrong side of a line.
In one City it is easy to get permission to park on double yellows for work and in another its like you are asking for the crown jewels, and they booked the securicor prison wagons outside the courts waiting to remove scrotes to an escape proof facility.
In one City it is easy to get permission to park on double yellows for work and in another its like you are asking for the crown jewels, and they booked the securicor prison wagons outside the courts waiting to remove scrotes to an escape proof facility.
I cannot think of one single reason I'd want to visit Basingstoke Town Centre anyway, so parking restrictions and charges make it even more unlikely that I'd go on a whim..
Don said:What makes me mad about parking though is that just as parking regulations enforcement has been handed over to the council from the cops nearly all the free parking in Basingstoke has been removed.
After all...people who want to visit the town can *pay* to park in one of the nice new multi-storey car parks that the council gave permission to build...can't they..
And they can put festival place or whatever it's called right up their arse as far as I'm concerned.. I hate shopping centres..
There has been another major planning 'victory' in Basingstoke as well though. An Asda is being built in brighton Hill. The implications of this are two-fold:
1) Poor people will go to Asda, leaving Sainsbury's at Hatch Warren to those of us who live up that end and it removes traffic from our environs. This suits me fine as you might imagine.
2) There'll be utter and complete traffic chaos at Brighton Hill - the entry to the roudabout from Brighton Hill onto the A30 is designed as a low priority entrance - that is it is designed in such as way as you can only get out of there if you're quick and only one at a time, whereas people can happily fly onto the roundabout from all the other roads.
Still, it's only the poor-asses in Brighton Hill who's quality of life will be negatively-impacted, so that's okay then
Having lived in student halls of residence where false fire alarms were something of a regular happening we had a slightly less than happy fire brigade. Turned up one evening for another burnt pizza and decided they needed to get at a hydrant. Unfortunately there was a car in the way. Pissed student decided he did not wnat to move it so Chief fire officer reversed the fire engine into the car and shoved it sideways 10 feet.
Said student apoplectic, 200 others pissing themselves laughing. Fire Officer quoted some piece of legislation and invited him to sue!!
Said student apoplectic, 200 others pissing themselves laughing. Fire Officer quoted some piece of legislation and invited him to sue!!
What a lot of people who complain about not being able to legally park within a reasonable distance of the shop, bank etc that they need to go into for five minutes or so often forget is that if there were no parking restrictions in the area in question then they still wouldn't be able to park because somebody else would already have parked there.
John
John
johnelliott said: What a lot of people who complain about not being able to legally park within a reasonable distance of the shop, bank etc that they need to go into for five minutes or so often forget is that if there were no parking restrictions in the area in question then they still wouldn't be able to park because somebody else would already have parked there.
John
oh very logical - in that case lets not have any parking spaces, cos people will only go and park there wont they? :sigh:
And while we're at it, lets not build any roads, cos people will only go and drive on em - oh and no more houses, cos people will only go and live in 'em, nor shops, nor food, nor schools, nor anything else whatsoever.......
Dave
I second that. Whilst there is unlikely to be enough parking for everybody in exactly the right place, at least *some* people would have a chance. Even the lottery is 1:55 million; a yellow line is zero.
It's about time the powers-that-be started to make life easier for people instead of more difficult, expensive and frustrating.
It's about time the powers-that-be started to make life easier for people instead of more difficult, expensive and frustrating.
Wish they'd just concentrate on the existing parking problems round my way. There's a T junction onto the main road at the end of my street. Bad visibility at the best of time, but any evening there will be cars parked right up to the junction on the main road inspite of the double yellows. Lunacy, absolutely no visibility at all. 100 yds down the hill is a busy pedestrian crossing to the tube station entrance. There are always people parking on the white hatches so they can pick up a newspaper, nip into the post office. Plenty of parking within 100yds too. I have never seen any of these w*nkers being ticked off or done. This kind of behaviour is obviously dangerous and easy to target, so what happens? More speed bumps of course...
mondeoman said:
johnelliott said: What a lot of people who complain about not being able to legally park within a reasonable distance of the shop, bank etc that they need to go into for five minutes or so often forget is that if there were no parking restrictions in the area in question then they still wouldn't be able to park because somebody else would already have parked there.
John
oh very logical - in that case lets not have any parking spaces, cos people will only go and park there wont they? :sigh:
And while we're at it, lets not build any roads, cos people will only go and drive on em - oh and no more houses, cos people will only go and live in 'em, nor shops, nor food, nor schools, nor anything else whatsoever.......
Dave
I obviously needed to make my point more clearly. Most shops, banks etc are in main roads, high streets etc. All of these establishments have staff , many of whom have cars. Naturally they would all like to drive to work and park outside. If parking was unrestricted then the parking space would be unavailable to customers for the entire opening hours on the bank, shop etc
If, on the other hand, parking is banned then it is quite often possible to pull up outside the shop, dap in, do the business and dap out again before the traffic warden arrives. Most of us have taken advantage of this, I suspect. Same thing applies to deliveries and collections. All pretty obvious really, I thought.
John
>> Edited by johnelliott on Wednesday 13th November 13:41
>> Edited by johnelliott on Wednesday 13th November 13:43
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