Would you be a traffic warden????
Discussion
Parking wardens fear for lives
by Chris Baker
Wardens have issued 206,000 tickets in 16 months
Parking attendants who have issued a record ticket tally in Brighton and Hove fear a colleague will be killed unless action is taken against violent motorists.
Staff employed on the £3 million city council contract, which is operated by National Car Parks, say not enough is being done to stop the continuing abuse and violence.
Workers who spoke to us claimed they were regularly spat at, intimidated and assaulted. They had even been threatened with knives.
One, who asked not to be named, said: "It is always happening and we are always looking over our shoulders.
"We are doing a job. A lot of people quite like us and understand what we are doing but it is a minority who lose their heads with us. Some of them are persistent offenders.
"Somebody is going to get hurt and nothing is going to happen until somebody ends up in hospital. It is going to take something serious before they sit up and take notice."
The city council said threats and violence against attendants were taken seriously, with every incident logged and serious attacks reported to police.
Attendants, who have already asked to be issued with stab vests, claimed there had been at least four serious incidents involving drivers issued with parking tickets in the last two weeks:
A driver spat at a female parking attendant in Boundary Road, Portslade
Another female attendant was hit on the head and had the parking ticket she had issued rammed down her uniform in West Street, Brighton
Police were called when an attendant was surrounded and manhandled by five people in First Avenue, Hove
A female attendant had to call for help when she was followed by a driver in Sillwood Street, Brighton.
GMB Union organiser Gary Smith said staff were being stopped from working in pairs before 6pm, even in known high-risk areas, so they could cover a wider area.
He said: "The management of health and safety on this contract seems totally inadequate.
"Information about serial assaulters has not been passed on, women have been followed and intimidated and many of the staff have suffered violent attacks.
"We are demanding urgent action before one of our members is killed."
Sussex Police said 15 incidents had been reported since the council took over responsibility for enforcing parking regulations in July 2001.
But Detective Chief Inspector Martin Cheesman said: "This may well be the tip of the iceberg."
Some 206,000 tickets have been issued in the 16 months since the council began its blitz on illegal parking.
More tickets have been issued per square mile in Brighton and Hove than any town or city outside London, according to the National Parking Adjudication Service.
Transport councillor Simon Battle said: "We take any situation where parking attendants feel threatened very seriously and we are working with NCP to address their concerns.
"NCP employs the attendants and they have a robust policy for dealing with events of this kind. Every incident is logged and serious attacks are passed on to the police.
"If the police are unable to act, the NCP will take out a private prosecution."
NCP declined to comment.
>>> Edited by Marcos maniac on Tuesday 26th November 11:06
must be the nature of this business, that only *special* people become a *traffic warden* Sorry, but like Billy Connolly once said when referring to politicians, "the desire to be one of these people, should bar them for life from doing it" Nearly all these people are jobsworth winkers who take a great delight in ticketing cars and pissing people off. Where I live (Northampton) they have started ticketing people for ANY parking offence in evenings and Sundays too. Ambulances, emergency doctors and even the Mayor have been done. Tossers.
I would starve before I took a job as a traffic warden. If they get beaten up, tough. They normally deserve a good kicking anyway....
>> Edited by flasher on Tuesday 26th November 11:24
I would starve before I took a job as a traffic warden. If they get beaten up, tough. They normally deserve a good kicking anyway....
>> Edited by flasher on Tuesday 26th November 11:24
A colleague of mine who works as an alarm engineer got ticketed by this lot in brighton at the weekend whilst attending an alarm fault.
Fair enough he was parked on double yellows, hazard lights flashing but he was up a ladder 25 yards away from his van attempting to silence the alarm and the TWATS ticketed him.
Fair enough he was parked on double yellows, hazard lights flashing but he was up a ladder 25 yards away from his van attempting to silence the alarm and the TWATS ticketed him.
hahaha 
I live in Hove and I have to say they are voracious! There is absolutely no stopping them. They are out fist thing and last thing. The old "it's only 10 minutes till curfew, it'll be alright" no longer counts.
The new parking permit scheme has brought this about, although before the scheme it was parking carnage - although that appeals in some ways
The truth is that it's another revenue earner for the council, but a happy side effect is that I get a space.
I'm not surprised that there is bad feeling however, 'cos they are everywhere - all the time. I don't know how many wardens they have but it feels like a small army.
I live in Hove and I have to say they are voracious! There is absolutely no stopping them. They are out fist thing and last thing. The old "it's only 10 minutes till curfew, it'll be alright" no longer counts.
The new parking permit scheme has brought this about, although before the scheme it was parking carnage - although that appeals in some ways
The truth is that it's another revenue earner for the council, but a happy side effect is that I get a space.
I'm not surprised that there is bad feeling however, 'cos they are everywhere - all the time. I don't know how many wardens they have but it feels like a small army.
Would I be a Traffic Warden?
Not a chance, I still have some principles... (ok not many, but some!)
Most of the current parking setups are about revenue, pure and simple.
Its nothing to do with policing parking by consent, or attempting to resolve parking and traffic issues. Its all about money for the council and the companies involved - and targets for tickets for the wardens.
The staff they end up with cant be all that bright - some Idiot wandered into the works carpark here in Central Milton Keynes recently and started to ticket the cars in there for not having permits!
Apparently he did half the carpark before security saw him, and then commented that "they have ben issued now, so you have to take it up with the council..." or something to that effect...
Are they suprised that Traffic wardens are close to universally disliked? (as the mildest possible adjective).
Not a chance, I still have some principles... (ok not many, but some!)
Most of the current parking setups are about revenue, pure and simple.
Its nothing to do with policing parking by consent, or attempting to resolve parking and traffic issues. Its all about money for the council and the companies involved - and targets for tickets for the wardens.
The staff they end up with cant be all that bright - some Idiot wandered into the works carpark here in Central Milton Keynes recently and started to ticket the cars in there for not having permits!
Apparently he did half the carpark before security saw him, and then commented that "they have ben issued now, so you have to take it up with the council..." or something to that effect...
Are they suprised that Traffic wardens are close to universally disliked? (as the mildest possible adjective).
Absolute total and utter scum.... in fear of their fcuking lives? I should damned well think so..
If they don't understand how and why they piss people off then mortal fear is entirely fitting. And a damned good kicking from time to time should be consiered a taxable perk.
Pondslime. Rot in hell.
>> Edited by CarZee on Tuesday 26th November 12:19
If they don't understand how and why they piss people off then mortal fear is entirely fitting. And a damned good kicking from time to time should be consiered a taxable perk.
Pondslime. Rot in hell.
>> Edited by CarZee on Tuesday 26th November 12:19
don't mince your words CarZee!! 
I didn't think giving abuse was an offence, but people are still "persistant offenders"???????
In maidstone they actually bring wardens in from London- no-one will do the job in this town. And I'm not surprised. They have this white van with maidstone Borouch Council on it- T844 MKE. They park it ANYWHERE and then get out and book people.
I have seen it parked on a pavement, in a disabled spot, and last night I saw it in a car park, parked up. Not in a parking spot, but IN FRONT OF THE TICKET MACHINE and in such a way that the two disabled bays on the right hand side could not be used- no way could a car get in the spaces, as the van was parked where you would need to turn.
Did the van have a ticket?? Did it Fcuk
Could I find a warden to tell them tu "fcuk off and move??" Could I fcuk.
When I find this vehicle, I'm taking pictures. I intend to publish them on the website (much like "Canterbury parking clowns"). I cannot wait...
In maidstone they actually bring wardens in from London- no-one will do the job in this town. And I'm not surprised. They have this white van with maidstone Borouch Council on it- T844 MKE. They park it ANYWHERE and then get out and book people.
I have seen it parked on a pavement, in a disabled spot, and last night I saw it in a car park, parked up. Not in a parking spot, but IN FRONT OF THE TICKET MACHINE and in such a way that the two disabled bays on the right hand side could not be used- no way could a car get in the spaces, as the van was parked where you would need to turn.
Did the van have a ticket?? Did it Fcuk
Could I find a warden to tell them tu "fcuk off and move??" Could I fcuk.
When I find this vehicle, I'm taking pictures. I intend to publish them on the website (much like "Canterbury parking clowns"). I cannot wait...
TheLemming said:Most of the current parking setups are about revenue, pure and simple.
Its nothing to do with policing parking by consent, or attempting to resolve parking and traffic issues. Its all about money for the council and the companies involved - and targets for tickets for the wardens.
Too right! Bristol Sh1tty Council tried a short while back to introduce/extend the controlled parking zone round here, using the excuse that the residents were fed up with commuter parking. What utter gobshite. When the commuters are parked up, the residents are out at work for the most part.
The only reason there is a parking problem in the 1st place is because the same Council let every Tom, Dick & Harry split their Victorian houses into flats without provision for off-street parking.
Anyway, they polled residents who basically said
NO! Meanwhile, the council's budget already allowed for income of £1m pa from selling parking permits. As this wasn't forthcoming they hastily took advantage of the decriminilisation of parking offences to create a parking hit squad, which (suprise suprise) brought in just aboout £1m in fines in the 1st 9 months of operation. And they try to say its not about money!
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