Forum Topic

Parking warden scum

We just got a ticket, parked outside our own house. It's a match day at the football club, so the damned footie fans have stolen all the parking spaces, and I had to double-park for an hour or so until they've cleared off.  We actually left a note in the car in case it was in the way, so our neighbours could ask us to move it if needed, but the scum from the council don't care if it's actually causing a blockage or anything, they're just after a few easy targets. They sneak in and out as fast as they can, I think the scumsucker was quite startled when I caught him in the act and told him to clear off, unfortunately just too late as he'd already put the ticket on. Bastards.

Bryan Betts ● 5896d28 Comments

Problem is Brian, and I'm not disagreeing with you on this, at national, regional and local planning policy level any developers are encouraged to provide a minimum level of car parking provision and to provide as many facilities/incentives for more sustainable modes of transport as possible (cycle storage, car clubs etc).  Hence why you'll never see a development nowadays with lots of car parking provision.

Adam Beamish ● 5893d

I agree - I have to admit that the CPZ idea is tempting, but I'm not that selfish. It would be better if the football club could get more of its visitors to travel by train, but hey, this is the real world. I hope that the plans for the Lionel Road stadium include a decent-sized car park, and don't just pretend everyone will come by train, as the council seems to have done when giving planning permission for the GSK HQ!What we need on match days is parking officers who focus on keeping traffic moving, and keeping people and the roads safe. Not the target-driven and revenue-based ticketing of victimless contraventions of invented regulations.

Bryan Betts ● 5894d

Apologies, I quoted the wrong section there. The council is using the Traffic Management Act 2004 (which is what defines Traffic Officers), but as you correctly suggest the jobsworths issuing the tickets are mere Civil Enforcement Officers, appointed under S76 of the Act.

Bryan Betts ● 5894d

In answer to you Robin, there is no particular deal.  Call me racist if you please, maybe I am.  I see myself as honest and I deliberately do not do PC.  Yes, I was behind a group of Africans (my guess would be Nigerian).  I made a point of asking the immigration officer I know, "why is the country full of Africans suddenly?  Are they allowed to be here?"  I was told NO they are not and I was further told, as posted earlier, that "we do quite well on parking wardens"I see that as pertinent to the posting as to the role of a parking attendant (or whatever they call themselves).  If the chances are that they are illegals, my guess would be that they are on a low pay which would be dependent on targets and could explain why there is a sudden upsurge in parking tickets being imposed for "offences" such as parking alongside a dropped kerb or being too far from the kerb or (as was posted on the Chiswick website) parking outside Chiswick cemetary on Mothers Day.  None of which offences strike me as having anything to do with the flow of traffic or causing a nuisance or obstruction.As for whatever I am supposed to have said about schools on the Chiswick site, I suppose I could look back and find out but I really can't be bothered.  If you knew me you would know that I frequently enjoy being contraversial just because everyone else is so busy toeing the line and being pc that it drives me nuts and I prefer to be different.  What's the deal with you Robin?

Bernadette Paul ● 5894d

"I had found myself behind a group of about 5 traffic wardens all jabbering away in an African language of some sort"What's the deal with you, Bernadette?This is supposed to be a thread about parking regulations, not the nationality of those who are employed to enforce them.Last month on the Chiswick forum, you seemed to make supportive comments in favour of someone who was using the racial profile of local schools as a criteria for where to send his child to.You're not starting to turn into a female version of Harley Buckner, are you?

Robin Taylor ● 5894d

Give me the free for all any day, we dont get any trouble parking in Enfield road even on match days. Its only sincethe Council tried to get the Residents to have a CPZ and got told where to shove their CPZ we have started to get trouble. Its not from the supporters its from the Council sending round their CEO`s to ticket everyone who parks with wheels on the pavement if you know this road how else can you park

Robert Ayres ● 5894d

Are you sure the person who issued your ticket was a Traffic Officer and not a Civil Enforcement Officer?

Ian Fillingham ● 5894d

Fair 'nuff about section 5 but there is an inconsistency in your all to loud and insulting complaints.The problem starts with the cars being parked by people coming to watch the football. Presumably there would be real resentment from those who live on these streets if the football supporters were able to park their cars anywhere, without restriction. The very least the council can do is to make sure that, on match days, there are not problems created from this influx of parked cars. This, in practical terms, means applying fines to those who break parking rules. I presume that this is ok with the local residents.The inconsistency here is that a complaint has arisen when the fine is applied to a car of a local resident. But surely parking rules apply to everyone?So either you want a free for all on parking, even on match days, and live with the consequences. Or you want adherence to parking rules - by everyone. Which one do you want?

Alan Clark ● 5894d

Your last posting all sounds very reasonable and if I were you that is that I would submit along with my appeal.  Of course your appeal will be denied (twice) but take it further and argue your case.Changing tack slightly - I work in Fulham and last Friday I had found myself behind a group of about 5 traffic wardens all jabbering away in an African language of some sort.  I mentioned this to a third party (who works for the HO immigration department) and who told me that they do quite well rounding up illegals working as parking wardens?  I therefore have to ask, who actually employs these people and do these people actually understand the job they are employed to do?  I don't deny that I am confused.  30 plus years ago parking wardens were simply that - parking wardens who I think were employed by the government (rather like the police).  I know it was quite a well paid job (so well paid that I even toyed with the idea of becoming one) and I don't think there were any targets to be met.  At some point it all changed and now there seem to be council wardens, prvate wardens all sorts of blooming wardens not to mention licensed removal trucks, unlicensed removal trucks, clampers both licensed and unlicensed etc.  The wardens look more like the SAS half the time with the amount of equipment hanging off themselves but, as I said above, frequently cannot even make themselves understood.  I would therefore suggest that this is a lowly paid job which must to some extent rely on quotas for the attendants to earn a reasonable salary.  This will in turn mean that tickets are dished out sometimes quite randomly in the hope that people will just cave in and pay them.  As I said in my earlier posting, I believe everyone should appeal every ticket whether deserved or not if only to clogg up the system and let the powers that be know that drivers have had enough of being treated as cash cows.Well I've lit the blue touch paper so now I will stand back and wait for the explosion!

Bernadette Paul ● 5894d

Actually the traffic officers are NOT doing their jobs. Their job is defined in the Traffic Management Act 2004, which is what gives them their powers, and it is to "facilitate the management of traffic", not to punish or raise revenue for their department. Section 5 of the Act says:(3) Those powers may only be exercised for one or more of the following purposes—(a) maintaining or improving the movement of traffic on a relevant road over which the traffic officer has jurisdiction by virtue of section 3;(b) preventing or reducing the effect of anything causing (or which has the potential to cause) congestion or other disruption to the movement of traffic on such a road;(c) avoiding danger to persons or other traffic using such a road (or preventing risks of any such danger arising);(d) preventing damage to, or to anything on or near, such a road;or for a purpose incidental to any of those purposes.So in ticketing vehicles that are not causing (or likely to cause) congestion, danger or damage, they are acting outside both their authority and their job definition.

Bryan Betts ● 5894d

The parking wardens are under instruction to issue tickets and to call them "scum" for doing their jobs is totally inappropriate. It is the equivalent of an anti-Iraq war protestor describing troops on the ground "scum" when the people they should blame are in Government. If there is,indeed, a policy to maximise parking income at all costs (as I personally believe to be the case) then abuse, if you think it is called for, should be directed at the politicians responsible for the policy.

John Connelly ● 5894d

Whilst Bryan may have brought this upon himself; calling the warden scum and bastards just about sums up how I feel about many of the ones I come across. Many of whom seem to positively enjoy the fact that they just ruined someone's day, whether the ticket or towing away is justified or not. The sad truth is that the parking restrictions and the enforcement is a money spinner and parking fines are a form of taxation / thievery. The Chiswick CPZ consultation farce underlined that clearly; mostly rejected they were implemented anyway,

Philip Walsh ● 5894d

The sad fact is, its all about money. We live in streets that were layed down before the motor car existed. So our Political rulers saw a way of making a quick buck by firstly providing a lousy transport system, so everybody bought a car and then by passing laws to prostitute the streets oh and here is the best bit they never formaly adopted many of the streets in Brentford and they can even ticket you on your own property if they consider it has a public right of way

Robert Ayres ● 5895d

Appeal your ticket immediately.  I have come to the conclusion that everyone should appeal parking tickets as a matter of principle.  I think we are getting to the stage where unless there is an OBVIOUS sign or OBVIOUS lines to warn against parking somewhere, we are all in danger of falling foul of some form of parking legislation or other than may have only been dreamt up 5 minutes before.  I don't understand what your particular offence could be?  If you were simply parked behind someone in a cul de sac without any lines or parking restrictions - what could be the problem?Appeal!

Bernadette Paul ● 5895d

Bernadette, it wasn't double-parking in the usual sense (parking alongside the other parked cars, in the carriageway) but I couldn't think of another, better, term! I didn't block the traffic at all, but I parked behind a neighbour such that I'd have had to move my car if he wanted to move his (he didn't). I'm surprised you saw lots of spaces, when we came along Green Dragon Lane it was parked solid - it looked as if there wasn't a space for a mile around. You're right though - normally on a match day I try not to move the car before 3pm, and once I have moved it I try not to come home until 5!The reason you saw few tickets at 4.15 might also have been that the council officials (they are not proper parking wardens, of course) were still sneaking about at 4.30-4.45 - I presume they want to make sure that as well as footie fans who've been parked since 3, they also catch the frustrated locals who've come back a bit too early and parked the car for 10 minutes while they wait for the fans to leave. And the reason you saw few council officials might have been that they were travelling in an unmarked car, and only jumping out long enough to slap on a ticket or two.

Bryan Betts ● 5895d

Normally I would be sympathetic to someone getting a ticket, even in the circumstances described - however, I'm sorry but, on football days/evenings everyone living by the ground surely knows that unless you car is parked well in advance of the game it is unlikely you will get a space.  My daughter lives in Braemar Road and on match days she does not move her car and I do not expect to be able to park there if I need to visit - I walk there.  Curiously however, this week I had to go and babysit my grandchildren immediately after the game so I walked round at about 4.15 well before the end of the game and was surprised by the number of parking spaces in Clifden Road, Brook Road South and even right outside my daughter's door in Braemar Road.  I was choked that I had not driven.  I also noticed (and this is in response to another posting re: dropped kerbs) that there were several cars parked across dropped kerbs particularly in Clifden Road and more particularly exactly where Holly had picked up a ticket the other week.  However, I saw no wardens and no cars with tickets so parking misdemeanours are obviously very hit and miss in Brentford even on match days.However, I frankly don't understand what you actually mean by double parking?  Are you saying you stuck your car in the middle of a road albeit a cul de sac?  I don't know where your particular cul de sac is but, I found Brentford strangely uncluttered on this particular match day.  Perhaps if you had been prepared to walk a few yards you could have parked in one of the many empty spaces I observed.  It is this obsession with parking outside one's house that seems to cause the problems.  Even in a road with CPZs you don't get your own personal spot!

Bernadette Paul ● 5895d

Sorry Bryan, but like the others I can't see what your problem is. The fact the you parked double parked is against the rules. Your road may not have much traffic, if any, but why should you be allowed to do this. Football is a parking wardens joy as they are out in force.Like many others you were caught. I had my car towed away once from Brook Road South, it was broken down and had a note on it. I hoped that would allow it to remain but no it went to the Layton Road Car park. I gambled and lost.

Neil Chippendale ● 5895d

It is truly refreshing to see how many people have a firm opinion on events of which they have only the barest knowledge.FYI, the purported "Contravention" (not "Offence") was "Parked in a special enforcement area more than 50cm (or other specified distance) from the edge of the carriageway and not within a designated parking place"This isn't a CPZ, by the way. I guess if it was, the footie fans would have had to park elsewhere and this problem wouldn't have arisen. Hmm, strike one for CPZs....But knowing all the basic rules, that's an interesting idea. Do YOU know what a "special enforcement zone" is, say, and that you must park no more than 50cm from the kerb inside one? If you do, I suspect you're either a parking warden or a parking warden's boss!

Bryan Betts ● 5895d

Where did you get idea from ? - what I said was that if you take a risk sometimes you'll get caught, and if that happens that's the way the cookie crumbles.I've been done by CCTV cameras for driving in a bus lane - not convinced I was actually in the lane for any distance (I was turning left) but I took a risk which I won't take again.  Also got done by a CCTV camera for turning right at a left turn only junction - took a rosk, didn't get away with it, my own fault, didn't come on here and start calling the person operating the CCTV camera 'scum'.Always someone else's fault eh ? ;-)

Adam Beamish ● 5895d

I really should know better than to respond to a troll, but...Adam, I take it from your hardline stance that you will loyally obey every petty regulation dreamt up by some anally-retentive bureaucrat.Your presence here must be a joy to town hall tin-pot dictators everywhere.

Bryan Betts ● 5895d

Reminds me of a neighbour who created merry hell when she got a speeding ticket doing almost 40 m.p.h. in a 30 m.p.h. zone and moaned because there wasn't any notice giving the speed limit. It was a built up area subject to  30 m.p.h. so she should have known anyway. She got the right hump and thought an MP could help and even wrote to No 10! Trying to explain that she had broken the law and no-one could help her wriggle out of that, so she should pay the fine and shut up seemed to pass her by, stupid or what?

Vanessa Smith ● 5895d

You want a CPZ, this is what you get. If you do something that is in any way in breach of rule and this is what will happen.CPZs come with a lot of rules and regs and permit or not, this will lead to a great many offence penalties being issued.Even if not in a CPZ, an offence is an offence and you ned to now all the basic rules. One of which is double parking anywhere.

Anthony Waller ● 5895d

Like it or not Bryan, the bottom line is you committed an offence, simple as that.

Adam Beamish ● 5895d

Oh, and Richard - if you think this will keep your council tax down, you really are in cloud-cuckoo land. By the time the parking wardens have been paid overtime for scalping on a Saturday, and their fat-cat managers (who wouldn't even be needed if it weren't for rip-off schemes like this) have drawn their salary, there ain't going to be anything left for you!

Bryan Betts ● 5896d

Adam, no I parked out side my own house, inconveniencing no-one (my neighbour didn't need to get his car out), and was targeted by someone whose interest is not safety, or traffic flow, or anything socially useful, his sole interest is meeting a target and fleecing the public.

Bryan Betts ● 5896d

Hah hah! Nice assumption Richard. There is NO passing traffic because it's actually a small cul-de-sac, you wouldn't even be able to fit a fire engine in it. The only person who could possibly have been inconvenienced is one of our neighbours, who knows where to find us if he needs to get his car out. This was a jobsworth seeking revenue, pure and simple.

Bryan Betts ● 5896d

"I had to double-park for an hour or so until they've cleared off."No, you chose to park in the middle of the road and got caught.  I don't know which street this was, but most of them around Griffin Park are quite narrow.  Would there have been room for a fire engine to get past quickly in an emergency?Anyway, thank you for your contribution to keeping our council tax down.

Richard Jennings ● 5896d

So basically you took a calculated risk and it didn't pay off and it's everyone else's fault (the football fans, the traffic warden) but yours ?  And it gives you the right to call someone doing a job 'scum' and 'bastards'.  Hmmm.

Adam Beamish ● 5896d