Not all Councils employ parking companies, mine uses its own staffthe powers were devolved to Councils, who employ parking companies and they use it as a money making exercise. .
Not all Councils employ parking companies, mine uses its own staffthe powers were devolved to Councils, who employ parking companies and they use it as a money making exercise. .
A shortened story..... Sometime in the mid 90's, I'm standing on the pavement outside a bank in broad daylight about 5pm during the "rush hour" when traffic was quite heavy on the main road through Gourock. There are double yellow lines, and triple kerb markings, meaning an instant ticket for infringers. The restrictions are there because it's quite a narrow road, and parking is allowed on the opposite side. There was also a large car park about 100 yards away. Along comes a car and drives up with the two nearside wheels on the pavement, nearly taking my toes off. Car stops, driver gets out, so I chin him about why he has stopped there. He tells me he's going to use the cash machine. I tell him he better get an extra £20 out then, because in those days that's how much a parking ticket cost IIRC. The best part about this story? I was standing in full Police uniform, with a parking ticket book in my hand! Some people just don't use their brains. He probably went off in a sulk thinking he had been hard done towe know how far British people can walk when they're picking up food or using a cashpoint.
I'm guessing sulking is the very best you could expect in Gourock?A shortened story..... Sometime in the mid 90's, I'm standing on the pavement outside a bank in broad daylight about 5pm during the "rush hour" when traffic was quite heavy on the main road through Gourock. There are double yellow lines, and triple kerb markings, meaning an instant ticket for infringers. The restrictions are there because it's quite a narrow road, and parking is allowed on the opposite side. There was also a large car park about 100 yards away. Along comes a car and drives up with the two nearside wheels on the pavement, nearly taking my toes off. Car stops, driver gets out, so I chin him about why he has stopped there. He tells me he's going to use the cash machine. I tell him he better get an extra £20 out then, because in those days that's how much a parking ticket cost IIRC. The best part about this story? I was standing in full Police uniform, with a parking ticket book in my hand! Some people just don't use their brains. He probably went off in a sulk thinking he had been hard done to.
Same place, another time... I'm walking along the street when my CID colleagues pull up in an unmarked car. The passenger, a Detective with a sense of humour, tells me that there's a car sat on the double yellow lines causing a tailback of traffic. He tells me that they had asked the driver to move, but had been told to "F*** off, you're not in uniform!". So off I storm, ticket book in hand, to administer justice to the offending driver. I spot the car, parked as described by my colleagues, with no-one in it. I'm just about to start writing the ticket when the driver approaches me and asks "Is there a problem, Officer?" I really didn't have the heart to issue a ticket on this occasion, to the pair of nuns in full regalia who had approached me...A shortened story.....
IIRC it is only mandatory lanes (solid lines) that are affected and it is the councils given the power to enforce the rule. I am not holding my breath.
I once arrested a Moonie, and he was aggrieved he actually swore at me! Serves him right for having no lights on his bicycle.
Excuse my ignorance but what is a compulsory cycle lane? I thought they were all optional, and given the detritus that usually lives in such lanes I'm always wary of using them. How do I recognise compulsory lanes?