Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Robbing c*nts

There's been a lot of fuss in this city of late about the new army of traffic wardens who, as in many other cities, are a private breed of road traffic offence enforcers. Much of the fuss has surrounded their enthusiasm for handing out tickets with all the speed of road runner on several hundred grams of amphetamine sulphate. It is, say the great Hull public, just a big, city council-backed money making scam. And I must agree.
I live in a densely populated area where parking spaces are at a premium, not just in my particular street but in all of the streets surrounding it. The answer would never be a permit scheme as there will never be enough on-street parking until such a time as people just choose to stop owning cars. Unless we are to walk several miles home there are many, many occasions when we are left with no option but to park illegally, ignoring the double yellows. And, heck, if you do that, then you can't really complain about the ticket slapped on your windscreen, can you? Or maybe you can.
Last night there was, at least, an almost safe place to park, although I realised that I was straying into the double yellows (you can see exactly where I parked by looking at the photograph on the left. Yes, that is my very small, ladylike car). Surely, I thought, the warden will have common sense, realise the mitigating circumstances, apply some leniancy, give some leeway, realise that there are greater offences occuring on the roads and that, by administering a ticket, they were just further adding fuel to the fire that suggests that this whole enterprise is, indeed, merely a money-making scam. When I parked, as I say, there was no other option. When I went out to the car this morning, there was just a handful of other cars around. And a ticket, under the wiper blades. I'm going to appeal. Probably won't do me any good but at least if we all do this it will tie the council up in administration and negate any profit they might make by dishing out borderline tickets.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

How kind of anonymous to drop in with the answer to funding your battle with the council!

Dave W said...

Wow, anonymous, that's fantastic news, and ever so helpful! Please call again!