Hi all
Tonight, our local Rozzers were parked on double yellows with 1/2 of their Ford Transit Police van on the pavement as well, obstructing the pavement especially for parents with prams {we used to use a wide, tandem pram} getting to and from my kids primary school. The pair of Police Officers were out in the street booking parents parked 'illegally?. Talk about double standards?
Could I have issued the police van with a 'Citizen?s Parking Ticket' ? Should I have taken a photo on my camera phone, {like traffic wardens now do,} sought witnesses and then sent my 'evidence' to the Chief Constable.
I will do this next time!
Or is it one rule for the Rozzers and another for the rest of us?
They do similar raids every few weeks - perhaps they do all the dozen or so schools in town, have a week off and then start all over again?
Should I write to my MP, or will he be too busy fill out expenses forms?
Or what about the local Press, they could do a sting operation the Rozzers . . . . it may make front page news in our sleepy little town?
What would you do, or should I just let it go, now and when it happen again {and again} ?
Don't write to anyone in Text talk or it will be binned :-)
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 31/01/2008 at 20:07
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"Or is it one rule for the Rozzers and another for the rest of us?"
Yes, when on Police business, they can park how they like.
They probably parked how they did on purpose for the bedevilment.
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They may well have needed to be close to their vehicle in order to react to any emergency calls. It may well be that that was the nearest place due to the inconsiderate parking of parents who seem to think that collecting their sprogg from school is the most important event of the day.
Strange how so many parents insist on collecting their kids from school to avoid them being put at risk of the bogey man if they were to walk home yet see it as perfectly safe for the fruit of their loins to hang around the same streets at 10 pm at night, unaccompanied.
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Hi 2cents.
Yes much poor parking by parents I agree, but I turn up on my push bike and wlak them them the 1/3 mile home. I have 2 cars at my disposal, but its much faster on my bike {sometimes tandem} and so no hassle from the Rozzers.
Though a copper on a motor cycle on threatened to book me as I said that I was going to push by bike along the grass by a short section of the A6 where it joins the A590 {Kendal to Barrow dual carriageway} as this saved me cycling 5 mile on the A590 to get to Sedgwick, Cumbria. So i said, "go ahead, book me" and carried on, on foot.
He bottled it. LOL.
Edited by Webmaster on 31/01/2008 at 21:34
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RE They may well have needed to be close to their vehicle in order to react to any emergency calls.
A few year ago, 'er in door gets our car broken into at work on a Sunday afternoon - mid summer-ish
She phone's me at home, I'm with the baby. She said that she'd phoned the police and they they were on their way {the station was 1/2 a mile from her work}.
She was working on a Sunday {she's a public servant, like me, } for no pay {the inverse of the MP's sons, getting paid { for 3 years each, plus £10k bonus for the 2nd son,} for doing nowt, she was catching up with work missed when on maternity.
1 hour later, still no Rozzers. So I drops off first born at the olde dears and cycles 2 miles to her place of work. She would have cycled too, twas a nice day, but she had a boot full of paper work to shift.
En route I passed two Police Officers and a Rover 827 {I fancied an 827 once myself, but every one I looked at was a rust heap at 3 years old - no wonder they went bust - only good bit was the Honda engine and box} anyway, I digress, the Rozzers were, even back then, were booking cars on a traffic free street, parked on yellows.
When i reached 'er in doors {£150 of damage, £250 excess} still no Police.
10 mins later the Rover 827 turns up. Plod, apologised for taking so long, as they had had to attend a burglary.
Gave us a crime number and off they went, in search of more 'criminals'?
Edited by Webmaster on 31/01/2008 at 21:32
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Wow, I never knoew this. What a bummer. I thought I'd get them nest time. Boo Hoo.
I only thought that they could park illegally in an emergency; a bit like they can only exceed the speed limit & jump red lights when its a 999 job.
Edited by Webmaster on 31/01/2008 at 21:32
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>>Should I have taken a photo on my camera phone
I'd advise you not to do this, if you can be identified in any way.
A passenger did this in London, and I subsequently got a completely spurious penalty ticket. Funnily enough there was no photographic evidence, and the muppets couldn't even accurately describe the make of car, let alone the model.
I was able to avoid it, but it still caused a degree of hassle.
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>>spurious penalty ticket
A ticket for what?
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>>A ticket for what?
Parking in a bus lane, if my memory serves me right. The car was fifty-odd miles away on the day in question. It only ever goes to London on rare occasions.
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I wouldn't bother with the Chief Constable.
Send it to the local newspaper, copied to the "Sun". The Sun might not use it, but you can bet your life the local paper will if they think they're scooping a national!
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I wouldn't bother with the Chief Constable.
Send it to the local newspaper copied to the "Sun". The Sun might not use it but you can bet your life the local paper will if they think they're scooping a national!
I like that one.
You know, I might just do exactly that next time, just for the hell of it.
Well worth stamp or two just in case it's a 'slow news week' and the story makes it into the paper.
Cheers.
Edited by Webmaster on 31/01/2008 at 21:32
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Could I have issued the police van with a 'Citizen?s Parking Ticket' ? Should I have taken a photo on my camera phone {like traffic wardens now do } sought witnesses and then sent my 'evidence' to the Chief Constable.
Yes, make a complaint - not to the local police station, but to the person you mention, &/or the IPCC.
You might mention point 7, particularly, of Sir Robert Peel's Nine Principles (see: www.nwpolice.org/peel.html ), which is as relevant now as then.
Or is it one rule for the Rozzers and another for the rest of us?
Yes, it seems to be; however initial conclusions are not always born out in fact..
They do similar raids every few weeks
Perhaps you could try talking to them.
Or what about the local Press they could do a sting operation the Rozzers . . . . it may make front page news in our sleepy little town?
Send your pictures... I doubt they'll be published, though.
Edited by Webmaster on 31/01/2008 at 21:34
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I take it you would have no problem with a fire engine doing same to put your house out or an ambulance calling to collect your sick kid ?
Car broken in to and expect the Police to come running. Suspects still about, life and limb threatened ? It's criminal damage at the end of the day.
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I take it you would have no problem with a fire engine doing same to put your house out or an ambulance calling to collect your sick kid ?
I suggest you re-read the OP.
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I take it you see no problem with the selfish parking antics of those who congregate around our schools to save their kids from having to walk more than a few feet to the car for the half mile journey home ?
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2cents, please read the OP and my first reply in context. I "see problems" equally with people being issued with "parking tickets" and those issuing them, in the circumstances mentioned - which circumstances are all I have to to consider and pronounce on. I cannot suddenly start talking about firemen or ambulance drivers or the people you mention above - or red herrings in the sea. Those things are not alluded to in the OP. Should you wish to discuss these matters - parking by firemen, or ambulance drivers, or those who you mention, I should think the answers are obvious - please be specific.
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>>I wouldn't bother with the Chief Constable.
>>Send it to the local newspaper copied to the "Sun".
>I like that one.
If it were me, I'd definitely write to the Chief Constable thanking him/her for targeting parents "parked illegally" outside schools. I'd also urge that they find some endorsable/criminal offence that repeat offenders could be charged with.
As for parking the plodmobile on double yellows near the parked vehicles, it was probably the most sensible thing to do. Drivers tend to slow down and take extra care when they see one.
>>Send it to the local newspaper copied to the "Sun".
>You know, I might just do exactly that next time, just for the hell of it.
Yeah, you do that. Should raise a few laughs.
Kevin...
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Paul: get the school to invite some avuncular plod round to do some nippers' PR once a term, and give him a drink. Butter up the sergeant and inspector. Form a relationship. Do the same with council parking wonks. Arrange a couple of periods every day when parking folk and rozzers turn a blind eye. That's how it's done I think. But don't listen to me.
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Fair enough having the police park in the way they did - at least they were actually doing their job. What I object to is the abuse of the police by parking on double yellows - even zig-zag lines at pedestrian crossings - while they go into a Subway shop for their sandwiches.
What I realy object to is being told pink fluffy dice and mind my own business when I rolled down my window to let a panda car driver know he had a headlight out. Chief Constable wasn't too amused either when my mate who was with me wrote to him!!!
Edited by Webmaster on 01/02/2008 at 10:15
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You will find that the Order installing the DYL may almost certainly will contain an exemption for emergency service vehicles whilst occupants about their business.
It would therefore seem that the driver of what you call offending vehicles may well have a different perception of what danger exists to yours.
If the incident offends you so much instead of wasting time posting your thread create a letter to your local Police Commander of your concerns. You may get some action. You wont on this thread.
dvd
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So the kids get lines in school and the parents get them on the side of the road, sort of neat really.
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I used to work for a well known evening newspaper, which commenced a campaign targeting police vehicles and laser speed camera housing vans whose drivers had unnecessarily contravened parking regulations, usually creating an obstruction for pedestrians or other road users.
Both the photographic staff and readers were quick to snap offenders and, although the police were blase at first, eventually the Chief Constable had to concede defeat after a few weeks, admitting that such abuse of the laws was unacceptable.
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not so long ago a friend of mine a probationary constable stuck a parking ticket on a car parked on double yellows, turned out it was an unmarked police car, and the detectives who returned to it were less than happy, anyways after some argy bargy between their bosses back at the nick the detectives were made to pay the fine, but the pro constable did become a bit famous for a while and soon learned how to spot unmarked cars, so from this little bit of reality i dont think police vehicles on duty are in any way excempt
the camera van that parks above the dual carriageway leading into coventry blocking the footpath on the bridge he is on really should be stopped, number of times ive walked along there and had to put my life in danger to walk past him, camera vans in reading dont half part in some dangerous places
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I'd just be thankful they are out there doing something useful and not tucked up in the station with a mug of tea.
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I don't understand why it upsets you that the police were enforcing the law. I find that 'I hate the police' attitude reprehensible.
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I dont think folk here are upset with police enforcing the law
They are more upset with the double standards
Parking in a dangerous fashion so that pedestrians have to step out into the flow of traffic is seen often from scamera vans, and increasingly normal police cars and vans, ive even seen an idiot copper park on a pedestrian crossing (granted it was the middle of the night in lawless manchester)
You only have to watch how some streets around police stations have immunity from parking tickets as most of the cars are the personal cars of coppers on duty (same is now happening around some council offices as councils take over parking enforcement), this just smaks of double standards, and favourtism towards their own, and remember the police swear "without fear or favour"
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Get one of the underage kids to let their tyres down:-)
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been said before:
-there are parking exemptions for emergency service veehicles, so it can be no surprise they are utilised
- you'd want the vehicle near to hand, for any emergency call
- you'd want the vehicle nearby to prevent vandalism/damage (in which case it would becmome unserviceable)
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funny ive never seen a camera van used for an emergency call
westpig we all know cops do a tough job, and need some leeway, but there are obvious everyday examples of taking the mickey out of the public
if you cannot leave a cop car in a safe place for 2 minutes without it being vandalised, you need more cops on the streets, not unsafe parking putting the pedestrains at risk
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I recently saw one of our parking vultures who travel around on a scooter, leave his machine on 1. Double yellows 2. In an entranceway 3. in a parking bay occupied by a car--all to hand out tickets in the same street with-in 15 minutes.
I questioned him and asked if he was allowed to park like this, lots of noise and local support, he even asked where my car was, send a complaint to the council; they explained that as he had to do his job he could park anywhere he liked especially as they are so hated that people have been known to damage his scooter.
I think I will complain the the LA ombudsman just to make their life a bit more difficult.
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Local traffic wardens used to knock off fifteen minutes early, and leave their cars outside their office on double yellows while they clocked off.
A work colleague who felt aggrieved at getting a ticket, and whose office window overlooked theirs used to make complaints every time he saw them do this. Result!
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Witness those professional Bailiffs on a recent TV Programme, their universal smugness when recovering monies from drivers that fail to pay fines was only matched by their arrogance in parking on yellow lines in their Transit, oh yes and in an Ambulance bay outside a heart Hospital. We have really become a nation of "do as I say not as I do"
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BT - re your earlier post suggesting that taking a photo was not a good idea, could you explain? Surely photographic evidence of anything is useful, partcularly to support one's case.
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A cynical person may think, that because a photo of a parking attendant parked illegally could be an embarrassment to that parking attendant, then that parking attendant may issue a spurious ticket to the registration of the car the photographer was seen getting into in an attempt to get even.
When the said ticket is the first to be received in over twenty years, and is isued within a week of the photo of the parking attendant being taken, it could be coincidence. When the ticket is issued for the wrong make and model of car, for an area of London where the car has never been, on a day when the car was over fifty-odd miles away, it seems strange.
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If the officers were on duty and enforcing the law while parked on the payment then I really don?t see the problem. You could try and kick up a fuss about it, but do you want to run the risk of local officers holding a grudge against you?
Over the years I have seen or heard of a number of examples of double standards displayed by them. Just two examples:
Ten years a female fire arms officer told me that she was stopped in a speed trap where a probey was being trained on a laser gun. Then smirked when she said she flashed her warrant card and was sent on her way.
I used to live in a cul-de-sac with two officers living in one of the houses. My sister?s car was given a ticket for blocking half the pavement, two days there was marked traffic car parking in the same place.
In my view the majority of officers seem to believe that most traffic laws don?t apply to them, on or off duty. Personally I try not to give them an excuse to stop or give me a ticket and try to ignore them breaking traffic laws.
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