Last night I had to get something from my car, which was parked on the hard standing outside my house. When I opened my front door I realised that someone had parked their car across the dropped curb access to the hard standing, and that both my wife's car and mine were blocked in.
This happens very occasionally, and the 'offenders' are usually vans who have only stopped to make a delivery ... but last night the vehicle was a private car with a Newcastle registration number plate. It had obviously been parked for some time as it was covered in dew. What increased my annoyance at this example of inconsiderate parking was the fact that there was plenty of vacant space elsewhere along the road.
The car was gone when I woke up this morning, and I hope that it will not return in the near future.
PS. It appears that a presenter on a recent television programme announced that parking across the dropped curb access to a hard standing was not an offence if no vehicle was blocked in as a result. My research indicates that they were wrong, and that the driver could have been fined and had penalty points added to their driving licence.
This happens very occasionally, and the 'offenders' are usually vans who have only stopped to make a delivery ... but last night the vehicle was a private car with a Newcastle registration number plate. It had obviously been parked for some time as it was covered in dew. What increased my annoyance at this example of inconsiderate parking was the fact that there was plenty of vacant space elsewhere along the road.
The car was gone when I woke up this morning, and I hope that it will not return in the near future.
PS. It appears that a presenter on a recent television programme announced that parking across the dropped curb access to a hard standing was not an offence if no vehicle was blocked in as a result. My research indicates that they were wrong, and that the driver could have been fined and had penalty points added to their driving licence.
Most annoying. It happens to me from time to time, apparently because the offenders think my drive is just a footpath - not a right of way for (between me and neighbours) six resident vehicles.
ReplyDeleteTim Gow,
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that people who do it always seem to think that they have done nothing wrong.
Had I - for example - had to go out last night because my father had been taken ill and was in hospital (not an impossible situation, considering his current state of health), I could not have gone ... and all because this driver had been too inconsiderate to think of others.
All the best,
Bob
Photo the offender, and e-mail it to the local police station?
ReplyDeleteBrigadier Dundas,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion, but I have tried doing that in the past and it did not produce any positive results.
On this occasion I did photograph the offending vehicle ... but I will not bother to contact the local police station as they will tell me that parking enforcement is the responsibility of the local council ... and the local council will tell me that they can only issue a 'ticket' if one of their parking enforcement people actually see the vehicle in situ.
All the best,
Bob
I am sure you are too much of a gentleman Bob, but that situation is what keys are made for...
ReplyDeleteDale,
ReplyDeleteAs Francis Urquart said, 'You might think that; I could not possibly comment.'
All the best,
Bob
Robert,
ReplyDeleteIn my own situation I would normally contact the local clampers, who usually have the vehicle towed. They are usually very happy to oblige.
Conrad Kinch,
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately parking control where I live is in the hands of the local council. This happened at night - when they are closed - and had it happened during the day I would probably have needed to give them at least a week's notice in order for them to stir themselves to do anything.
A friend of mine lives in a nearby street and had an untaxed vehicle abandoned outside his house for nearly four months before the council bothered to remove it. Every time he phoned up to complain they told him they were trying to trace the owner to ask them to move it!
All the best,
Bob