17 December (Part 3) - An extra £4.41 a ticket is one helluva temptation
What did I say about more emails about parking than any other subject?
This is one from today’s postbag. It comes from someone who used to be a Bexley council employee but is now only a part time worker.
I
was passing by Barclays Bank, opposite Asda in Bexleyheath a bit before
3.00 p.m. [yesterday] and saw a tradesman politely challenging a Parking Attendant
about a penalty notice on his white Transit type van.
He was pointing to the signpost and his van and clearly dressed for manual work while the back doors
of his van were wide open. He’d been busy loading or unloading. In short, no one sensible
would have slapped a penalty notice on his van.
All I could do was wait for the Parking Attendant to leave and then I offered a few (probably
useless!) words of empathy but I did tell him to check out your website. But maybe he was
too upset and angry to have heard me properly.
It's got to stop; this sort of behaviour is just ridiculous, but what can we do?
All the time central government deprives councils of funds and councils are
unwilling to ease up council tax for fear of the electoral consequences, dishonest honest
councils like Bexley will tempt parking contactors with extra money for additional
parking penalties. £4.41 a go in the case of Bexley. Until it all stops, traders and
residents alike will be asked to fill the funding gap.
Mr. Ben Stephens, Parking Manager, Civic Centre, Stockwell Close, Bromley, Kent, BR1 3UH.
Wear the blighter down.
Note: Photo is library picture from 15th November 2012. Why
do Bonkers readers always forget their camera phones?