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News and Comment January 2016

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22 January (Part 3) - Commit fraud and few care but a power crazed Traffic Warden is a sensation

HitsIt's disappointing in a way that at a time when Bexley Council is struggling to contain an enormous corruption scandal within its midst, that interest in a power crazed moron at the other end of the pay scale dwarfs it. Yesterday’s web hits were up about 30% on the previous high of the week. Saturday to Thursday is shown. Facebook reach was up something like ten fold, not that I am entirely sure what that means. But presumably it is good.

It was the blog about the smiling CEO handing out V signs while trying to stop Crossrail in its tracks that did it. I promised a Photo Feature, It’s been on line most of the afternoon but lacked an introduction.

This introduction is very late due to too many phone calls, emails to answer and the need to take more Crossrail pictures. Those featured were all taken between ten past eleven and mid-day yesterday. They are in chronological order and the date will be extracted from the file EXIF data if you hover your pointer over an image - on proper computers at least, not sure about mobiles.


SawyerAfter yesterday’s blog went on line my own councillor, Danny Hackett, (Lesnes Abbey, Labour) offered to help and shortly afterwards so did Teresa Pearce MP who described the CEO with a word the Speaker might frown upon. (†)

As Danny was first I took up his offer but reminded him that it was not me who needed help, I was simply the passer-by who poked his nose into someone else’s business. A passer-by who called the CEO a moron and a cretin though nothing worse. In a way I had harassed the moron in the execution of his stupidity and Alex Sawyer said in the News Shopper only last week that he would not tolerate such behaviour.

If you read the full report (click image) may I ask how how you head butt a man encased in an all embracing helmet?

Danny asked me what happened and did I want to make a formal complaint about the V sign, so to save blogging time here is a slightly reduced version of what I sent him.


“I try to avoid making complaints. I like to be reporter rather than activist, it is a policy that has paid dividends in the past.

To be honest I have no idea what I actually said except that I did not swear at the CEO called him both a cretin and a moron. I would expect that his recording will reveal that I said his photo would be on the web within 40 minutes and I’m pretty sure I made reference to both Deputy Leader Alex Sawyer and Parking Manager Ben Stevens. The names clearly meant nothing to him.


CEO CEO The CEO was remarkably calm, some might say arrogant as if he believed a Bexley badge made him immune from all criticism.

I first spotted the CEO from the Harrow Manorway flyover and took up position behind the CEO unnoticed. I have been threatened by CEOs before so I treat them with caution. However this guy seemed to relish the idea of being photographed.

He gave me the V sign twice at intervals, but I only have a picture of the first incident.

The lorries had been told to be on site by 8 a.m. but National Rail were running late so they had to park up somewhere. There is nowhere ideal to go.

I was first on scene at 11:11 and spotted the CEO at 11:27. Parking restrictions are 11:00 to 13:00.

One driver asked the CEO if he would prefer if they drove around the Wilton/Gayton/Florence Road circle continuously and cause gridlock to buses etc. The CEO did not answer. I think the only words he ever uttered were “I’m only doing my job” but his tape may prove I have a bad memory.

The last lorry left at 11:57 after all four had dropped their load of track ballast.

It would be hard to justify a complaint. The CEO has no common sense but he was not rude beyond the V signs and I did not get a ticket; what have I got to complain about?”


Thirteen incident pictures.

† Idiot.

 

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