[Fangio]

johnjohn, on 03 September 2010 - 09:14 AM, said:

Yes,it must be a nice little earner for someone....there has only been one day recently when I have walked round our small town centre and not seen one or even two of them patrolling.
The double yellow road markings in many locations is a nonsense and should be removed to allow more parking spaces....why is it a hazard or likely to cause congestion to stop for ten minutes on them when with a blue badge you can stay for three hours!
Where it is a real hazard to stop there are the kerb markings that apply to all.
I say get rid of a lot of double yellows and traffic wardens and mark out more disabled only parking areas!

'why is it a hazard or likely to cause congestion to stop for ten minutes on them when with a blue badge you can stay for three hours!'

A fair point and one I have sometimes pondered over. Why also are electric cars and those dreadful Pious things exempt from the London Congestion charge...

[Fangio]

johnjohn, on 03 September 2010 - 09:14 AM, said:

Yes,it must be a nice little earner for someone....there has only been one day recently when I have walked round our small town centre and not seen one or even two of them patrolling.
The double yellow road markings in many locations is a nonsense and should be removed to allow more parking spaces....why is it a hazard or likely to cause congestion to stop for ten minutes on them when with a blue badge you can stay for three hours!
Where it is a real hazard to stop there are the kerb markings that apply to all.
I say get rid of a lot of double yellows and traffic wardens and mark out more disabled only parking areas!

Ah but John mate we don't have traffic wardens of any kind. We have police who rarely deign to degrade themselves and direct traffic and parking control operatives.

[PeterW]

heavysoul, on 01 September 2010 - 18:59 PM, said:

That's my point. I don't think they spend enough of their time targeting those that have parked dangerously - including double yellows etc as you've mentioned.

They go for the easy targets - those that have overstayed their 'legal' parking by 10 minutes.

I don't agree with all of what paul7collins has said, but if the story about the disabled person getting into the car at Worthing hospital is true, then that's a disgrace!!

Friday 4:50pm. 2 wardens in Tarmount Lane car park checking for valid tickets.
Car Park is free from 5pm

[sonictomb]

kandy, on 02 September 2010 - 17:40 PM, said:

I used to commute through Ditchling, I didn't have to, but because they tried to block the road with their cars and almost came out waving pitchforks if you dared to drive through 'their village', I made a point of it.

I had the misfortune of living there for a few months. It's awful.

[Fangio]

sonictomb, on 03 September 2010 - 23:56 PM, said:

I had the misfortune of living there for a few months. It's awful.

A mate of mine used to have a pub in Ditchling (now closed) and the fact that the locals were so precious gave us hours of amusement

[paul7collins]

PeterW, on 03 September 2010 - 20:54 PM, said:

Friday 4:50pm. 2 wardens in Tarmount Lane car park checking for valid tickets.
Car Park is free from 5pm

It was true i sat there and watch it with my own eyes , i could not believe it either but it is true i do not know why you do not belive it, These people are out trying to make as much money as they can it was not just me that see it other people saw it as well

[Ferryman]

PeterW, on 03 September 2010 - 20:54 PM, said:

Friday 4:50pm. 2 wardens in Tarmount Lane car park checking for valid tickets.
Car Park is free from 5pm

whats your point? Cars need a valid ticket at 4:50pm. If it had been 5pm, then you would have a point.

[heavysoul]

Ferryman, on 05 September 2010 - 08:06 AM, said:

whats your point? Cars need a valid ticket at 4:50pm. If it had been 5pm, then you would have a point.

You are right - of course - but I think the point being made is about the objective and priority of these people being about making money rather than keeping our roads moving and safe i.e. from cars parked illegally and dangerously on double yellows etc. So rather than walk the streets they pop off to the easy target to try and catch a few cars that are maybe taking a chance as it's close to the time when no ticket is required.

[Fangio]

[quote name='heavysoul' date='05 September 2010 - 10:17 AM' timestamp='1283674648' post='29771']
You are right - of course - but I think the point being made is about the objective and priority of these people being about making money rather than keeping our roads moving and safe i.e. from cars parked illegally and dangerously on double yellows etc. So rather than walk the streets they pop off to the easy target to try and catch a few cars that are maybe taking a chance as it's close to the time when no ticket is required.
[/quote)


Assisting anyone is plainly not part of these peoples brief; enforcement is what they are about, of the rules and to the letter by the quickest means possible. They operate on a speed camera mentality though possibly with less leeway and are always 'live'.
Whilst the contract remains as it is that is what we are going to have to get used to.
My advice would be to monitor them and report any bad parking etc. on their part. Plus and most important don't give a chance to issue a ticket and if they do challenge it - make their job as difficult as possible.

[Angieb]

Walking around the town frequently, I am always surprised that the Wardens love to hang around the cars by the Community Centre/Health Centre to catch anyone staying just 1 minute over the allowed hour. However, they always walk past cars that squeeze on the end of the available area of spaces so they park in a way that over-hangs the entrance to the Community Centre car park. I have often wondered why they ignore those cars?

[paul7collins]

Does not concern them as long as you are not on yellow lines no problem to them . They are not proper traffic wardens , they are money making machine;s the more tickets they give out the more money they and the council share .

[PeterW]

paul7collins, on 05 September 2010 - 22:47 PM, said:

Does not concern them as long as you are not on yellow lines no problem to them . They are not proper traffic wardens , they are money making machine;s the more tickets they give out the more money they and the council share .

Just a thought that having "to display a ticket on one dashboard" could be challenged as it is not practical to leave a small piece of paper just lying in the sun waiting to be blown off by any small draft.
Why don't they use self-adhesive ones, similar to those used by Brighton

[miseryguts]

i've witnessed the pure determination of these wardens - most often outside swiss gardens school at chucking out time - i've seen them literally running down the road to get to the cars that have stopped for a matter of minutes to grab the children before they go - ok so parking can be bad down connaught avenue but its the relentless nature of them - the idiot wardnes that race around on their scooters (still with L plates a year on !!) and the miserable 'birds' that use a car - not a great job i'm sure but surely everyone now knows that between 3 and 3.30 you can park anywhere u like as long as its not outside swiss primary
like has already been said - target the ones parking dangerously, not those that are obviously parking for a very short time before moving on.
brighton and hove have introduced a 5 minute amnesty on issuing tickets - lets see if adur can match it!!

[paul7collins]

The money machine rolls on , i do no know how much they paid the council for the 3 year contract but after the first 6 months must be all profit , Next time i see there scooter it may end up with a flat tyre

[PaulOckenden]

miseryguts, on 06 September 2010 - 21:22 PM, said:

brighton and hove have introduced a 5 minute amnesty on issuing tickets

I think that's the law, but only for non-payment in legal bays. It's to allow people to go and get change. You don't get 5 minutes if you stop on yellows.

P.

[Fangio]

It's really simple - don't park where you shouldn't don't overstay your time, challenge any ticket written and their business will crumble - very quickly indeed!
A lot of people still associate these people with the old wardens and the police - they are not as others have said. They are a commercial enterprise and should be treated like any other business you don't care to give you money to, or that charges you excessively.

[JC]

PaulOckenden, on 06 September 2010 - 23:14 PM, said:

I think that's the law, but only for non-payment in legal bays. It's to allow people to go and get change. You don't get 5 minutes if you stop on yellows.

P.

In my experience they do give you a chance. Last time I got a ticket in Shoreham, it stated "observed from HH:MM to HH:MM" which was at least a five minute period.

I know I was parked illegally but I contested as in the past I've been let off after a nicely worded letter. Anyway they wrote back emphasising the point that the car had been observed for 5 minutes with no sign of activity!

[thermo]

miseryguts, on 06 September 2010 - 21:22 PM, said:

i've witnessed the pure determination of these wardens - most often outside swiss gardens school at chucking out time - i've seen them literally running down the road to get to the cars that have stopped for a matter of minutes to grab the children before they go - ok so parking can be bad down connaught avenue but its the relentless nature of them - the idiot wardnes that race around on their scooters (still with L plates a year on !!) and the miserable 'birds' that use a car - not a great job i'm sure but surely everyone now knows that between 3 and 3.30 you can park anywhere u like as long as its not outside swiss primary
like has already been said - target the ones parking dangerously, not those that are obviously parking for a very short time before moving on.
brighton and hove have introduced a 5 minute amnesty on issuing tickets - lets see if adur can match it!!

parking outside of any of the schools in shoreham is a nightmare, and to be honest the parents that do so deserve what they get. it never ceases to amaze me how selfish they are with their parking and the dangerous situations they create for other children with how some of them park. Its never a few minutes, more like 15-20 minutes by the time theyve walked in, waited for the children, picked them up and ambled back to the car.

[Fangio]

Parents are worried about their children walking to school (some of them are)but surely some of the danger, perceived or not, comes from those very parents that drive their children.
I wonder if any statistics are kept of children injured by vehicles carrying children to school.
And yes I agree that the parking/standard of driving around schools is often very poor indeed.

[ad]

thermo, on 07 September 2010 - 09:23 AM, said:

parking outside of any of the schools in shoreham is a nightmare, and to be honest the parents that do so deserve what they get.

I completely agree. There's no excuse.