Opportunist NCP Parking Wardens?

By StAlbansRobin | Tuesday, June 15, 2010, 20:13

I live in a controlled parking area of the City, adjacent to the centre. This means we have to pay the council for a parking permit each year to help pay for enforcement of, well, not having a parking permit.

NCP Car Warden Next to Sign Asking Residents to Move Cars

Anyway, this evening on my way home, I remembered that a few days ago the Council put a letter through our door, asking us to ensure that all vehicles were moved off the road in advance of a "deep clean" scheduled to take place tomorrow.

There must be around 40 cars in our road, and perhaps 100 to 150 cars in the streets around us which will also be deep cleaned. All the roads around our home where we might move our cars are, as usual, without any spare parking spots.

So what are local residents doing? Well, most of them are parking where they can - illegally, but mostly safely, a bit closer to the road junctions, overlapping driveways just a little bit, etc. The Council said, in their leaflet, that the success of the deep clean depended upon us moving our cars, and we obliged.

And how have NCP traffic wardens - including the one I photographed here next to the sign asking residents to move their cars - done? They've seized the opportunity for rich pickings, that's what.

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My friend and I were recently in town and had parked the car in an area where the restricted hours had ceased. Having gone to a nearby restaurant to return to the car, we were both unimpressed to find a PCN had been issued. As there were 3 traffic wardens close to us at the time (does it really need that many in one area??) we asked why a ticket had been issued. Only to be met with a rude attitude and one of nonchalance. Not exactly helpful nor did it go any way to answering the question leave alone appeasing anyone. That in itself raises a question - are all CEO's (seriously - who ever came up with this acronym) trained on how to be rude, offensive and short minded- as all websites would suggest that is how they behave. Surely having polite, vaguely intelligent staff who are more customer focused may go someway to reducing what is a confrontational role.

Anyhow, as no satisfactory answer was forthcoming, I then set about to take photo's of all signs to verify our side. Only then to spot one of the wardens taking pictures of the interior of another car on the passenger side. Why are they going to such lengths to take photo's of interiors of cars- surely this is in breach of Data Protection and a violation of a individuals rights?

Whilst taking photo's of the Reg. no and screen are reasonable to support any disputes that are raised, taking photo's of interiors by leaning on the window are going to far.

I personally feel that there should be a revision of the law to protect the public, as for me this is going a step to far!

This has never been a job that will be met with support from the public (whether the individual is right or wrong), but something must be done to ensure that all parties abide on the side of the law.

By eastebunny at 11:25 on 29/03/11
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Traffic wardens are the same all over. What else were you supposed to do? Make your car float a foot off the road?

Ridiculous.

By JillyCarter at 12:27 on 21/06/10
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