There have been various threads here concerning attempts by half-wits to appropriate areas of public highway outside their houses.
These prats pale into insignificance when compared with local authorities and those paid handsomely to maintain roads and the water and other services under them.
The parking bays on both sides of my street in this block have been temporarily suspended since last Friday, today being the sixth day. No work of any description has been done.
Who gives the local authority the right to inconvenience people for an open-ended period (whatever it may say on the silly yellow notices) just in case some bunch of spivs and thieves can be bothered to start doing whatever it is? Apparently they can start whenever they feel like it. And we all know they can carry on doing it off and on more or less indefinitely.
When they do dig a hole, I hope they execute a random selection of local authority officials and contractors out of hand and bury them in it. That at least would give embittered Londoners something to smile about.
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These prats pale into insignificance when compared with local authorities and those paid handsomely to maintain roads and the water and other services under them.
My sympathies, but have you tried contacting said authorities to get their side of the story?
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get their side of the story?
I have, yes. Indeed when the suspension notices were being put up, the man putting them up urged me to ring up and complain if no work was done. I admit though that I didn't do it until just now.
Rather as I expected, it took a long time for the young person on the other end of the line to establish where the suspensions were, and what contractor they were imposed for. Now he says he will call back when he has spoken to them, perhaps tomorrow. Willing and sort of polite (in the hopeless modern manner) but also somehow gormless sounding. Heigh-ho.
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Calm down Lud, it's only the governments anti car and driver policy. :-)
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Maybe some of the residents are so stubborn (not you Lud;-) at moving the cars out of the spaces - the LA has to be sure they are clear before moving contractors in.
In an effort to save money and provide a cost effective service to the public.
Runs for cover.......;-)
Edited by oilrag on 18/11/2009 at 15:46
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"Maybe some of the residents are so stubborn (not you Lud;-) at moving the cars out of the spaces - the LA has to be sure they are clear before moving contractors in."
In the last few months when I was living in london, they lifted my car, re-surfaced and put it back where it was - all in a day - I wouldn't have known if a neighbour hadn't told me. So it can be done...
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it can be done...
Yes, the LA can behave brilliantly on occasion. Even Westminster, not my favourite, has its good moments. I abandoned my car on the edge of Westminster, but inside the carnival area, just before carnival a few years ago having got a bit drunk. As it was Saturday night I thought I could come back for the car the next day, but it had been lifted. Hoping it hadn't been stolen, I called the police. Apparently the road was supposed to be cleared for carnival fringe activity, but there were no notices in it. When I called the council, it gave me a special number to call. Someone looked up my car and told me where they had put it, a few streets away, in a meter slot. I wasn't charged and the car wasn't hurt in any way.
If only it was always like that though, knowImean?
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Have a word with Perro. Come the revolution...
JH
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Its London, they have to complete a 50,000 word risk assesmement from the Mayors office before any work can begin.
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There is a small village in Somerset where the gas main jinks right then straight on and then left and then straight on. The whole diversion is more or less the size of a VW Golf Gti. A certain person some 20 odd years ago was working abroad for a few months when the local authority decided to re-lay the gas supply. Apparently notices were posted banning parking in that street but they were put in place after the Golf's driver had left. I think it sort of cheering that they solved their access problem by going around the car.
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Same here sadly - the end of our lane, down which school children commute on foot to catch the bus (old fashioned here always) floods in bad weather (especially in NOVEMBER) covering the road in what people in the next village flush down their toilets. A successful campaign waged by residents has led to a decision to dig up the road and improve the sewer. This will involve closing the road for a fortnight, and our wonderful council have flagged up a 2.2 km diversion for residents. No-one will use this as the locals know that a 500m diversion down a narrow lane at the back of my house will connect them to the main road. This work was flagged up for May (It was meant to happen whilst I was away) in a nominally dry and lengthy day time of year. Work was postponed for no apparent reason - only to re-commence er...yesterday. Now you can guess the workers will be fighting poor weather (resulting in a flooded sewer) poor daylight and increased traffic (as no-one will walk the 200m to the village in bad weather). drivers using the back lane will easily quadruple an will have to play tag with hardy dog walkers, horses and an inbred inability to reverse (no passing places). I'm sure there are H&S reasons for not doing this work when the area is in flood, but they are carrying on regardless.
Edited by Pugugly on 18/11/2009 at 16:41
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I saw a road resurfacing crew hump a Renault 5 out of their way onto the pavement in Finchley Road in London.
Notices had been posted and everyone else had moved their cars.
One of the road gang picked up a traffic cone and plonked it on the roof of the Renault.
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They did some sewer work outside Ted Towers a few years ago. Later they came back and repaired an area about 2ft square outside our gate..Nice repair, hard up against the kerb...lovely smooth concrete .... the Mona Lisa of concreting !
No cones, 10 minutes after they'd gone, the postman nearly came off his bike in it and then another one rode through it
It's still there with its two bike tracks !
Might dig it up and enter it for the Turner prize when I've nowt better to do.
Ted
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When I got home tonight I found several cones and a council portacabin in my usual parking space. It seems council workers cannot work in the street without access to a canteen and indoor toilet. I expect to have the joyous view of this cabin for the next week or so.
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Update: early this evening I noticed that at some time over the past 24 hours the yellow signs on the other side of the road have been altered. Now the bay will be suspended allegedly for one day, next Monday.
It seems a bit soon to be the result of my phone call this afternoon. But I hadn't noticed it earlier, and nor apparently had anyone else, because the notices look the same from a distance. You have to go and stare at them to decipher them.
This side of the road is still suspended allegedly for a temporary bus stop. But the real bus stop is still unmolested in the next block. Five days the parkers on this side have been suspended for no reason.
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Lud
To rub salt into the wound the contractor will be PAYING the local authority for the priviledge of suspending your parking!
The authority will also have a notice served by a utility under NRSWA who want to do work in the street. If you are in the wrong area and it is BT works there may be a wait - three of their area contractors change this weekend - including the London area!
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