I was driving into an out of town shopping centre just outside Leicester this afternoon, and when I turned onto the access road I noticed a large plain white van parked right in the centre of the road across the chevrons that lead from the end of the centre railing. This was a long wheelbase van and so the front wheels stuck out onto the road itself as the chevrons narrowed towards the centre line. The van had hazards on, and I noticed through the back windows that there were two cameras that appeared to have three lenses each aimed at the access road.
When I'd parked I approached a police mobile unit sat in the carpark for the public to access and asked the officers if the van was anything to do with them. They said it was a traffic operation of some sort, so I asked why it was parked in such an inappropriate place and using hazards in a way that it shouldn't. One of the officers said they weren't working with that team and couldn't tell me any more, but that when they'd just driven past the van looked fine as it was. At this point somebodt with them wearing normal clothes interrupted and advised me to go and speak to the people in the van if I had a complaint. Unfortunately on the way out I checked and there didn't seem to be anyone inside.
Surely there should have been some sort of indication as to the nature of the van as it appears that recordings were being made with no signs to indicate why? At the very least I wouldn't expect it to have parked somewhere that a member of the public wouldn't be able to without breaking the law.
|
|
That's nothing, when I went to Imperial Park in Bristol the other week there was a mutiple pile up under the flyover, lots of ambulances, roads closed, all sorts of people filming, lighting everywhere - reckon they were filming an episode of Holby City.
|
Sounds like an ANPR camera van.
I suppose they need to park up in such a way that the camera's get a chance to record the un-taxed, SORNed, un-insured etc. cars before they get a chance to turn around. But it sounds like a bit more thought could have been used in your example.
|
|
Mm, I was wondering about that - I've only ever seen those vans used with a small sign in front explaining what they were doing. I suppose an out of town shopping centre with little other access in the middle of the christmas shopping period guarantees a pretty good throughflow. I was wondering if there were specific cars they were trying to catch, hence the reluctance to say why it was there.
|
|
sometimes it appears that the police think some laws don't apply to them. On more than one occasion I've seen a traffic car sitting on the wrong side of a island on a little used road off a roundabout (Halbeath Road, Dunfermline, the roundabout by Focus if you're interested) just watching the cars go by. I've been tempted to take a picture but never quite worked up the courage somehow.
|
Have a little think about what you're saying. Does it really bother you that a minor traffic/parking offence is commited (at worst), so that something criminal or serious traffic related is detected? Lesser of the evils and all that.
They will want to park where they can get a maximum view of as many roads as possible, so that your hard earnt taxpayers cahs is put to good use...or would you prefer they put it on a meter somewhere, with a limited view no doubt, then claim the costs back.
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 13/12/2007 at 18:51
|
|
Westpig, I'm simply of the opinion that the police have a duty to be seen to uphold the rules and laws of the land. If there's an incident or someone needs help then fine, stop on double yellows, go through the red light or whatever it takes but if there's not an operational necessity then no it's not all right. Dilution of respect and all that.
|
|
|
|
kuang.... was it on narborough rd south near asda by any chance?
|
Almost - just around the corner on the Soar Valley Way entrance to Fosse Park, although I assume that there could have been more covering that area as part of a concentrated effort.
Don't get me wrong - I'm fine with the vans doing what they do as I'd quite happily see all of the scamming toads off the road, but it was the reluctance to say what was happening (and the somewhat brusque attitude) and the dangerous positioning (at a point where two lanes merge and any intrusion into the combined lane can cause issues) that narked me a bit. I'm in support of the law in most of what they do when it comes to traffic policing (despite them needing the resources to do more off it!) but I do like to see sense all round and compliance with the same rules that apply to all.
|
|
If it was ANPR, they must have gone for lunch - not much point in spotting the ungodly unlicensed if there's no Old Bill to seize their wretched little Corsas (I know, stereotyping again!).
|
"wretched little Corsas "
Unlikely at Fosse Park - Leicester has a large number of Asians - they only drive their Mercedes to Fosse Park!
(Is that racist? I hope not - the Asians on the whole seem to be very hard working and successful businessmen who love their Mercs)
--
Phil
|
"wretched little Corsas " Unlikely at Fosse Park - Leicester has a large number of Asians - they only drive their Mercedes to Fosse Park!
I have had to go to Leicester a couple of times on business and my wife dragged me into Fosse Park once. Seemed a rather down-at-heel place and not many Mercs there. The middle of Leicester itself is like some giant refugee camp. Excellent market though!
(Is that racist? I hope not - the Asians on the whole seem to be very hard working and successful businessmen who love their Mercs)
Yes, probably racist. Better to stick to comments about Chavs in Corsas (white working class) and single mums on benefits. Safe ground - no one will knock you for that.. ;-)
|
Not sure I can find any reasonable argument against that, Aprilia! ;-)
--
Phil
|
|
|
|
Many residents find the opposite - the market has seen better days and has a significant number of what appear to be junk stalls, but once you get out of the city centre and start to sniff around the suburbs and beyond you discover some astonishing places. People forget that Leicester has a lot of history and the mess that is the city centre only came about through the appalling actions of one particular city planner in the 60s.
|
"People forget that Leicester has a lot of history and the mess that is the city centre only came about through the appalling actions of one particular city planner in the 60s."
Good point Kuang - and thankfully a lot of that "mess" is in the process of being corrected. It also has, of course, one of the best rugby teams in Europe, if not the world, which is a source of great pleasure to me and many others! It also has some delightful areas in the city centre which escaped the "planning" blight of the late '60s - some of the "back streets" near the cathedral have picturesque small cafes and shops in the attractive old buildings that have survived. There are also the areas down by the river/canal which have been attractively developed in recent years. Trouble is that one has to search for these areas and first impressions of the city are often not good. This is not helped by (motoring link) the appalling traffic management and parking facilities in the city centre.
--
Phil
|
I went to Leicester maybe 15 years ago and got totally confused with the traffic systems and car parks. I ended up being followed by a police car through a pedestrianised area. He stopped me and said he wasn't surprised I'd gone wrong, then showed me the way out.
I've avoided Leicester ever since, but impressed with the nice policeman!
Mike
|
Our traffic system definitely leaves a lot to be desired.. like a traffic system, for a start! I rate it as being almost as bad as Nottingham and Birmingham for someone who isn't familiar with it (but nowhere near as awful as Leeds).
There are roadworks everywhere at the moment and we've suffered a good six months of disruption on almost every major route into the city. There seems to be no agreement between the city and county over how to schedule work either, so schedules often clash badly and cause chaos.
The one way system can be a pig, and the ridiculous act of signposting carparks in 'compass point' zones was utterly bizarre - I couldn't honestly tell you where the zones are (despite knowing all of the carparks in them) and there's nothing at all in the makeup of the city to suggest where the boundaries lie. Hopefully the pedestrianisation of a lot of central streets will make the remaining roads clearer, and the new highcross centre will give ailing visitors a get out clause on the main ring road so they don't have to venture further.
It's a shame really - I dislike the centre immensely, but whever I take visitors out and about and show them what sits two of three streets away from the obvious they can't believe it :)
|
|
|
|
|
|
