I live in a village complete with a village school. I tend to leave for work just as the morning school run is dropping off. You can imagine the dreadful and inconsiderate parking that goes on.
On top of that, it's recently been well publised that our blanket 20 mph speed limit is unenforceable and we must be revert to a 30 limit. So bad and dangerous parking is suddenly more important than it has been.
I really struggled to exit onto the main road this morning as a result of the worst example of parking I've seen for a very long while. The car was parked across the mouth of the junction, more less at right angles to the pavement. The only wheel that came near to the kerb was on a double yellow line and the car was obstructing a dropped kerb. It was a largish car, a freelander I think so it was also obstructing the view down the main road making it extremely difficult to make sure the road was clear and that it was safe to exit.
... oh, and did I mention that this was a police vehicle?
I have a photograph of the car and the number of the wpc driver. Do you think I should lodge an official complaint?
Edited by scotty on 23/03/2009 at 18:37
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Was this parking rude, inconsiderate, dangerous, etc?
Yes, so of course you should complain.
It makes no difference what's written on the side of the vehicle.
If it was a Marks and Spencer delivery wagon would you complain?
Coppers are no more stupid/bright than the rest of us, so there may be an explanation, although it's hard to think what it could be.
'Answering an emergency call' might be one reason, although in the absence of any other police activity, I would look askance at that one.
Your complaint should be identical in form and tone to one you would make to a private motorist or any other organisation.
Just forget it's a police car, it's irrelevant because the accident that may have occurred would have been just the same.
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Was she dropping her kids off?
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Yes most definately. The situation has been created by mindless parents dropping kids of on the school run. Most will probably live no more than 8oo yards from school. Not only are they inconsiderate, you will find they block residents drives, double park, park illegally. But most importantly they will cause serious potential for service delivery delay. Think about this your house is on fire or say someone has had an heart attack and needs an ambulance and its delayed due to emergency service vehicle not been able to get through. Due to all off the above reasons and what you mention. I have done exactly the same in a street near where i live. I raised the complaint to the Authority's and emergency services. Guess what. The road layout is going to be changed, priority's removed to allow 2 way traffic zebra put in a sterile area created. The local police community support officers and traffic warden will now enforce the law when the new layout is done. In raising a complaint you will also get answers maybe consultation on what can be done and at the same time you will help children be safer and learn how too walk the extra couple of yards wich is good exercise.
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If you complain make sure your car is legal to the last light bulb, you may attract unwanted interest.
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...If you complain make sure your car is legal to the last light bulb you may attract unwanted interest....
Unlikely, there's nothing other coppers like to see more than a colleague in a - harmless - scrape.
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If you complain make sure your car is legal to the last light bulb you may attract unwanted interest.
Yes please complain and if it is a local Plod then they will get you back. Trust me, I know.
Good luck........MD
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It was probably an emergency, the driver pulling up quickly and running to assist one of the children who was about to go into labour, and needed a fast trip to hospital ...
I suppose you could complain. And then the 'customer service department' would create paperwork, and ask you for further details. You'd have to go to the cop shop, sign letters etc. I doubt it is worth it.
To be honest the standard of driving by non-traffic police is not always top notch.
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I'm inclined to agree, on a "life's too short" basis.
OP says he has a pic of the car and the WPC's number. So couldn't he have spoken to her as he would have had to do to anyone else not in such a readily identifiable car?
The thing that does worry me is that there's no way of knowing whether what the OP saw represents arrogance or stupidity. Stupidity's ok in small doses. Arrogance is a different matter.
I'd treat her as a let off for for a first offence and watch for a second.
Evenin' all.
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Any clues as to why it was there?
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Oh I wouldn't complain - though the potential danger of the situation is noted. It's impossible to tell whether the PO did have a genuine reason to park like that, in which case you'd look a fool. I know this because I'm often that fool. As another poster said, sit on the evidence and see if it happens again. Then, speak to the PO but don't mention the picture. If he/she gets officious with you, take a snap of the car only and mention the other one!
I'd be tempted to be more lenient with regards a police vehicle than any other.
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I see many badly parked vehicles every day, I wouldn't bother complaining. Just looking at your past posts which seem consistantly anti police, i can't help thionking if you're reduced to complaining about badly parked police vehicles life must be pretty tough.
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I would have thought the camera vans which park blocking the footpath are a safer target and more common
theres one thats always on a bridge sitting on top of a bridge going into Coventry who is blocking the safe passage of pedestrians trying to use the bridge
to say nothing of the unsafe parking of the camera vans in the centre of Reading
lets be honest the association of british drivers has already complains and sweet nothing ever happens
"without fear our favour" means "without fear or favour unless we were only following orders" ask any coopper...........
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Happens regularly round here too.
ANPR van frequently parked half across the pavent right on a corner - heaven help anyone wanting to turn right out of that road!
Also, police dog van parked at the top of the T at the end of my road - great fun turning out when he's there (often).
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From my experience, and from what friends/colleagues have said, voluntary contact with the police is best avoided unless it's absolutely vital. You never know what they'll unearth to hold against you. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not suggesting that you should adopt this tactic. I'm merely stating my philosophy.
Edited by L'escargot on 24/03/2009 at 06:47
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A couple of years ago I was seriously tailgated by a police van - he obviously wasn't on an emergency call since no blues and twos. I dialled 999 and said I wanted to report a vehicle being driven dangerously. As soon as I gave the reg no, they said "but this is a police vehicle". "That's right", I said. Within 30 seconds, the van suddenly backed off! The follow up was a letter from the Chief Constable's office thanking me for bringing it to their attention and asuring me that the driver had received counselling.
And I've never had any unwanted attention since. So I'd say - go ahead and complain. If the bad parking was for a genuine reason, then you'll be told so. If not, then lesson learned for an idiot parker.
What would you rather have - a bad parker who never learns, or someone in a fire / needing help who can't get it because of an idiot?
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If this is the problem your describe then why not try for a resolution.
Take the bull by the horns and get further protesters on board. Write to:
Local Authority Traffic Management Dept,
Local Police Commander
Headperson of School
arrange a site meeting at relerv ant time and thrash a solution out.
Get the village yellow lined through out and be the hero of the village...
dvd
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Get the village yellow lined through out and be the hero of the village...
As far as I can see, yellow lines outside schools mean "Parking spaces here". At least that is what parents think.
BTW I suspect that ringing 999 to report a tailgater is wasting police resources. Are you sure you want them to spend time dealing with your tailgating report when there is someone reporting a heart attack, or an attack by a gang, waiting to get through? In that case it is best to ring through to the local police station.
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I'd say it is well worth reporting. Crime in progress.
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Thanks for the replies. Quite a variety of views.
I've decided to go with the "life's too short" advice.
BTW - I did speak to the officer concerned and pointed out the error of her ways. I don't think she was very impressed.
She said she'd been on an urgent call to an OAP in distress, but I don't see how that justifies putting others at risk. There were other, safer places to park which, in fact, were closer to the house she needed to visit.
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scotty,
Didn't realise you had spoken to the officer concerned.
To me, you have made your point by doing that and there's no need to take it any further.
So she wasn't too impressed - she will just have to get over it and might realise there is a way to avoid complaints of inconsiderate parking.
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And stuff the OAP in distress as long as some narrow minded individuals get some perverse sense of satisfaction at the injustice of having to negotiate a badly parked car on one occasion, being able to challenge and dobb in a copper the world will be a better place.
There is a whole lot more going on in the world outside your bubbles.
Edited by Fullchat on 25/03/2009 at 20:24
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injustice of having to negotiate a badly parked car on one occasion
What do you expect , the OP does drive a BMW, mere mortals must not impede his progress. :-)
Edited by Old Navy on 25/03/2009 at 20:35
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Can't imagine what this thread is about.
The fuzz parking their vehicles all over the road at incidents is completely normal and gives one something to look at. The Met, plainclothes and marked, remains almost alone in London in carrying on the tradition of old-style Paris parking, one wheel on a cafe step, one in a bus stop and and one of the others on a pedestrian crossing on a corner sort of thing. I loved that. Makes me nostalgic to remember it.
Long may the BiB bear aloft and ever onward the standard of the Free Motorist and Toad-style Parker!
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They are all, Lud, (and I'm surprised you didn't know this) attending to the needs of distressed oap's.
This is the get out of jail free card for idiotic parking. But only for Old Bill.
Let's examine the evidence. OAP. Well, we all know that all oap's are frail and in need of constant attention. And distressed? Well what does that mean? Has there been a crime or has the oap lost a buttered scone behind the sofa and simultaneously failed on the Countdown conundrum?
Was the officer on a 999 call? Is this how the call went?
"Emergency. Which service do you require?"
"Police."
"What's the problem?"
"I'm a distressed OAP."
"A car's on it's way."
People and their bubbles!
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It never occurs to me to wonder what they are doing, Optimist. Quite often they appear to be having a genial chat with some group of louche characters. But so what? Their long-established parking privileges remind me of a more elegant period of recent history when the rest of us could park like that too.
Seems obvious to me that if you waddle up and scold them for parking like that they are going to treat you as a pain in the fundament. I would too if I were them.
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One WPC's distressed OAP is another man's louche character.
Personally I wouldn't waddle up and scold because they do seem to be terribly sensitive and I wouldn't want to offend.
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One WPC's distressed OAP is another man's louche character
Plenty of OAPs on ASBOs - enough to make plenty of cheap telly programmes.
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Quite PU.
I'm an OAP and I'm a geezer, knowImean? A little bit wooooh, a little bit werrrrgh.... knowImean?
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And stuff the OAP in distress as long as some narrow minded individuals get some perverse sense of satisfaction
Fullchat: Was there really any need to take that tone?
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That was fairly tempered considering the adjectives that were going through my mind! JohnCyprus above sums it up nicely.
'OAP in distress' may counjour up images of scones down the backs of sofas to the more flippant but to me the reality is of some person who has been laid on the floor all night in their own waste products and wouldn't ring for help in the middle of the night because they didn't want to distract the Police from far more important work.
Or perhaps the car had been positioned there to protect an OAP who had fallen down and to prevent some Norris running them over. Who knows?
Poles apart really. The position of a parked car pails into insignificance.
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Fullchat said:
Poles apart really. The position of a parked car pails into insignificance.
If that was the case, then I think most people would agree with you. If you are saying that it is wise not to jump to conclusions, then I agree. I guess you have seen too many people leap to the wrong conclusions.
But are you saying that the police never drive badly? I guess the OP was right to talk to the police officer in question, and it sounds as he/she they did not explain the reason for parking 'badly' (if that was the case). As to whether a copper would feel obliged to explain parking to a stranger, that is another issue. I hope they would. I remember some interesting posts on this forum from serving police officers explaining why what sometimes looks like dangerous parking is done for a good reason e.g. do not leave the vehicle out of sight to avoid vandalism.
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"But are you saying that the police never drive badly?"
Not at all. I am not naive enough to think that. Nor abuse their authority or a raft of other misdemeanours that can be leveled against them. These instances are far less than some perceive them to be and sometimes occur in very demanding and difficult circumstances. Police Officers should set an example and be above reproach.
What does get my goat is that some seem to take a perverse almost childlike delight in making a minor incident into something of endemic proportions seemingly dismissing or not even considering all the possible contributing factors just because the other party has Police written on their uniform and vehicle.
Would the OP have made such an issue if it had been say a mail delivery van or a dust cart parked improperly?
Is it jealousy of authority? Is it payback time for what the Police are perceived not to be doing? Is it retribution for poor service, that parking/speeding ticket , drink drive conviction or simply being challenged at some time in their life. I wish I knew.
Edited by Fullchat on 26/03/2009 at 23:22
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Is it payback time for what the Police are perceived not to be doing? >>
Fullchat:
My theory is that it is frustration at the perception that "Middle Englander" is paying for everything. It is reinforced by watching the sterling work of Police on all the various TV "Cop shows" where the low life gets caught by the BIB, only to be let off, either without any charge or with a derisory fine, by the rest of the Justice system. So "Middle Englander" becomes Mr Angry [Mr Cross X " and rants at the Police at any given opportunity because the Police are the only visible part of the Justice system in their daily life. Just my theory.
Edited by jbif on 27/03/2009 at 00:03
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I'd say it is well worth reporting. Crime in progress.
When I was an inexperienced driver I nearly had a side on collision with someone on a motorway at 80 mph. He undertook me after I had started indicating left, and moving left. It was pure luck there was not a serious accident. I reported it to the local police. The sergeant on the desk shouted over to his mate "We've got a right nutter here". That is why I don't think the police would take kindly to a 999 for a tail gater.
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the time effort you put in reporting it---------it will just be ignored
send pic to local paper---no name
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Complaining about the police is like putting your head into a lion's mouth. If your head gets bitten off you've only got yourself to blame!
Discretion is the better part of valour.
Edited by L'escargot on 27/03/2009 at 07:22
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Absolute rubbish.I have made a complaint about a police van parked causing an obstruction,which was taken seriously,I have not been persecuted with vehicle checks or suchlike.
Once,when cycling through Leeds,a police van pulled out in front of me without indicating.As the window was open I gave the driver my opinion of his driving,he did not look happy but said nothing.We went on our ways,I did not feel the need to complain,I had spoken to the driver,why do more?
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Exactly - I think some people think that they live in a Communist era estern bloc country. I was instrumental in an Officer losing his job after he stole from our Office. I've been stopped a couple of times since but was dealt with OK - my relations with the local Police are just fine and occasionally socialise with Officers so get real.
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so get real.
I've got real.
A few years ago (out of a sense of public duty) I rang the police to report two youngsters who were sniffing petrol from a moped, clearly visible from our office window at work. The police officer appointed to investigate never turned up. I rang again later and complained about this. Shortly afterwards I received a phone call from the appointed police officer. He said that the incident had occurred somewhere other than where I had said it was, and that he had attended the scene, but that it was not in view from our office windoow. He said that I couldn't possibly have witnessed the incident (because, he said, it was out of view of our office window) and that I couldn't possibly have known whether he had attended or not, and that if I wanted to take the matter any further I should come to meet him at the station.
Not wanting to get a good kicking (literally or otherwise), I declined his invitation.
Edited by L'escargot on 27/03/2009 at 09:43
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...so get real....
Seconded.
Policemen, like the rest of us, have a sense of right and wrong, so if your complaint is reasonable and done in a reasonable way, you'll have no bother.
There's no polis going to put his career at risk by hassling you for the sake of a colleague who has let the side down.
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