Argument with a Traffic Warden, and I was on foot !!

[squirrel_hunter]

From my experience I've not had a problem with attendants and bikes. There was a car parked half in a bike bay in Corn St, Bristol that I was parking in. Once I got off the bike and saw a traffic warden before I could even open my mouth he said 'don't worry its getting towed'. Sure enough by the time I got back it was gone!

But then I've found cars being lifted onto the flat beds to do the removal have parked in the road stopping all traffic. This is worse, the car it was removing was not causing a problem to the flow of traffic. Yes they had parked illegally and deserved the ticket but the disruption caused by lifting the car far outweighed the original offense.

It just goes to show, not all of them are bad but there are some that shouldn't be in the job. However the root of the problem is the way parking enforcement is operated, its just a money making scheme and the targets attendants are given just proves this! And until this is changed the lack of common sense and fair judgment will reign.

Originally Posted by squirrel_hunter

But then I've found cars being lifted onto the flat beds to do the removal have parked in the road stopping all traffic. This is worse, the car it was removing was not causing a problem to the flow of traffic. Yes they had parked illegally and deserved the ticket but the disruption caused by lifting the car far outweighed the original offense.

Yes, happens a lot. If it was truely for traffic flow they would just ticket cars on overstayed pay and displays and not tow them. Their argument I suppose is the one that OtherSquirrel makes that it prevents others parking. IMO its just revenue collection.

I was once struck in the car by a car swinging on the back of a tow truck by the Bristol crowd. Anyone who's seen them will know they drive at speed considering they are towing. Oddly the insurer of the towing firm contacted me via my solictors to verify that a car was being towed behind the truck while the flatbed was empty. Odd. Anyway, I won the claim. Just as well as my wing was done, the side of the car being towed was done as well. But another thing I notice is that they tow with no light board on the car being towed. Is this legal? I do hope not

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by Dr Rich

another thing I notice is that they tow with no light board on the car being towed. Is this legal? I do hope not

If the lights on the towing vehicle are clearly visible then this is allowed in daylight (although there may be a length restriction). After dark they need lights on the towed vehicle.

More likely to be illegal in this case is they will be exceeding the maximum unbraked towing limit of 500Kg. If they just lifted the front wheels in the air on a dolly or some such, they are towing illegally. Over 500kg and the towed vehicle needs it's own brakes that operate in conjunction with the towing vehicle. A person in the car operating the foot brake will suffice in that case.

Interesting. There's nothing like a long held grudge is there

[Stingo]

Sounds to me like a waste of skin AND a thief of oxygen!

it was a harley!!!!!