political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Beating Bureaucracy
Today I had a letter from the People's Republic of Camden telling me that my appeal against a parking ticket had been successful. You can have no idea what pleasure that letter has given me.
Impression I get is that some ticket inspectors give out tickets which they know will be turned over on appeal, as they are going for their 'targets', which are not adjusted for any appeals - which take months to go through. A little cynical, but if the pay and reward scheme for these people is constructed like that, one can hardly blame for following the money, and exhibiting the behaviour the scheme was designed to encourage.
Power isn't in the hands of the elected officials anymore but the entrenched bureaucracy of council. And Camden is engaged in a Stalinistic purge of parked cars that won't be stopped by a change of government.
what's wrong is there no park and ride ,how about cycling ,Global warming you know ,ban all cars in kenland and go by bikes ,this includes the HP ,MP ,Ken and all the people's republics.
Same up here 2 seconds over time and you have a ticket ,Liverpool it's cheaper to walk to where you are going.
We had months of hassle with Brighton and Hove who issued my dad a ticket shortly before he died.
He'd appealed on the not unreasonable grounds that he was parked in a disabled bay and was displaying his disabled badge.
However after he'd died it became a bit academic that he was right - apart from to B&H who kept chasing, and then threatened to send a bailiff months after we'd sent them his death certificate.
We were really grateful for the way their staff ignored our phone calls and letters at a time of grief and stress.
A friend of mine saw a car being booked in Camden, in a space where the yellow line was obscured by oil and dirt. He spoke to the traffic warden who said, with a smile, "We catch a lot of people that way."
I myself have seen a car booked, in Camden, while the driver crossed the road to buy a parking ticket at the machine.
Friends of mine, who use a gym in Camden, know that the wardens lie in wait outside. They hope to book any driver who returns to his car a minute or two after 8.30 a.m.
It's all about targets. Bonus schemes and targets for traffic wardens should be prohibited by law.
Off topic Sorry Iain I had a silly idea that blogging was about interaction ,someone put's a comment ,I reply to the header and if a commentator has put somthing that interest's me ,this dumping of a batch of comments is horrible.
Still sticking it to the man Iain, good for you.I wonder what you were up to in Camden....getting a tattoo ,buying some jeans with holes in, perhaps some interesting leatherware ? A spirit orb or scented oil? Perhaps attending a soirree at the Camden Palais or JazzCafe ?
Congratulations Iain! I am also waiting to hear about an appeal against a €60 fine for parking with four wheels on "the pavement". The section of "pavement" concerned is an extension to the driveway of my house, which crosses the pavement proper as well as a 5 Meter grass verge. The socialist city of Vienna charged me 2,000 quid for building this access for my car 10 years ago and according to the Police "driveways" are "pavements" in Vienna, but not in the rest of Austria. My house is situated at the junction of two roads and this wonderfully wasteful city have also forced me to have two addresses, i.e. No.6 XXX Straße & No. 20 XXXX Straße, despite only having one entrance. Only Socialists can create such idiotic and pointless regulations.
You spend a lot of time whinging about parking, congestion charging, etc etc. Why doesn't an affluent man about town like you think about revising his life so he is not so dependent on cars? Live closer to work, walk / bicycle (you look like a bit of exercise might sharpen up the features). Or is the lure of country life in Tunbridge Wells (??) too much to resist?
Getting about in the UK has always been expensive compared to mainland Europe. London in particular is a nightmare and in Red Ken's reservation it's a joke. To give an example how public transport should be organised and run, take a look at Vienna. The public transport here comprises of a new and expanding Underground, Trams, Bus services and a local Train service. Traveling one way you have a flat-fare which is less than 1 UK Pound using any combination of travel you choose. There are no ticket barriers but you must stamp a ticket at the start of your journey. Other than the occasional check by a ticket inspector, you never see a transport employee except for the driver. I've just attained pensionable age and have a block pass which I pay just 15 UK Pounds per month to go where I like, when I like. Guess what, the service is highly profitable. Just what is wrong with the UK and especially London?
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteImpression I get is that some ticket inspectors give out tickets which they know will be turned over on appeal, as they are going for their 'targets', which are not adjusted for any appeals - which take months to go through. A little cynical, but if the pay and reward scheme for these people is constructed like that, one can hardly blame for following the money, and exhibiting the behaviour the scheme was designed to encourage.
ReplyDeletePeople's Republic run by a Tory-Lib Dem coalition?
ReplyDeleteYour pleasure is someone else's councul tax increase!
ReplyDeletePower isn't in the hands of the elected officials anymore but the entrenched bureaucracy of council. And Camden is engaged in a Stalinistic purge of parked cars that won't be stopped by a change of government.
ReplyDeletewhat's wrong is there no park and ride ,how about cycling ,Global warming you know ,ban all cars in kenland and go by bikes ,this includes the HP ,MP ,Ken and all the people's republics.
ReplyDeleteSame up here 2 seconds over time and you have a ticket ,Liverpool it's cheaper to walk to where you are going.
Congrats.
ReplyDeleteWe had months of hassle with Brighton and Hove who issued my dad a ticket shortly before he died.
He'd appealed on the not unreasonable grounds that he was parked in a disabled bay and was displaying his disabled badge.
However after he'd died it became a bit academic that he was right - apart from to B&H who kept chasing, and then threatened to send a bailiff months after we'd sent them his death certificate.
We were really grateful for the way their staff ignored our phone calls and letters at a time of grief and stress.
A friend of mine saw a car being booked in Camden, in a space where the yellow line was obscured by oil and dirt. He spoke to the traffic warden who said, with a smile, "We catch a lot of people that way."
ReplyDeleteI myself have seen a car booked, in Camden, while the driver crossed the road to buy a parking ticket at the machine.
Friends of mine, who use a gym in Camden, know that the wardens lie in wait outside. They hope to book any driver who returns to his car a minute or two after 8.30 a.m.
It's all about targets. Bonus schemes and targets for traffic wardens should be prohibited by law.
Off topic
ReplyDeleteSorry Iain I had a silly idea that blogging was about interaction ,someone put's a comment ,I reply to the header and if a commentator has put somthing that interest's me ,this dumping of a batch of comments is horrible.
Keep up the good work and park properly.
Still sticking it to the man Iain, good for you.I wonder what you were up to in Camden....getting a tattoo ,buying some jeans with holes in, perhaps some interesting leatherware ? A spirit orb or scented oil?
ReplyDeletePerhaps attending a soirree at the Camden Palais or JazzCafe ?
or simply chillin`.
"People's Republic of Camden"
ReplyDeleteThe who??
Congratulations Iain! I am also waiting to hear about an appeal against a €60 fine for parking with four wheels on "the pavement". The section of "pavement" concerned is an extension to the driveway of my house, which crosses the pavement proper as well as a 5 Meter grass verge. The socialist city of Vienna charged me 2,000 quid for building this access for my car 10 years ago and according to the Police "driveways" are "pavements" in Vienna, but not in the rest of Austria. My house is situated at the junction of two roads and this wonderfully wasteful city have also forced me to have two addresses, i.e. No.6 XXX Straße & No. 20 XXXX Straße, despite only having one entrance. Only Socialists can create such idiotic and pointless regulations.
ReplyDeleteAs anonymous @ 10:11 says, Camden is Lib Dem/Tory.
ReplyDeletePRP for traffic wardens is not 'immoral'. It just means rules will be enforced assiduously.
Iain, Was the letter you received from Camden written in plain English or gobbledygook?
ReplyDeleteYou spend a lot of time whinging about parking, congestion charging, etc etc. Why doesn't an affluent man about town like you think about revising his life so he is not so dependent on cars? Live closer to work, walk / bicycle (you look like a bit of exercise might sharpen up the features). Or is the lure of country life in Tunbridge Wells (??) too much to resist?
ReplyDeleteGetting about in the UK has always been expensive compared to mainland Europe. London in particular is a nightmare and in Red Ken's reservation it's a joke. To give an example how public transport should be organised and run, take a look at Vienna. The public transport here comprises of a new and expanding Underground, Trams, Bus services and a local Train service. Traveling one way you have a flat-fare which is less than 1 UK Pound using any combination of travel you choose. There are no ticket barriers but you must stamp a ticket at the start of your journey. Other than the occasional check by a ticket inspector, you never see a transport employee except for the driver. I've just attained pensionable age and have a block pass which I pay just 15 UK Pounds per month to go where I like, when I like. Guess what, the service is highly profitable. Just what is wrong with the UK and especially London?
ReplyDelete