Friday 29 April 2011

Hey, Everyone! Free Parking In Southend!

We’re not camping, we’re just tourists like everybody else.”
Not quite like everyone else:
Six motor homes have moved into the council-owned Fairheads Green car park in Eastern Esplanade, Southend, near the Sea-Life Adventure marine centre.

Council parking wardens tried to slap tickets on the illegally-parked vehicles, but retreated after they were threatened and verbally intimidated.
Right! So if you fancy coming to the Airshow but don't want to pay for any parking (and who does, am I right?), then just turn up, park where you like and if the wardens turn up, verbally threaten and intimidate them!

It's OK, as we've seen, it's not like the Essex Police will turn up and do anything about it.

Will they? Or is it one law for a certain group of people, and another for everyone else?

Meanwhile, regarding another case of these favoured ones, Chief Supt Alison Newcomb, Essex Police’s eastern division commander, is busy spinning for all she's worth:
“Police are not taking sides in any way over this incident, and we have followed up complaints made about the conduct of several people.”
“We carry out investigations and make decisions based on the information and evidence before us, regardless of who we are dealing with. This is a very sensitive situation, but we have to be objective in applying our powers and have to deal with the evidence we have.”

Mrs Newcomb said trespassing was a civil matter, but assured residents the force was taking every reasonable step to keep the situation peaceful and calm.

She added: “Our priority is always public safety, including the prevention of any potential breaches of the peace. Police involvement is about protecting life and property and we take that seriously. We are unbiased in applying the law.”
Actually, I don't think I'd dignify that with the term 'spin'. She's just flat-out denying that black is black, and insisting it's white.

Who are we going to believe? Her, or our lyin' eyes?

15 comments:

George Speller said...

It is one law for us and another for them (multipole thems). Was Kate Middleton wearing a seatbelt? Was she chuff.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps a display of very low level flying could be added to the airshow schedule ?

Katabasis said...

Meanwhile, nearby, people are arrested and manhandled for street theatre.

F***W*T TW****R said...

There I was, having a good tadger thrashing whilst listening to the wedding and then I read this....

Anonymous said...

Trespassing may be a civil matter but threatening violence is criminal. Mrs Newcomb would have more respect if she just said she couldn't be arsed doing anything about it.

DerekP said...

Taking away the farmer's shotguns and "Police are considering revoking the firearms licence" certainly gives the lie to “Police are not taking sides".

Possessing the shotguns was fine until it seemed someone who was outnumbered,threatened and had called the police saw just how effective the police were at "protecting life and property".

Captain Haddock said...

"Perhaps a display of very low level flying could be added to the airshow schedule" ?

Perhaps it could also include a live demonstration of the effects of air-borne Napalm too ?

Span Ows said...

napalm is illegal; however many things that can have a simialr effect are not.

Anonymous said...

Trespass seems to be criminal when Gadgo-Knacker wants it to be. Cops seem to turn up threatening a certain type of trespasser, aiming weapons and generally behaving badly. I'm thinking of a number of recent raids on 'future protesters'. Not that I object to police stopping raids on power stations etc.
Got pulled over myself the other night. Driving on fog lights unaccompanied by fog. The lad was officious, but helpful - didn't know the car was equipped with them and he showed me how to switch the blighters off. Left saying he was off to do more important things.

Captain Haddock said...

"napalm is illegal" ..

So is keeping, owning or driving a motor vehicle without valid Tax & Insurance .. but that doesn't seem to prevent the Caravan Utilising Nomadic Society from doing so on a regular basis .. does it ?

Mjolinir said...

Is "Cutting down trees with a chainsaw whilst trespassing" a civil or criminal matter?

JuliaM said...

"Was Kate Middleton wearing a seatbelt? "

Would a car of that vintage have one? If not, she doesn't need to wear one.

"Meanwhile, nearby, people are arrested and manhandled for street theatre."

For their own protection. I suspect if they'd tried that in front of the crowd I watched on tv yesterday, the response would have been...vigorous.

"napalm is illegal; however many things that can have a simialr effect are not."

Fuel-air detonation? Apart from Seaworld, not a lot of infrastructure to damage there...

"The lad was officious, but helpful - didn't know the car was equipped with them and he showed me how to switch the blighters off. Left saying he was off to do more important things."

There are some still left, then? Good cops. I mean, rather than box-ticking automatons. That's heartening.

RantinRab said...

The car park is not 'council owned'. It's owned by the people and looked after on their behalf by the council.

I bloody hate all of the 'council owned' bullshit.

Brian said...

Things are different in Redditch. - Provided you don't belong to a certain community of course.

Rob said...

A classic example of the police "refusing to take sides" between criminals and citizens.

No doubt the police will raid the travellers camp and seize whatever weapons they have. Oh no, they won't, as they are not "legally owned", and they know they'll meet with force if they try it.

Modern policing - cave in to threats of force, intimidate and persecute the weak.