Monday 17 October 2011

New Traffic Sign Needed:NIMBY Ahead!

Residents are holding rush hour protests against commuters who clog their inner-city streets to avoid parking charges.
Those residents being, one has to assume, non-workers, since they’ve the time on their hands for this..?
Now they are holding morning and evening protests around Hulme Street to confront motorists as they pick up and drop off cars, asking them to park elsewhere.
Where do they suggest? Or don't they?
Maggie Sansam, a member of the residents association who lives on Humberstone Avenue, said: "We've been going out challenging people because we want to ask how they would like it if their neighbourhood was turned into a car park every day.

"These motorists are probably saving hundreds of pounds but it's at our expense and we think it's really unfair."
I’m a little unsure how exactly it’s ‘at your expense’, since these people are invariably paying the taxes to support your right to stay home and complain all day…
But motorists parking on the street were unimpressed.

Sue Franklin, a business development manager, commutes from Frodsham in Cheshire to Manchester every day.

She said: "It would cost me £9 a day to park in the city centre so I park here instead.

"I would hate it too if I lived here but it's the best solution for me."
And, since there’s no RPZ in effect, it’s perfectly legal.
Another motorist, who did not want to give his name, said: "I've paid my car tax so I'll park wherever I want.”
It’s hard not to disagree with him, isn’t it?

13 comments:

Yellow Lines said...

Just as the car drivers pay generous fuel duty that goes on roads (well, some of it) to maintain the streets that are so precious to the residents.

Their fuel duty also pays for many of the benefits that the residents get, so try not to knock it, Ms Sansam.

Longrider said...

The answer to such folk as I gave when people didn't like me taking learner drivers along "their" roads is always the same. It is a public highway and as this vehicle is road legal, I am entitled to use it. If inclined the exhortation to procreate and travel may be added for extra zest.

SBC said...

Paying your car tax doesn't actually give you any parking entitlement or entitlement to be on the road for that matter....it's a duty...a tax not a licence.

That aside the only thing that pisses me off about the people who park in our street during the day are those selfish cunts who park infront of my drive.

Normally the local kids make a point of keying them in passing for me.

Uncle Badger said...

And the root of the problem, as so often these days, is the greed of local councils.

Charging someone £9 a day to park so that she can just go to work is insane, but greedy councils hide behind Green policies to conceal their insatiable desire for money.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Agreed. If they want a CPZ with all the cost and hassle that entails, then let them have one.

SBC said...

"
Charging someone £9 a day to park so that she can just go to work is insane"

The people who park in our street work at the hospital. I've spoken to several of them over the years and asked why they turn our street into a company car park.

Their employer, The NHS Trust Whatever, FORBIDS them to use the hospital car park! They are supposed to travel in by bus.

The fact that a lot of them live in UPpernosebleed or Pissin-on-The-Green where there is only one bus a week...

Doctors and Surgeons though get parking spaces at the hospital though -right outside the main entrance

SBC idiot watch said...

One wonders if the fool known as SBC has had his car 'keyed' by the local kids and thus feels a warm glow of satisfaction that some weird street justice is being done.

SBC said...

"SBC ...feels a warm glow of satisfaction that some weird street justice is being done."

Nope, just gratitude that I don't have go out myself and pour brake fluid over the car (or stick a 'youparklikeanasshole.com' sticker on their windscreen with Gorilla Glue) that's blocking my egress.

Brake fluid isn't as cheap as it once was.

Lerxst said...

I always use the car park at my local station, however I know plenty of people don't because of the cost. Instead, they park on the roads in the nearby housing estate, though that carries its own risks.

I was chatting to one woman the other month, who'd got back to find her tyres slashed and a message on her windscreen, telling her, her car would keep getting damaged if she parked there.

I couldn't help wondering about the mentality of the yob who's first thought on how to encourage someone to move their car was to make it undriveable...

Lerxst said...

'whose first thought' even...

Please forgive the hideous grammar error..

JuliaM said...

"Just as the car drivers pay generous fuel duty that goes on roads (well, some of it) to maintain the streets..."

Precisely! I can understand if they are parking inconsiderately (across drives, etc), but if not...

"If inclined the exhortation to procreate and travel may be added for extra zest."

:D

"And the root of the problem, as so often these days, is the greed of local councils."

Yup, and it won't go on maintaining those streets, it'll go on five-a-say initiatives and greenwash.

"Their employer, The NHS Trust Whatever, FORBIDS them to use the hospital car park! They are supposed to travel in by bus."

Gah!

"I couldn't help wondering about the mentality of the yob who's first thought on how to encourage someone to move their car was to make it undriveable..."

Pretty much the same as 'You're parked illegally so I'll clamp you!', isn't it?

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of when I was living in digs in Salisbury many years ago. My landlady's next-door neighbour had a bungalow right on the inside of a sweeping curve in the road, with the result that their frontage was about 150ft long. The miserable old sod who lived theree came out one day as I was parking and moaned that I shouldn't be spoiling his view by parking anywhere along 'his' bit of road. "I pay my rates" he said as an excuse for this point of view. As I didn't want to cause any friction between him and my landlady I ended up complying, but still thought he was a git.

(BTW, how many double entendres can you spot in that paragraph?)

Lerxst said...

Pretty much the same as 'You're parked illegally so I'll clamp you!', isn't it?


Fair point!