A mother has been fined £75 for littering after a tissue she was blowing her nose which blew away in strong winds and flew over a busy road.A tissue…?
Kerrie-Anne Hickin was dashing to catch a bus and as she took the tissue out of her pocket it blew away in a gust of wind.It’ll come as no surprise to anyone that it’s Sandwell Council yet again:
She said the next thing she knew, a warden was at her side at the bus stop writing a ticket.
Mrs Hickin, 30, a customer services advisor, said: “I stood there dumbstruck when I was stopped and the warden started reciting legal acts.
"It was really windy. I did not do it intentionally. I would hold my hands up if I did it on purpose.
"I am totally disgusted by it all. It is absolutely ridiculous and petty."
The warden was representing Sandwell Council, which faced criticism earlier this month for fining a young mother for feeding the ducks with her son at a park.Another young mother, eh..?
I’m sensing a bit of a pattern here…
Derek Rowley, a Sandwell Councillor, said: “Survey after survey tells us that litter is a major worry for the people of Sandwell. They tell us they don't want to see litter on the streets of Sandwell.Hmmm, I’d like to see the complaints about ‘dropped tissues’.
"We are responding to people's complaints about litter and we have a duty to respond to local people's concerns.”
Because I suspect that most complaints about litter come from chavs discarding their KFC wrappers or empty drinks cans in the high street. Why don’t your brave shock troops ever tackle them, rather than young, harassed mothers with children?
Or, have I just answered my own question?
And they wonder why servants of the state are despised.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAnd the incentive/commission scheme for wardens is...?
ReplyDeleteThere's a picture of the Sandwell litter wardens pretending to be police officers but not doing the one thing which might be useful i.e. picking up a broom (scroll down for the full effect.)
I was going to blether on about the use of para police but I guess everyone here is familiar with the graphic novel version of V which makes their role very clear.
From the Sandwell page there is a link worth following to the enforcement policy (pdf)
I never understand why these ladies don't just smile sweetly and give a false name.
ReplyDelete"Yeah, you're right, thanks for the ticket. My name is Firuza Al-Mohammend Bin Taliban, contact me at 42 Homicidal Mullahs Close, etc...."
The twat with the notebook would be over the horizon in a panic before the words were fully out of her mouth. Victimhood Judo - use it, people.
Their statement of accounts which I have just looked at online shows they have a deficit of nearly £98m. Perhaps they're trying to recoup some of it? They have also taken 17 additional staff on in the last year whose salaries are £50k or more.
ReplyDeleteI don't know the jargon with accounting so I can't find the bit that says "money conned from taxpayer for bogus environmental crimes".
Statement of accounts 2008/2009
She should have pretended she did not speak English.
ReplyDeleteI'm off to Sandwell with a bin bag full of shredded paper this weekend - wouldn't it be a pity if I "accidentally" released it in the wind?
Please, no-one copy this!
Yesterday, for the first time, I saw a County Council glossy poster in town saying, "Littering from cars - Report it". It didn't say to whom.
ReplyDelete"And they wonder why servants of the state are despised."
ReplyDeleteThey might wonder. But they don't really care...
They consider themselves untouchable, after all.
"And the incentive/commission scheme for wardens is...?"
Extremely lucrative!
"...but I guess everyone here is familiar with the graphic novel version of V..."
I certainly am. Much better than the film, btw.
"I never understand why these ladies don't just smile sweetly and give a false name."
It's the age old British deference to authority, I suspect.
"I don't know the jargon with accounting so I can't find the bit that says "money conned from taxpayer for bogus environmental crimes"."
ReplyDeleteYou won't find it, Sue. They hide that one very, very well...
"Yesterday, for the first time, I saw a County Council glossy poster in town saying, "Littering from cars - Report it". It didn't say to whom."
Now, there's a poster I'd just have to deface!
"A tissue…?"
ReplyDeleteBless you!
"Derek Rowley, a Sandwell Councillor, said: “Survey after survey tells us that litter is a major worry for the people of Sandwell. They tell us they don't want to see litter on the streets of Sandwell."
ReplyDeleteSo fucking pick it up then, Derek.
Whatever happened to "proportionality", hope she takes it to court or appeals like the other woman did.
ReplyDelete