Take the case of the Southend roadworks:
On Tuesday, drivers diverted because of seafront roadworks were caught out as they followed road signs leading them from Chancellor Road into Church Road, behind the Royals shopping centre.Yup, you heard that right.
Because bus lane signs in the area had not been covered up, police enforced the restriction and issued 15 people with £30 fines.
It was obvious to anyone with a brain (which clearly excludes Essex traffic officers) that a mistake had been made, and if cars were being directed into a bus lane, then that lane must have been suspened, but oh no, these tickets won’t write themselves, will they?
Ben, who works in telemarketing, said: “We were pulled up and the officer said it had been a bus lane for a year and they were clamping down on it.”Riiiiiight! A whole year? And you just happened to pick this day to enforce it, did you? How fortuitous.
Or not, as it turns out:
Following the apparent mix-up, motorists hit with the fines have been told their tickets will be cancelled or refunded if they have already paid.Let’s hope the officers involved have been sent to Specsavers too!
Adam Pipe, casualty reduction manager (Ed: nope, me neither..!) for Essex Police, said: “It would appear that on this occasion the particular sign in question should have been subject to a temporary suspension, which would have included the signs being covered.”I love the mealy-mouthed non-apology, don’t you? Instead of coming out and saying ‘Yup, we boobed! Really sorry!’, the spokescreature makes it sound as if this is something that could have happened to anyone, isn’t such a big deal, and in a gesture of magnanimity, we should all just forget about it…
I hope, when it comes to budget time, the council don’t forget…
And just when I was feeling sorry for them after reading the insane, mundane calls they get...
Those responsible for the standardisation of wording to mealy-mouthed excuses, are likely to take offence at any criticism.
ReplyDeleteWe should try to appreciate that teams of jobsworths with titles such as senior resource locating administrative assistant, would simply regard the matter as a bread and butter opportunity.
We are destined to hear the same apology tomorrow from another police service. It will be a result of another fund raising scam on a different road in a different County.
Undoubtedly. At least the hackneyed old phrase 'learning lessons' didn't get rolled out at this one!
ReplyDeleteI'm partly in favour of seeing less court action involving police. Lawyers taking £10 for every one in pay out is disgusting. What I can't stand is votaries like senior cops putting forward these suggestions on the 'Batphone', with no suggestions as to how to get a fair system in place. China has a red phone system like this that is dire and corrupt. If these insufferable pricks could be more open and say sorry and mean it, I suspect 80% of complaints would disappear anyway.
ReplyDelete