No Wonder They Want Protection From Being Held Accountable For Mistakes…

…when the mistakes they make are so utterly blatant.

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.

Because bus lane signs in the area had not been covered up, police enforced the restriction and issued 15 people with £30 fines.

Yup, you heard that right.

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...