MSE News: 'Ban the wheel clampers'

KC21

let's seek advice from the AA Legal Department or similar qualified advice. These responses are completely irresponsible!!

Rickbonar talks about a car bomb threat (making hoax bomb calls usually ends in a prison sentence!)

in a town near me an enterprising motorist phoned the tow compound (who were employed by the local council) and stated that a decoy car was booby trapped with a bomb and that he would remotely detonate it causing not only damage to workers but other vehicles which would leave the tow company to repay all damaged vehicle owners a considerable amount of money

Spartacus_Mills is just offensive ....

The police are spineless scum who propogate this problem

Coblcris is completely wrong!!!
Clamps can be removed without damage in many cases. This leaves the clampers with nothing and i slegal as long as you don't keep the clamp. there are also circumstances where cutting the clamp off is perfectly justified self-help.
Unless you have the key I defy anyone to remove a clamp without damaging it. It just isn't possible ..... Even Police Officers who have tried to remove clamps from their unmarked vehicles illegally parked struggle on this one ..... There are no circumstances where you could cut the thing off justifiably .... alright - the next building is on fire and you need the car to save a life ......

See BBC news - search AA and Kent on line about the cops filmed on u tube trying to remove clamps with bolt cutters and risking prosecution ....

I see that the advice of MSE dot com is .....

One reason private companies use clamping or towing is to ensure you hand over money if you want the vehicle released. Regardless of the situation there’s a stark warning ..... don’t try and remove the clamp yourself as any damage could be considered criminal. If you’ve been clamped or towed away it’s likely you’ll need to pay the charge first to get your vehicle released, then if it's unfair, seek a refund. If that’s the case, when you pay..... always state you’re paying under protest and, if you can, write "paid under protest" on any document retained by the clamper

Guys_Dad

KC21 wrote: »

let's seek advice from the AA Legal Department or similar qualified advice. These responses are completely irresponsible!!

Rickbonar talks about a car bomb threat (making hoax bomb calls usually ends in a prison sentence!)

in a town near me an enterprising motorist phoned the tow compound (who were employed by the local council) and stated that a decoy car was booby trapped with a bomb and that he would remotely detonate it causing not only damage to workers but other vehicles which would leave the tow company to repay all damaged vehicle owners a considerable amount of money

Spartacus_Mills is just offensive ....

The police are spineless scum who propogate this problem

Coblcris is completely wrong!!!
Clamps can be removed without damage in many cases. This leaves the clampers with nothing and i slegal as long as you don't keep the clamp. there are also circumstances where cutting the clamp off is perfectly justified self-help.
Unless you have the key I defy anyone to remove a clamp without damaging it. It just isn't possible ..... Even Police Officers who have tried to remove clamps from their unmarked vehicles illegally parked struggle on this one ..... There are no circumstances where you could cut the thing off justifiably .... alright - the next building is on fire and you need the car to save a life ......

See BBC news - search AA and Kent on line about the cops filmed on u tube trying to remove clamps with bolt cutters and risking prosecution ....

I see that the advice of MSE dot com is .....

One reason private companies use clamping or towing is to ensure you hand over money if you want the vehicle released. Regardless of the situation there’s a stark warning ..... don’t try and remove the clamp yourself as any damage could be considered criminal. If you’ve been clamped or towed away it’s likely you’ll need to pay the charge first to get your vehicle released, then if it's unfair, seek a refund. If that’s the case, when you pay..... always state you’re paying under protest and, if you can, write "paid under protest" on any document retained by the clamper

Oh dear. dear, dear. Getting money back from a clamper? Not able to remove a clamp without a key? Answers completely irresponsible?

Normally MSE members would be polite to tourists visiting our planet, but you might just be the exception.

Coblcris

I assure you that in many cases clamps can be removed without damage to the clamp. It depends on the nature of the clamp.
The wheel can be undone from the suspension, the tyre deflated and the wheel 'kicked out'.
Inflate the tyre and then re-attach the wheel. I would take the clamp and hand it in to a police station as lost property. Obtain a receipt and inform the clampers where they can pick up their clamp. No criminal damage, no laws broken.

Not all clamps allow this but many do. Some trivial research will show examples of this, I suggest that those that question it do that research for their own peace of mind.

For those with the requisite knowledge cutting off the lock and offering to pay for the replacement is an option. You supply remedy leaving the clamper no cause of action. But that is not something to be attempted without full knowledge of what is required so I deprecate it as general advice..

KC21

Guys_Dad wrote: »

Oh dear. dear, dear. Getting money back from a clamper? Not able to remove a clamp without a key? Answers completely irresponsible?

Normally MSE members would be polite to tourists visiting our planet, but you might just be the exception.

Thank You Guys Dud. I am completely new to this and I tried to reply yesterday but failed completely...... :eek: :rotfl:I have never participated in one of these forums before and I guess I won't be passing by this way again (in my space ship). The BBC 606 football Forums are nutty too!!

I actually live in Beirut at the moment where we have real traffic chaos - so I look at jolly old England thru rose tinted glasses . here in Lebanon there are no traffic laws, no rules - a madhouse with constant car horns, squealing tyres and cars are used as bullying machines but a place with real bombs + violence so the reference to a car bomb incensed me. I confess to my Dad being a cop and he despises wheel clamping types so the comment about the integrity of cops also wound me up...... he would always take the side of the victim and believe me he would help anyone in a fix + challenge the legality of the clamper. PS. Here is a true story. Our car was stolen in the States and we went out looking for it. We found it but it had run out of petrol. we called local cops and went to get a can of 'gas'. Meanwhile the cops had towed the car away - cost $200 fee!! "What's the problem buddy - you got insurance" and then best of all Dad got arrested for an outstanding ticket on the car number..... and we think it is bad in the UK!!:D
So time to go back to school .... "Beam me up Scottie"!!:beer:

Guys_Dad

KC21 wrote: »

I actually live in Beirut at the moment where we have real traffic chaos - so I look at jolly old England thru rose tinted glasses . here in Lebanon there are no traffic laws, no rules - a madhouse with constant car horns, squealing tyres and cars are used as bullying machines but a place with real bombs + violence so the reference to a car bomb incensed me.

I take it all back !!! Our troubles pale into insignificance. Good luck, buddy !!