MSE News: Wheel clamping to be banned on private land

bandwagon

anewman wrote: »

I think the majority of people park their cars with some consideration, and noone is saying they can park where how and when they like.

Sadly if you haven't realised, clampers are out to make a living and take money off motorists. Then how do they do this? Well if you read other posts here you will find they like to make signs impossible to read and place them away from entrances and/or intentionally hide the signs. There are also numerous cases of people entering a street then starting a 3-point turn to leave when the clamper's use their van to block them in then clamp them. The number of bogus clampers is just completely out of control and I am sure this forum and pepipoo only touch the tip of the iceberg with most victims paying up and getting on with their lives.

I would agree there are probably more inconsiderate parkers than there are rogue clampers, but that isn't what this post is about at all.



Well that may well be the case, but that would be criminal damage, and two wrongs don't make a right. It would only be gotten away with until the offender was spotted by someone and reported to the police for criminal damage - with other reports of criminal damage in the area the police may well be more apt to punish the offender.

Sadly the reality is, a barrier system of some sort to allow parking only to those intended would be much cheaper to purchase, install, and maintain, than some sports facilities. You're not telling me there are no doors/windows to the sports centre, no alarms, no cctv, no lockers etc etc because you can't be bothered to afford them?! Well I think those things are essential in order to get any insurance and keep the rain out.Those types of things protect the building from unwanted intruders, just as a barrier system for the car park would. So you think it is preferable that we spend our limited financial resources erecting barriers and paying a full time receptionist to counter a thoughtless selfish freeriding minority than providing sports facilities to children? Is that really the best use of our money?

To put it simply, either you do something to prevent people parking where you don't want them, or put up with it. If you're currently putting up with it, currently we are clamping them - that is the point! chances are it's not all that bad as you make out, noone is left without a space who needs one and people are making mountains out of molehills (like the idiots who think they own the public highway directly outside their house).

Except that we do actually own the land, and pay for its upkeep, so not sure what your point is in using that example?

lucylucky

bandwagon wrote: »

Except that we do actually own the land, and pay for its upkeep, so not sure what your point is in using that example?

If you do own some land and you wish to restrict parking I hope you use some sensible measures.

bandwagon

Driver8 wrote: »

Why use clamper's then?

It seems to me it didn't work for your car park, just line the pockets of soon to be unemployable thugs that's all.

Why clamp people at 3am and then on a so called "call out" "release" them unless the only prime motivator is money?

The clamping fraternity have one thing coming to them. The dole. Good.

Clamping does work though, I'm arguing that what other deterrent are we going to have other than installing expensive barrier systems and have it permanantly manned? We contact the clamping company only when someone does a spot check and spots any cars either not registered or not displaying a permit. Then they come and clamp the lot of them. It acts as a great deterrent and costs us nothing.

Driver8

bandwagon wrote: »

Clamping does work though, I'm arguing that what other deterrent are we going to have other than installing expensive barrier systems and have it permanantly manned? We contact the clamping company only when someone does a spot check and spots any cars either not registered or not displaying a permit. Then they come and clamp the lot of them. It acts as a great deterrent and costs us nothing.

I will not go into ways and means, but if you wanted to stop people parking in your car park you could with out having to employ apes with hi viz vests on.

Here, take a look at a face of a clamper. Just scroll down a bit. No wonder he looks like that for charging a "rudeness fee" Could not have happened to a nicer guy by the sounds of it.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/3955857.Clampers_charge___450_to_release_cars_and_fine___50_for_arguing/

trinidadone

bandwagon wrote: »

Clamping does work though, I'm arguing that what other deterrent are we going to have other than installing expensive barrier systems and have it permanantly manned? We contact the clamping company only when someone does a spot check and spots any cars either not registered or not displaying a permit. Then they come and clamp the lot of them. It acts as a great deterrent and costs us nothing.

weell from next year the law is clear, you as the landowner would be expected to look after yor own land regarding parking, and not make money out of the public. you can still issue those tickets, but failing that, make your carpark more secure.

Lastly, try a trip to scotland and see how for the last 20 years they have curbed ruthless clampers.

Clamping companies are not there to free up parking spaces but simply make as much money as possible, why else would a district nurse get a clamp, shameful

taffy056

bandwagon wrote: »

Clamping does work though,

Using a sledgehammer on a nut works as well, wouldn't use one on it though should you wish to eat it!

The point is the clampers were given a chance to regulate themselves and to act within in the law, they have failed both miserably, they got greedy and they have killed their own industry (if you wish to call it that), they use threats of violence, they demand money with menaces, some have been jailed for extortion, and they are now out of a job!

Now if that is worth a parking spot to you, then you are not living in the real world, these people have been banned for a reason, I could paste hundreds of links here where these vile people have extorted money off people, do you want me too?

Coupon-mad

ripped_off_driver wrote: »

It seems the future is bright for out-of-work clampers after all:

http://newsarse.com/2010/08/17/clampers-forced-to-return-to-previous-lives-of-kidnap-and-extortion/

Just felt it was time to let people see this link if they missed it earlier. Soooo funny!

It should lighten the discussion a little! :rotfl:

OH, AND DID I SAY EARLIER - YAY! CLAMPERS ARE BANNED!

Talent

I would like clamping on private land to continue. What should be done and I cannot for the life of me see why not.... there should be a limit on what the clampers can charge and they should not be allowed to tow a vehicle away. How difficult is that to legislate for? I knew a chap with a small hotel in Blackpool that had ongoing parking problems on the small lot in front of his place. This was before clamping. He got fed up of getting lip off drivers he remonstrated with. If a non guest parked on his forecourt he used to drill a small hole in their gearbox, just a matter of laying down and reaching under with a battery drill. Gearbox oil is viscous when cool and would hardly make one drip. However, whizzing down the motorway (with a big smile at having had all day free parking) makes the oil hot and runny. It would be a few days before the gearbox finally siezed up. Wizard wheeze what, old chap?

taffy056

Talent wrote: »

I would like clamping on private land to continue. What should be done and I cannot for the life of me see why not.... there should be a limit on what the clampers can charge and they should not be allowed to tow a vehicle away. How difficult is that to legislate for? I knew a chap with a small hotel in Blackpool that had ongoing parking problems on the small lot in front of his place. This was before clamping. He got fed up of getting lip off drivers he remonstrated with. If a non guest parked on his forecourt he used to drill a small hole in their gearbox, just a matter of laying down and reaching under with a battery drill. Gearbox oil is viscous when cool and would hardly make one drip. However, whizzing down the motorway (with a big smile at having had all day free parking) makes the oil hot and runny. It would be a few days before the gearbox finally siezed up. Wizard wheeze what, old chap?

Well what he did was criminal damage, he could serve time in jail for doing that! Also the safety aspect of doing such a thing is not in any way justified!

But besides that, clamping is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, these people are demanding money with menaces, and quite a few of them are serving time now.

They have had their chance to clean up their act over a number of years, but greed has curtailed their so called livelihood, they deserve to go out of business, I am happy these people will soon be out of a job, it will give them an opportunity to get a real job!

Driver8

Talent wrote: »

I would like clamping on private land to continue. What should be done and I cannot for the life of me see why not.... there should be a limit on what the clampers can charge and they should not be allowed to tow a vehicle away. How difficult is that to legislate for? I knew a chap with a small hotel in Blackpool that had ongoing parking problems on the small lot in front of his place. This was before clamping. He got fed up of getting lip off drivers he remonstrated with. If a non guest parked on his forecourt he used to drill a small hole in their gearbox, just a matter of laying down and reaching under with a battery drill. Gearbox oil is viscous when cool and would hardly make one drip. However, whizzing down the motorway (with a big smile at having had all day free parking) makes the oil hot and runny. It would be a few days before the gearbox finally siezed up. Wizard wheeze what, old chap?

I rest my case with the above quote. That is how thick clamper's and their wannabe's are! I despair for this country, i really do.