MSE News: Wheel clamping to be banned on private land

Bashy

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?

Sounds about right, So he and you would not have any problems if you didnt pay your gas or water rates on time they can come round cut you off (drill a few holes-cut a few cables) then charge you over £400 for each one to put it all back on again, Bet you always paid on time.

Se how silly that sounds!!!

You dont have a clue

Talent

Poor guy in Wembley?? He was an idiot that decided to park where it was restricted. Funny this, I've been driving some 45 years, buses, campervans, whitevans on the tools, taxis.... I've never been clamped. Only ever had 3 parking tickets and one was unfair (put £3 in and didn't notice it only clocked up 2). There are a lot of drivers around, like me, who play the game. Clamp by all means, long live the clampers.... but restrict how much they can charge.... simples.

Coupon-mad

Talent wrote: »

Poor guy in Wembley?? He was an idiot that decided to park where it was restricted. Funny this, I've been driving some 45 years, buses, campervans, whitevans on the tools, taxis.... I've never been clamped. Only ever had 3 parking tickets and one was unfair (put £3 in and didn't notice it only clocked up 2). There are a lot of drivers around, like me, who play the game. Clamp by all means, long live the clampers.... but restrict how much they can charge.... simples.

Hehehehehe...but they are not going to be very long-lived now are they? Good riddance!

They can wave bye bye to their extortion and get a proper job now, if they can:

Clampers forced to return to previous lives of kidnap and extortion

As the government moved to ban the clamping of vehicles on private land, wheel clampers everywhere have said this will force them to return to their previous careers as kidnappers and extortionists.

The Association of Wheel Clampers issued a statement from its headquarters in a dimly lit east-end pub, saying that they believe this is a terrible decision, and removes one of the few career choices available for people whose neck is thicker than their head.
A spokesperson growled, “You’re left with bouncer or private security guard, which though lucrative, rarely offer a perfectly legal opportunity to make a woman cry in the street.”

http://newsarse.com/2010/08/17/clamp...and-extortion/



I have never been clamped either but the way this scum have been conducting themselves, they only have themselves to blame. It has not been a case of 'selfish people parking where it's clear they shouldn't' at all - it's been a case of criminal scammers setting people up and ripping people off, demanding money with menaces, blackmail, etc.

ripped_off_driver

The following is what I am told is the current thinking relating to PPC "tickets" in the forthcoming legislation (or underlying regulations):

- Landowners will be allowed to "ticket" with a standard fee cap of £75. This will NOT imply any legal legitimacy to the "ticket".

- the PPC will have to abide by the BPA CoP and submit to an independent appeals process

- all payment methods must be permitted

- If the "ticket" is unpaid the ONLY recourse of the Landowner/PPC will be to sue in the County Court after 35 days.

- there will be no RK implied liability. The landowner will have to pursue the driver at the time of the "contravention" only as is the case at present.

Result - no change and indeed a tightening of the current position. The law of contract and trespass remains as is and the likelihood of any case being upheld even if the PPC wished to take it is very remote.

The only thing I have my doubts about is the independent appeal process. Lynne Featherstone said that they had looked at an independent appeals system for clamping but decided against it because it would cost £2 million. I have serious doubts as to whether it would or could be implemented for PPC "tickets" either.

Talent

Of course it was criminal damage. Of course he could.... and should have if caught, go to jail. Who was going to catch him? Gearboxes without oil start to make funny noises and stiff to change gear, days or weeks after, they don't just explode and cause violent mayhem!
None of you are answering the main point though. Why not limit the amount the clampers can charge to a reasonable amount in keeping with the petty 'offence' that a motorist has committed?

bandwagon

Talent wrote: »

Poor guy in Wembley?? He was an idiot that decided to park where it was restricted. Funny this, I've been driving some 45 years, buses, campervans, whitevans on the tools, taxis.... I've never been clamped. Only ever had 3 parking tickets and one was unfair (put £3 in and didn't notice it only clocked up 2). There are a lot of drivers around, like me, who play the game. Clamp by all means, long live the clampers.... but restrict how much they can charge.... simples.

Exactly, Talent, the only people I've ever known that have been clamped are the type that end up taking out PPI and actually paying bank charges. Fool and his money and all that....Seeing as all the posters on here are MSE members, what's the issue if we get clamped anyway, we just need to get the latest cashback credit card, open a new current account to receive £20 etc etc. Hey presto the release fee will soon be covered! Someone else is paying after all, somewhere.

Talent

I agree with you about 'the scum', so why not make it illegal, a criminal offence to even try to charge someone more than a laid down reasonable amount.... and £75 is far too much!

Coupon-mad

Talent wrote: »

Why not limit the amount the clampers can charge to a reasonable amount in keeping with the petty 'offence' that a motorist has committed?

But that's exactly what the government is allowing LANDOWNERS to do 'charge a reasonable amount' (but no clamp/tow). They are just cutting out the criminal parasite middle man from the equation.

The clampers don't own the land - in almost every case - so why the heck should they profit?

Bashy

Talent wrote: »

Of course it was criminal damage. Of course he could.... and should have if caught, go to jail. Who was going to catch him? Gearboxes without oil start to make funny noises and stiff to change gear, days or weeks after, they don't just explode and cause violent mayhem!
None of you are answering the main point though. Why not limit the amount the clampers can charge to a reasonable amount in keeping with the petty 'offence' that a motorist has committed?

This was answered a few posts ago, they had there chance but greed took over, Sighs were used in away to catch folk out etc etc.

Chance gone they blown it because of greed, now its there own fault its been banned

ripped_off_driver

Talent wrote: »

Poor guy in Wembley?? He was an idiot that decided to park where it was restricted. Funny this, I've been driving some 45 years, buses, campervans, whitevans on the tools, taxis.... I've never been clamped. QUOTE]

Bully for you. If you had parked somewhere with non existent signage with the shaven headed knuckle dragger hiding behing the bushes you would tell a different story. I have never been clamped but I know a scumbag rip off menace to society when I see one.

Clampers cold not be limited because they are essentially greedy, intimidating thugs who thought they were above the law. The inactivity of the BiB who were too busy catching speeders encouraged this view. Virtual criminals thought that they could operate indefinitely with impunity. only those with a financial interest will mourn their long overdue passing.