MSE News: Wheel clamping to be banned on private land

Coblcris

I fear we will see many more threads like this in the coming months as the ideas flow and the clampers and Private Parking Companies deal with the changes in revenue. The clampers losing theirs and the Private Parking Companies looking, as ever, to increase theirs, this time at the expense of the clampers.

We should use our efforts to deal with actual cases until the legislation starts its process through the House.

These hypothetical scenarios play out in reality every day in Scotland with much less noise and a lot less effort being wasted.

AlexisV

liam8282 wrote: »

One scenario:

A small business has its own premises, with a private car park outside.

Say an accountancy firm for arguments sake.

They have space for 25 cars outside.

They have 14 staff who all require a space. They need to be in and out of the office most times of the day.

Of the 11 spaces left, 2 are rented by an adjacent hairdressers, 2 rented out to an adjacent restaurant, 2 rented out to another business, 5 left for customers only.

Now, the problem. The business is located near a busy shopping centre which charges for parking. Next to the shopping centre is a train station. Next to the business is a doctors surgery, a dentist and several other shops, all of which do not have their own parking, but are expected to use the shopping centre car park, as that is a public pay and display car park.

Shoppers from the above business do not want to pay for parking, so they decide to use the private car park without permission.

Shoppers have also regularly damaged staff and client cars, opening doors too widely and bumping them, scraping them etc, driving off without trace.

People commuting to the city centre leave their cars all day, without permission.

Now, without having somebody constantly on watch, or digging up the entire car park to install and connect a barrier system etc. What is this small business supposed to do?

If you can give a response which does not involve any costs, extra work, employing extra people or is even just enforceable by the small business, I will gladly accept that response.

What current signage and road markings are in place?

liam8282

Bashy wrote: »

They are practical 2 mins is still better than hours because like you said you may have clamped the car but the driver has gone off for the day, well thats that space gone for sake of 2-10 mins then.

If you have space in front of a space then use the one right at the back for staff, the pole space use for customers easy, I dont understand why you cant think of such simple things to solve. Whats do you mean stop folk parking infront of the post- that will be ether the footway, path or a roadway.

This cannot be so hard you cant solve it, other places dont use clamps and have solved work it out

!!!!!!, a rectangle car park, one entrance / exit.

Spaces along both sides, with access to spaces through the middle.

A car does have space to turn and could if they wanted to block people in, park.

You don't understand why I can't think of such simple things to solve?! I don't understand why everything needs explaining and repeating to you over and over again.

Posts are not a practical option in this situation, just because you say they are does not make it so, end of story.

liam8282

AlexisV wrote: »

What current signage and road markings are in place?

A 1 metre by 2 metre sign on the only entrance. Clearly visible.

2 signs on the premises.

Lettering on each individual parking space with the shop name in bold white lettering.

Make no mistake, to emphasise further, this is clearly a private car park, no two ways about it.

lucylucky

liam8282 wrote: »

Just the sort of response that has come to be expected.

Well done.:T

Good, glad I didn't disappoint.

Happy to point out practical solutions, oh hang on...... I and others have already done so.

Bashy

liam8282 wrote: »

!!!!!!, a rectangle car park, one entrance / exit.

Spaces along both sides, with access to spaces through the middle.

A car does have space to turn and could if they wanted to block people in, park.

You don't understand why I can't think of such simple things to solve?! I don't understand why everything needs explaining and repeating to you over and over again.

Posts are not a practical option in this situation, just because you say they are does not make it so, end of story.

Well how did i know!! You didnt say till your last post, The posts are just idea in general, may not be ok for you, i didnt say they were, Dont scream because you have not found way to control your parking as yet but the posts could i say COULD work for many

AlexisV

What does the signage say?

Can we see photos of the white lettering?

I'm not trying to be pedantic, and it might be as clear as day, but there's a difference between well marked private land and a run-down bit of tarmac that looks ripe for the taking.

There are lot of moronic drivers out there I'm not denying, but you'd be surprised how much of a difference some quality markings make: http://www.alphawhitelining.co.uk/coloured.htm

Same with signage copywriting.

Hadeon

liam8282 wrote: »

If you can give a response which does not involve any costs, extra work, employing extra people or is even just enforceable by the small business, I will gladly accept that response.

I am at a complete loss to suggest a response which would appear to be acceptable to you within the narrow parameters of your above requirements.
Other than the discredited, & soon to be outlawed, clamping by PPC's, there is no 'instant quick fix solution'.
Any solution requires some work, by someone, somewhere along the line.

Have you any ideas of your own which you would care to share?
(other than clamping).

liam8282

AlexisV wrote: »

What does the signage say?

Can we see photos of the white lettering?

I'm not trying to be pedantic, and it might be as clear as day, but there's a difference between well marked private land and a run-down bit of tarmac that looks ripe for the taking.

There are lot of moronic drivers out there I'm not denying, but you'd be surprised how much of a difference some quality markings make: http://www.alphawhitelining.co.uk/coloured.htm

Same with signage copywriting.

I don't have photos.

The white lettering is the same standardised lettering as in the link you provided. Each and every car parking space is individually marked out, and each space has the initials of the firm it belongs to.

The first sign cannot be missed as I said, you have to drive past it to get into the car park.

The wording clearly says for staff and customers only.

A large white sign, with black bold lettering.

The signs currently only the walls state "private car park, wheel clamping in operation, £50 release fee". Now don't get this wrong, there isn't actually any clamping in operation, it is only used as a deterrent. Some people have obviously cottoned onto this, as no one is ever clamped, which is probably why there is such an ongoing problem.

But now there is no deterrent, and nothing to enforce any restrictions the problem will only escalate.

ripped_off_driver

I think I will nominate the clamping industry this year for the Darwin Award. A prize given to those who render themselves extinct due to their own stupidity.

More than once this villainous business was warned that they were drinking in the last chance saloon. Did they listen? No, the thick-as-planks goons were too busy clamping patrons' cars out back.

They even threatened a MP last month:

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/8271655.Clamper_threatens_to_block_MP___s_driveway/

Probably every MP has received complaints at one time or other about the activities of these bully boys and so they will have no support when the legislation for their outlawing is placed before Parliament. Dumb but hardly unexpected given the calibre of individual we are dealing with.

As to the options for private parking post-clamping the options have been well discussed in this thread. It will be up to each landowner to consider what works for them. If they do nothing and stand on the sidelines carping about the loss of clamping (which will never return) then they cannot be expected to be taken seriously. the same scenario was played out in Scotland 20 years ago when clamping was by all accounts very successfully outlawed practically overnight.

There will no doubt be some who lose out financially as they received a kickback from the nefarious activities of the clampers on their land. Hopefully it will be a release for these people to no longer owe a part of their living to their agents causing misery to others and they will be able to replace this tainted revenue with activities having a more social purpose.