MSE News: Wheel clamping to be banned on private land

lucylucky

trisontana wrote: »

Yes there does seem to be a bit of confusion amongst some people over the difference between legitimate parking payments (the sort you usually pay through a P&D or pay-on-exit machine) and the outrageous "penalties" demanded by private parking companies if you breach any of their "rules". The former should be paid, the latter not.

Confusion, naivety or mischief making.

I am sure we shall see all 3.

trisontana

lucylucky wrote: »

Confusion, naivety or mischief making.

I am sure we shall see all 3.

I am talking about the people on this board (mainly the pro-clampers) and not motorists as a whole.

taffy056

If companies had barriers and pay on exit of a car park, there would be no need for ppcs , and most parking problems would disappear

bigturnip

taffy056 wrote: »

If companies had barriers and pay on exit of a car park, there would be no need for ppcs , and most parking problems would disappear

I agree for larger car parks, but it's impractical for small car parks, which is why I proposed using posts and chains, so once a car has parked it can be blocked with a chain until payment for parking is made. People keep telling me this would be illegal, but nobody has told me why yet, and how is it any different from a pay on exit car park, other than you are replacing an electronic barrier system with a chain and padlock?

taffy056

bigturnip wrote: »

I agree for larger car parks, but it's impractical for small car parks, which is why I proposed using posts and chains, so once a car has parked it can be blocked with a chain until payment for parking is made. People keep telling me this would be illegal, but nobody has told me why yet, and how is it any different from a pay on exit car park, other than you are replacing an electronic barrier system with a chain and padlock?

why don't you ask on pepipoo.com ?, they have a lot of knowledge and can perhaps answer your question

Oopsadaisy

taffy056 wrote: »

why don't you ask on pepipoo.com ?, they have a lot of knowledge and can perhaps answer your question

A first....someone saying they don't know on MSE.

taffy056

Oopsadaisy wrote: »

A first....someone saying they don't know on MSE.

Well I don't know the ins and outs of the question asked, but if anyone would know it will the guys over there, most of the people here post there also.

usignuolo

First of all the Minister announcing the decision said that the private clamping and towing companies had had plenty of time to self police themselves and failed to do so. In any case there are plenty of clampers and towers who are basically just extortionists and have no legal standing at all.

The Minister also said the police won't prosecute these extortionists either, which is the other side of the coin. In fact most of the time they won't intervene at all, even in the most blatant cases of entrapment and extortion. Generally the police appear to have lost all interest in any sort of civil offence unless it involves them driving around going na na in their police cars.

The Minister said landowners can still issue tickets/fines for parking on private ground and presumably the DVLC will continue to hand over the registered owners details for the fines to be chased up. Some car owners may be fly by nights but a good percentage will be genuine car owners. Provided the charge is reasonable then motorists will pay up and can be tracked down if it is not.

The Minister said the police will be given additional powers to tow away vehicles causing an obstruction.

There is a pub near me whose car park is open to visitors in opening hours and chained up when not in use. There is a sign on it saying if you leave you car in when it is shut, you will have to wait for the pub to reopen to get it out again. Seems fair to me. I have seen this - a chain or a lockable raise-able barrier in lots of places. Same with the multi storey near me which services the local Waitrose. If you get locked in you get locked in. I have never heard this was illegal. Regular offenders would soon learn not to leave their car there. Alternative would be to charge a large sum to open it up out of hours for them to get out.

Oopsadaisy

usignuolo wrote: »

Provided the charge is reasonable then motorists will pay up....

Er, some will [because they don't know that they don't have to].

Oopsadaisy

usignuolo wrote: »

There is a pub near me whose car park is open to visitors in opening hours and chained up when not in use. There is a sign on it saying if you leave you car in when it is shut, you will have to wait for the pub to reopen to get it out again. Seems fair to me. I have seen this - a chain or a lockable raise-able barrier in lots of places. Same with the multi storey near me which services the local Waitrose. If you get locked in you get locked in. I have never heard this was illegal. Regular offenders would soon learn not to leave their car there. Alternative would be to charge a large sum to open it up out of hours for them to get out.

The above is clamping/immobilisation by any other name.

The scenario you describe is exactly the point that many people have made......ALL CAR PARKS [EXCEPT PAY TO ENTER] WILL BE FREE SINCE TO DETAIN YOU PENDING PAYMENT IS TANTAMOUNT TO IMMOBILISATION.