why isn't it illegal to leaflet car windscreens?

londonTiger

it's littering or encouraging littering. The business just places leaflets on property, the driver will most likely chuck the leaflet on the floor when they arrive back.

It's a safety issue, wipers can be damaged by lifting them, leaflet could get soggy and break up when it is raining. Driver is unaware when they get into the vehicle. Turn the wiper on and blam! They have bits of wet paper all over their windscreen.

It's violating your personal property, people have no right to touch your car.

I put my residents permit into the bottom left corner of the windscreen as I wanted the permit to be is discrete as possible and have the least inpact on visibility.Unfortunately twice now I have come back to find that my permit was obscured. I have since moved the permit to the top left corner just underneath the tinted sunshade area.

All I know is that a jobsworth warden would not hesitate to issue a pcn if the permit was hidden behind the leaflet.

wealdroam

londonTiger wrote: »

I have since moved the permit to the top left corner just underneath the tinted sunshade area.

Excellent idea, well done.
It is also less likely to be covered by snow now you've moved it.

A good money saving tip... thanks.

geerex

londonTiger wrote: »

it's littering or encouraging littering. The business just places leaflets on property, the driver will most likely chuck the leaflet on the floor when they arrive back.

What if the car is outside?

daytona0

londonTiger wrote: »

it's littering or encouraging littering. The business just places leaflets on property, the driver will most likely chuck the leaflet on the floor when they arrive back.

It is only littering if the DRIVER throws them on the floor, as opposed to placing them in a nearby bin or storing them in the car. There is nothing to stop a driver throwing a cigarette stump out of the window, or a plastic cup, or a wrapper. The leaflet thing is not the worst littering crime in the history of littering. Also note how, assuming leaflet is properly secured, it is the driver who is causing the litter.

In terms of encouraging littering, maybe. I think it is more of a case that you give a chance for a litterer to litter.

It's a safety issue, wipers can be damaged by lifting them, leaflet could get soggy and break up when it is raining. Driver is unaware when they get into the vehicle. Turn the wiper on and blam! They have bits of wet paper all over their windscreen.

Wipers damaged by lifting them? Umm true, but they were designed to be lifted occasionally!!

Leaflet could get soggy and break up when it is raining? Ok yes, but presumably it would take a lot of water and I'd be inclined to think that in such adverse weather the flyer guy will recognise the possible risks. Even so, paper isn't THAT flimsy - it does hold up relatively well in water.... not to mention that leaflets may be printed in that sort of pseudo laminated material (think takeaway menus), or even just card; both of which are quite durable in water).

Driver unaware of the leaflet?

1. That is unlikely given it is generally a bit 'in your face', but even so;

2. To what end? Do they turn the engine on, travel a few hundred meters along the road and then suddenly realise that something is impairing their vision? Seems iffy.

3. Why would a driver not check the vehicle before entering? I think that is more of a motorbike thing, though, because many car drivers don't check before starting a journey.


To sum up, I don't see much of a safety issue here. Safety in what respect, and to whom?

It's violating your personal property, people have no right to touch your car.

Under what law do people not have a right to touch your car? I mean I can understand if they key it, or if they chip it, or if they slobber over it. But the mere act of touching it? A bit dramatic!

I put my residents permit into the bottom left corner of the windscreen as I wanted the permit to be is discrete as possible and have the least inpact on visibility.Unfortunately twice now I have come back to find that my permit was obscured. I have since moved the permit to the top left corner just underneath the tinted sunshade area.

That's a legitimate point, and it is unfortunate that this has happened to you.

All I know is that a jobsworth warden would not hesitate to issue a pcn if the permit was hidden behind the leaflet.

Yea, I hear you there! Still, if you take a photograph of the leaflet and your permit then you'll get off the pcn. Also, I would be hopeful that even a jobsworth is clued up enough to push the leaflet to one side and inspect what may lie underneath it (as a side note, though, but do you still believe in what you said before? "It's violating your personal property, people have no right to touch your car." because then you can't really support the warden lifting up the leaflet to see your permit!!!! Swings and roundabouts I guess....)

Owain_Moneysaver

It (probably) is illegal, classed as criminal damage.

daytona0

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

It (probably) is illegal, classed as criminal damage.

This looks like an interesting article:

http://www.freebeagles.org/articles/leafleting.html

"It is unlikely that very trivial instances of interfering with property eg putting leaflets under car windscreen wipers could amount to criminal damage. The car owner may rant and rave, but unless you actually damage the windscreen wipers or car in some way, you are unlikely to have committed criminal damage, as the owner of the car will not incur financial loss in restoring the car to its original condition!"


Fair point right there.

dodger1

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

It (probably) is illegal, classed as criminal damage.

I'd say it's not criminal damaged based on this,

Meaning of Damage

Damage is not defined by the Act. The courts have construed the term liberally. Damage is not limited to permanent damage, so smearing mud on the walls of a police cell may be criminal damage. What constitutes damage is a matter of fact and degree and it is for the court, using its common sense, to decide whether what occurred is damage

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/a_to_c/criminal_damage/#a02a

peachyprice

londonTiger wrote: »

it's littering or encouraging littering. The business just places leaflets on property, the driver will most likely chuck the leaflet on the floor when they arrive back.

Nope, I just fold them up and put them in my door pocket. Why would anyone think it was OK to drop litter just because they didn't put the leaflet there themselves?

dacouch

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

It (probably) is illegal, classed as criminal damage.

Probably not, I seem to remember the leaflets that used to be stuck up in phone boxes in London changed to being either tucked into corners or by blue tack some years back as BT decided they would stop them by prosecuting the leaflet distributers for criminal damage as the glue did damage. The blue tack or tucking them in avoided this

Arthog

We were warned at work about a trick going on in the local car park. A leaflet was placed under the rear windscreen wiper. The driver got into the car and got ready to drive away then noticed the leaflet, leapt out to remove it, then a thief who was hiding in the hedge jumped into the car and drove off.

londonTiger

peachyprice wrote: »

Nope, I just fold them up and put them in my door pocket. Why would anyone think it was OK to drop litter just because they didn't put the leaflet there themselves?

have you ever seen a car park where someone has gone round and placed flyers under the wipers? the whole car park is littered with flyers after.

If I went round and placed leaflets underneath pebbles on the beach would it be considered flyering or littering? Placing flyers on in inanimate object like a car would be similar to placing a leaflet on a pebble IMO.