Police priorities: Motorists > Blind man

Sankari · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:12

Bennie-Mac said:
How does he know they are illegally parked?

Because he is sufficiently familiar with his surroundings to know where cars can and cannot be legally parked.

Daniel Duckfield, from Narberth, Pembrokeshire, said he and his guide dog had to walk in the road when paths were blocked by illegally-parked cars.

[TW]Fox · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:14

Criminal Damage is a more serious offence than a parking offence.

wordy · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:15

[TW]Fox;14767037 said:
Criminal Damage is a more serious offence than a parking offence.

And the potential danger to to a blind mand having to walk on a road is more serious than criminal damage.

Sankari · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:15

[TW]Fox;14767037 said:
Criminal Damage is a more serious offence than a parking offence.

Except that he didn't commit any criminal damage.

Anyway, the cops aren't supposed to be enforcing the law arbitrarily. We pay them do enforce all the laws, not just the ones they can be bothered to get on with.

markweatherill · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:23

There is always more than one side to any story, especially news stories.
You can tell the 'slant' of the story. The facts have been fitted round that and something has been omitted for the sake of some Outrage.

Actually, anyone threatening to do Criminal Damage to another's property should certainly expect some reaction from the Police. It's in a different league to careless parking.

Dup · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:24

This is a clear case to motorists as to why we have rules and regulations about parking. It's just selfish and good example of how self-obsessed people are these days.

I was once fined £30 for "riding on the pavement". What I had done was stop on the adjacent side road and wheel my motorbike onto the pavement then tuck it right next to the wall as there was nowhere else to leave it while I nipped into the shop. The pavement was 2 cars deep in the centre of a village so it wasn't in the way any more than the lamp post it was next to was. The problem here is he saw the bike, and instead of doing me for parking there (fair cop in that case) but for riding on the pavement. I argued the toss but still end up paying the damned fine casue I didhn't want the hassle.

This guy should just keep walking into these cars with some steel toe cap boots and a bigger stick tbh. They're in his way and he's blind, what can they do? Hopefully just park them sensibly.

twist3d0n3 · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:27

surely not an arrestable one? if he was breaching the peace maybe, but he had theatened to damage their cars whilst they were actually breaking the law. either the media are stirring or the police are being tards. or a bit of both...

Sankari · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:28

This "criminal damage" thing is odd, because I can't see anything in that story which even suggests that he had threatened to damage the cars.

Interesting to see so many on this thread in favour of illegal parking. Though I'd expect it from Fox, of course.

wordy · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:28

markweatherill said:
There is always more than one side to any story, especially news stories.
You can tell the 'slant' of the story. The facts have been fitted round that and something has been omitted for the sake of some Outrage.

Actually, anyone threatening to do Criminal Damage to another's property should certainly expect some reaction from the Police. It's in a different league to careless parking.

True, however it wasn't careless parking it was illegal parking, surely the police should have stopped this illegal parking( thats their job afterall) before it got to this point?

Another thing that should be highlighted is part of the police job is protecting the public, and they have obviously failed at that if a blind person is having to walk along a road instead of pavement.

ScarySquirrel · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:30

wordy said:

Diesel · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:31

arknor said:
neither is parking like a moron , living near a football stadium everytime a match is on all the streets around me get filled with the cars of idiots who cant park properly and think its clever to take up all the spaces of the people who live here.

On the other hand, it is only for a couple of hours a week, what is the big deal?

Stretch · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:31

Evangelion said:
Except that he didn't commit any criminal damage.

Anyway, the cops aren't supposed to be enforcing the law arbitrarily. We pay them do enforce all the laws, not just the ones they can be bothered to get on with.

Exactly, if they'd been doing there job we wouldn't be having this debate.

Sankari · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:32

I wish I had a job where I could just pick and choose the parts I wanted to do, and arrest my customers if they didn't like it.

So cool!

Gilo · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:33

twist3d0n3 said:
surely not an arrestable one? if he was breaching the peace maybe, but he had theatened to damage their cars whilst they were actually breaking the law. either the media are stirring or the police are being tards. or a bit of both...

I think just threatening is a Public Order Offence

dirtydog · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:36

Evangelion said:
Anyway, the cops aren't supposed to be enforcing the law arbitrarily. We pay them do enforce all the laws, not just the ones they can be bothered to get on with.

This.

I'm lucky enough not to be blind or need a wheelchair, but if I was in that position I would expect to be able to use the footpaths.

I would go further and like to see the police enforce the rule of making people park only in the direction of the traffic, rather than against the traffic, which I believe occurs in Australia.

[DOD]Asprilla · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:42

dirtydog said:
I would go further and like to see the police enforce the rule of making people park only in the direction of the traffic, rather than against the traffic, which I believe occurs in Australia.

It's only illegal to do that at night here.

Highway Code said:
248
You MUST NOT park on a road at night facing against the direction of the traffic flow unless in a recognised parking space.

RDM · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:42

stockhausen said:
A blind man complains repeatedly to the Police about cars parked illegally on pavements near his home and they can't be bothered to do anything about it.

Is this even a police issue anymore? I thought it had been "devolved" to local councils?

Dup · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:42

dirtydog said:
This.

I'm lucky enough not to be blind or need a wheelchair, but if I was in that position I would expect to be able to use the footpaths.

I would go further and like to see the police enforce the rule of making people park only in the direction of the traffic, rather than against the traffic, which I believe occurs in Australia.

It does in the US too. A friend came back from the US and was shouting at me when I parked up to drop him off home, then he realised nobody gives a toss how they park in this country.

aardvark · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:43

Evangelion said:
Except that he didn't commit any criminal damage.

Anyway, the cops aren't supposed to be enforcing the law arbitrarily. We pay them do enforce all the laws, not just the ones they can be bothered to get on with.

i don't understand why the police aren't forced to investigate any crime by law, but they aren't - it means they can enforce the law arbitrarily.

starfighter · 28 Aug 2009 at 10:43

The roads are so tiny around here and a lot of terreced houses, If people didn't park on the pavement it would be a one way road. I am sure this is annoying for the 1% of blind people but what about the 99% of everyone else?

parking is a joke and the only way you can be sure is to get a drive.

By the way I have some pictures of a police woman parked on double yellows outside a chippy, got her number plate etc, also have a photo of her in there and her badge number.

muhahahaha

I had just left a bar next door wen I saw her. haha.

I am deciding what to do with the evidence.