got clamped in private car park
- Thread starter R0Z4G
- Start date
Out of interest, how do you remove a clamp?
It obviously depends on the type of clamp and how they've attached it. Essentially it's going to involve dismantling the suspension of the car in order to render the chains ineffective at binding the clamp. In some cases it mightn't be possible or is incredibly difficult.
I also don't know if there is anything stopping them from clamping another wheel whilst you remove the original (although I suspect they are bound by some directive to only clamp the wheel nearest the drivers door so that you'd see it before driving.)
It all depends really on whether you have the time and can be bothered to remove it over the principle. If I had the time, and felt I'd been illegally clamped and had been through the applicable channels, I'd probably give it a go.
The more effective/risky way is to do what my friend did. They clamped his van and when they turned up he told them he wasn't going to pay and then he walked off. They in turn left the scene. Then he came back, opened his van, took out his acetylene kit, cut the clamp off, and left. Never heard any more about it - but I think he might have been lucky.
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There's a lot to be said about excessively lowered cars in this instance
Would love to see them try and clamp me, it was fun trying to get the tracking gauges in a few months back.
Even if they dis manage to get the clamp on I'd quite happily phone a friend to take me to get the battery angle grinder from home to cut it off.
Although the above makes sense, all of what you say is illegal. You can't just cut the clamp off, that's destruction of property and can get you in trouble. However if you remove the clamp without any damage, then that's legal.
The clampers also can clamp you when specified as long as they have a license. You can't then in turn clamp their van, as you're not licensed.
And what exactly are they going to do about it if you do?
There's a lot to be said about excessively lowered cars in this instance
and some trucks and 4x4s due to the size of the tyres
I waas with a friend once who got clamped, he promptly got some bolt croppers out of the boot of his car, and told the clampers that he would count to five, and then the clamp was coming off.
He got to 4 before they took it off the car and let him drive away.
He got to 4 before they took it off the car and let him drive away.
On the flip side of this we have a problem where our residential car park is used by punters during the day.
So much so that in the evening residents queue their cars up outside waiting to get a space as non residents return to their cars and drive off.
The car park has a manual gate (and signs, woot!), but with a block of 50 flats, it's regularly left unlocked by one person or another. It's also suspected that someone that lived their previously might have handed out keys to a mate or two that still use the carpark (unconfirmed however).
We've talked about using a "parking regulator" but obviously all the points raised in this thread are put forward as reasons not to bother.
Anyone got any suggestions or success stories of how they managed access to their car park? I'm thinking a combination lock, so that the code could be changed once a year, might be of benefit? Would rule out a previous owner having access and would negate the issue in the future. Wouldn't solve people not locking it though.
Of course the other problem is non residents getting locked IN and hammering on the doors and windows of ground floor residents! One girl that got scared (never answered the door because they seemed like a nutjob) called the Police who told them to just let them out (obviously) but he still parks here every now and again so getting stuck in doesn't seem to be a deterrent to some.
So much so that in the evening residents queue their cars up outside waiting to get a space as non residents return to their cars and drive off.
The car park has a manual gate (and signs, woot!), but with a block of 50 flats, it's regularly left unlocked by one person or another. It's also suspected that someone that lived their previously might have handed out keys to a mate or two that still use the carpark (unconfirmed however).
We've talked about using a "parking regulator" but obviously all the points raised in this thread are put forward as reasons not to bother.
Anyone got any suggestions or success stories of how they managed access to their car park? I'm thinking a combination lock, so that the code could be changed once a year, might be of benefit? Would rule out a previous owner having access and would negate the issue in the future. Wouldn't solve people not locking it though.
Of course the other problem is non residents getting locked IN and hammering on the doors and windows of ground floor residents! One girl that got scared (never answered the door because they seemed like a nutjob) called the Police who told them to just let them out (obviously) but he still parks here every now and again so getting stuck in doesn't seem to be a deterrent to some.
I'd imagine a call to the local coppers might happen; You can't just wonder around clamping the clampers.
The reason they can legally clamp, is that they have signs displayed which warn you and they are licensed.
Would be funny to see you give it a go though. Give the clampers their just deserves!
You seemed to be arguing that if they'd just happened to check the car park at that time, then fair play - but because they had a spotter watching the car park then they're EVIL HORRIBLE SMELLY PEOPLE. The spotter had no idea that he was just getting change.
I'd imagine a call to the local coppers might happen; You can't just wonder around clamping the clampers.
The reason they can legally clamp, is that they have signs displayed which warn you and they are licensed.
Would be funny to see you give it a go though. Give the clampers their just deserves!
For £20 i'm almost tempted. If they do threaten to call the police just stick a tyre iron through their eye socket and see how well they can use a phone after being lobotomised
There's very little you can do. Have you spoken to the council to see if the car park can be put onto a route, or be monitored. A badge scheme could be setup perhaps. But that's only with council permissions as it obviously needs to be monitored. But it's worth discussing with them your options.
How about a letter going around to all residents to ensure that the gates are shut? And getting a general concensus as to why the gates are being left open. This way you can address this.
Any one who parks in my allocated parking spot, gets blocked in. Have had it happen before and they quickly rushed out and asked me to move my car and said they didn't know that the spaces were allocated. So the big numbers on the floor didn't give them a clue? They haven't parked there since despite coming back nearly every day!
For £20 i'm almost tempted. If they do threaten to call the police just stick a tyre iron through their eye socket and see how well they can use a phone after being lobotomised
Hahaha, not quite sure you're getting the whole legal and illegal thing!
If you replace the clamp, you'll have to replace it like for like, so you'd need to know which clamps they have been using.
You could get clamped and just take the clamp off right in front of them legally by the above methods. Just don't damage it!
A motorized gate with blippers to each resident is surely the way forward.
Ohhh, sorry, I see the confusion now. What I am saying is that BECAUSE they use a spotter, rather than patrolling, that the clampers are a bunch of foreskin baseball caps. I don't blame the spotter for doing his job, I'm blaming the process of having a spotter.
Its about intent - if the intent is to catch people with no intention of paying, then fair enough. If the intent is to get a clamp onto anything they can, even when that person intends to pay, so they can force them to pay up, then thats not cool. Having a spotter is evidence that your intent is to 'clamp and claim'.
Sure, its legal, but just because your doing something legal does not automatically mean your not a purple turtle.
Hahaha, not quite sure you're getting the whole legal and illegal thing!
Oh no, I understand it's not entirely legal to execute clampers like the animals they are. Morally however, I feel it's perfectly sound, and the legal part only really becomes relevant if you get caught.
Oh no, I understand it's not entirely legal to execute clampers like the animals they are. Morally however, I feel it's perfectly sound, and the legal part only really becomes relevant if you get caught.
I agree about the morally part