Steve 1 - Clampers 0

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
7,700
Location
"Sunny" Plymouth
Got a call from the wife a couple hours ago, she got clamped outside the shop she was in and they want £130 to take it off.

I chuck my tools into the car and head off to see what's occuring.

Get to the shop (exeter street pet store for those that know the area) and find they've clamped 3 other cars too, busy evening i guess.

I jack the car up and start removing the wheel nuts (new design of clamp, harder to remove, but can't be fitted as tightly), pair of clampers show up in a van and start trying to fit another clamp to the other side. I explain my disappointment at their behaviour and they back off telling me they are calling the police. Goody, always nice to have impartial witnesses ;)

Wheel bolts out, wheel off and i start to undo the inside wishbone mounts. Police show up, clamper starts going on about contracts and damages and how they need to stop me... Heh, no chance, rozzers are just there to stop a breach of the peace. Clamper bloke is going absolutely nuts by now insisting that i can't take the clamp off without damaging it and he snapping away like mad with his digital camera to get his evidence.

At this point a woman walks out of the petshop, over to her car and then back to the where we are with the police and the clampers, can the police help her, she's been clamped for no reason. Clampers claim she was there for over 3 hours and it's a legitimate clamp. Woman pulls out a recipt for her cream tea in totnes from 3 hours ago. (totnes being roughly 40 minutes away on quiet roads) Police officer orders him to take it off! :D

I pop the inside wishbone mounts out, pull the chains off and put things back together. I pass the clamp to the clamper and ask him if he'd like one of the police officers to examine it for damage. More clamper ranting about how they'll tow our car away the moment they see it out on the road, officer puts him straight :D

By this point another police car has shown up to enjoy the show/keep the peace. As i'm putting the wheel back on one of the officers comes over and asks if i could have a look at another car that's been clamped. Clampers are really impressed by this :) (Turns out a new company has taken over the car park and is now enforcing 24 clamping whereas previously the local residents were welcome to use the carpark over night, so they've clamped every car they could see!)

Jack the car up, wheel off and make a start on the wishbone. At this point an officer interupts and tells me the clampers are going to cancel this evenings clamps to save wasting everybodies time (they would have to wait around to retrieve the clamps incase some scamp chopped them up) This was quite helpful as this car was a Merc and the chain was around the ARB too and i had no chance getting the damn thing off :eek: They take the clamp of the Merc and a car parked at the far side of the carpark and then leave without saying goodbye.

End result, saved £130 and really, really annoyed the clampers. :D
 
Get to the shop (exeter street pet store for those that know the area) and find they've clamped 3 other cars too, busy evening i guess.

Is it our friends at Valley Parking Enforcement again, formerly WJ Parking?

That has to be the worlds hugest carpark as well. It has NEVER needed enforcement, even back when it was never enforced 75% of the spaces were unoccupied.


(Turns out a new company has taken over the car park and is now enforcing 24 clamping whereas previously the local residents were welcome to use the carpark over night, so they've clamped every car they could see!)

OK I guess its not. They enforced it for ages, used to park there for uni. For about 2 years I've driven past wondering if its safe to park there again as loads of people now do, I guess it isnt!
 
nice one :)

some pics would have made it better though

Ask the clampers, they have loads apparently :D

This sort of scum, for that is what they are, sucm needs a dose of their own night nurse. I know many coppers also think they are scum, not least because most of said clampers are from the dregs of our society usually at best being 'known' to the boys in blue.
 
nice one :)

some pics would have made it better though

Might have some, our 4 year old was going mad with her camera so there might be some useful shots in there somewhere :)



Awesome and well done.

Any chance of posting exactly what you have to do to take these things off.

I'll see what the pics show, i might even do a re-enactment ;)
 
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