Enfield parking officers left red-faced after driver snaps them without ticket

[Nigel W]

"Enfield Independent reader Len Wilcock, 54, of Bush Hill Park, reacted with anger when he saw two officers from Enfield’s mobile CCTV unit parked without a ticket in a pay-and-display bay in Windmill Hill drinking tea in a café at 10.30am on Friday morning.

And when the quick-thinking driver got out his mobile phone to snap the silver hatchback so he could prove they should have bought a ticket, he said the two men just laughed at him."

http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/9793286.Parking_officers_left_red_faced_after_driver_snaps_them_without_ticket/

[Ewan Hoosami]

The council haven't responded yet but the gist of it will be this;

"Council enforcement staff have a special dispensation to park where they want, when they want. We make the rules for you, the peasants, to follow. Since we decide who pays and who doesn't we shall make ourselves exempt from any penalties. Now stop whining and hand over your money. As for us being red faced, we'll be parking there again tomorrow without a ticket because we can."

That may not be the exact wording but it will definitely be the gist of it.

[The Bald Eagle]

The council haven't responded yet but the gist of it will be this;

"Council enforcement staff have a special dispensation to park where they want, when they want. We make the rules for you, the peasants, to follow. Since we decide who pays and who doesn't we shall make ourselves exempt from any penalties. Now stop whining and hand over your money. As for us being red faced, we'll be parking there again tomorrow without a ticket because we can."

That may not be the exact wording but it will definitely be the gist of it.

@Ewan

Because this is my council and I felt it only right and proper that I record my distaste for the $car operators' behaviour, and because your comment was so accurate (as usual), I have shamelessly plagiarised you in the comments section of this article, and added a bit of my own.

I hope you don't mind Ewan.

http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/9793286.Parking_officers_left_red_faced_after_driver_snaps_them_without_ticket/

[Ewan Hoosami]

Not at all. If you can use my stuff to stick it to the bastards then help yourself.

[tommy the trumpet]

If the tro follows the same model as Medways, yes they are allowed to sit there, but not in a passenger vehicle.

I have not seen to many silver hatchback vans.

[Nigel W]

Tommy

They were sitting in a cafe!  The $car was sitting outside empty in a pay and display bay without a ticket.  They should have paid to park like everyone else has to. 

[tommy the trumpet]

Stand corrected Nigel, wonder how much the cafe owner would take to lace the tea with laxatives.

[Esinem]

Surely, the exemption only applies whilst enforcing? In any case, the exemption is usually fairly specific about where they can park and how long...not sure if they are allowed to use Pay&Dismay (sic) or is it Residents they can't use usually?

[Ewan Hoosami]

Their main argument for (their) parking is that they need to park for enforcement purposes. They are very quick to pounce on marked police vehicles which are not used for official police duties. That being said they are a law unto themselves and are more than happy to stick their fingers up at the common serfs.

[Nigel W]

Traffic officers snapped parking illegally will be punished, says council

"Traffic officers caught red-handed by a motorist who photographed them parking illegally will be punished, according to the council.

The two officers sit in the background while Mr Wilcock takes a picture of the car. The two officers sit in the background while Mr Wilcock takes a picture of the car.

Enfield Independent reader Len Wilcock, 54, of Bush Hill Park, said the two officers from Enfield’s mobile CCTV unit, who were drinking tea in a café, laughed at him when he took pictures of them parked in a pay-and-display bay in Windmill Hill without a ticket at 10.30am on Friday morning.

But their laughter will be cut short after cabinet member for environment, Councillor Chris Bond, said “appropriate action” would be taken against them after the Enfield Independent published Mr Wilcock’s photos yesterday.

He added: “Clearly the pictures show that the enforcement officers are in breach of the parking regulations which they should know and follow.”

But the council says it cannot force them to pay for a ticket retrospectively as fines have to be issued at the scene by a traffic warden.

Mr Wilcock's photos clearly show there was no ticket on the car. Mr Wilcock's photos clearly show there was no ticket on the car.

More than £2.5million worth of parking fines went uncollected in the borough last year, nearly half of all charges issued.

The council collected £3.5million from penalty charge notices – fines given out by traffic wardens for parking violations – but 41 per cent of the fines from the 86,864 tickets issued in 2011/12 went unpaid. The council says it is chasing the money owed through the courts."

'Punishment' will probably be to tell them don't get caught doing it again.