Sunday 11 January 2009

Stupid half-witted and totally inconsiderate bleeps!

What am I on about this time?

Brainless illegal and inconsiderate parking, masquerading as deliveries.

South London, a fairly well-known high street that I won't name. Those who know the area'll recognise the map on the right.

The road is, for a busy suburban high street, fairly narrow (just wide enough to get a couple of double decker buses down it side-by-side with a few inches to spare either side). The route I drive comes out of the side road, Alpha Street, turning left into Bravo Road, calling at the bus stop that starts just under the railway bridge, outside the station. Note the Zebra Crossing, zigzag road paint markings, and the double yellow lines.

So, where do the bleeping moronic fools PARK their vans and trucks for the entire rush-hour period?

Yup. You guessed it. Right on the road junction, under the bridge, and on and opposite the bus stop.

Of course, as we come out of Alpha Street, we can't see down Bravo Road to see if there's oncoming traffic, as the "delivery" vans (left unattended during Rush Hour, all the doors and shutters down and locked, of course) are blocking our view, and when we DO turn onto Bravo Road, we have to drive on the wrong side of the flamin' road because - wait for it - you guessed it - those thrice-be-damned vans are parked in the way. I'm frankly amazed that there hasn't been a fatal accident along there, because that parking is sitting up and begging for one to happen.

Add to this that if one of my route's buses is coming the other way as I'm coming along the route, we have hells' own delight in getting by each other, or even turning in and out of Alpha Street at the same time - the roads are that narrow.

No wonder the traffic there is horrendous.

Now, in the normal course of events anywhere else, you'd expect this to attract the jubilant attentions of the local council parking attendants with their much over-used penalty notice ticket books in their grubby mitts, with the local Council tow trucks not far behind.

Not here.

They'll ticket anything in sight on all the side streets, but not these vans and trucks on the main road. They turn a blind eye.

EVERY DAMN DAY.

Even though it causes complete and utter mayhem, congestion, frayed tempers, and not a little rather rude language, gestures, and mutterings.

I've been too busy behind the wheel over the last year to take pictures, but you can see from the diagram what I mean when I say "mayhem".

Even Centrecom, the London Buses Central Control, appear to have given up yelling at the council.

So... with all the above in mind... given that they are parking on double yellow lines, Zebra Crossing Zig Zags, and virtually blocking a main road (Queens Highway, in Road Traffic Act language)... why on earth haven't the Police (who in this area reputedly love a good ruck with the locals) done anything about it?

Answers to the usual place, of course.

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