Big Bright Yellow things!

[crazylegs]

Not really a SC, but not quite OT but it fits here better so here goes.

Our local (global brand) video rental store in known for being draconian about clamping cars in its car park, you so much as sneeze outside of the car park and you're clamped.

We get a phone call to say one genius who was clamped decided to drive off without paying for removal of said clamp.

Now lets recap this for those in the back who weren't paying attention

The idiot decided the best way to avoid a charge was to ignore the large DO NOT MOVE THIS VEHICLE SIGN and the big yellow clamp on his wheel and attempt to drive his car away.

Who here has heard a cheesegrater being dragged over concrete whilst it was sat on by a seal? Anyone? Well apparently this was the sound it was making while it was gouging a trough into the tarmac.

20 Yards down the road our hero decides that even if he does make it far enough away from the clampers to cut the thing off the fact that he is travelling at a top speed of about 10 miles an hour will mean its the worlds slowest police chase.

He stops. He then has to pay the following
a) release fee
b) the value of the clamp (its royally screwed)
c) the cost of getting the road re surfaced

Genius boy then decides to leave at which point suprise suprise we receive another phone call. He's broken down in the middle lane of our one way system causing chaos because his car won't move at all!

Try explaining that to the RAC!

[Trayol]

Such deliciously epic failure. Please sir, may I have some more.

[Rahmota]

Why are they so anal about clamping cars? They got some sort of fetish about clamping things?

Yeah that sucks the dude drove off like that. One reason you need to get hover cars. Cant clamp wheels if there are no wheels.

[crazylegs]

Why are they so anal about clamping cars? They got some sort of fetish about clamping things?



They're about 30 yards from the high street, I guess they found that people were parking there for hours to do their shopping as the council have made most on street parking payable but this little car park is free to the customers of the video rental.

[Rahmota]

They're about 30 yards from the high street, I guess they found that people were parking there for hours to do their shopping as the council have made most on street parking payable but this little car park is free to the customers of the video rental.

Oh I see. Still sounds like a bit of an anal retentive attitude but then again oh well if they own the parking lot then they can do what they want within reason I guess. I'd just be very POd if my car got damaged from the clamping process. Just another reason to hate the city and stay in the country.

[alogram]

I'd just be very POd if my car got damaged from the clamping process. Just another reason to hate the city and stay in the country.

There is an easy solution......don't park in a no parking zone.

I say good for them.

[Broomjockey]

I'd just be very POd if my car got damaged from the clamping process. Just another reason to hate the city and stay in the country.

Easy solution, don't drive off with the thing attached.

And yeah, driving your car with the clamp on doesn't compare to running into a cow that's broken down a fence and wandered on to the road, does it? :p:angel:

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I would have given just about anything for a clamp when I was towing cars at Kinkos. I'd have given my left nut.

Okay, I don't have nuts, but if I did, I'd have given one if they would have bought me a clamp.

[Rahmota]

There is an easy solution......don't park in a no parking zone.

I say good for them.
Yeah but thign is this is a parking lot that legs is talking about. Which means that you park in a parking lot. This store is haivng people's cars clamped for parking in a parking lot. So unless the prking lot is incredibly tiny, the store is anally overzealously territorial or they own the entire parking lot or some combination of the above then I don't see where they get off doign that to people's cars.

But then again I'm not overly fond of cops having the ability to use those clamp/boot things anyhow. Writing a ticket is one thing. Effing up my vehicle because you want to boost your cities income by throwing parking tickets is a total rip off. Anythign further is fratching materials but suffice to say I would see each and everyone of those boots melted down into commemorative coins if I could.

And yeah, driving your car with the clamp on doesn't compare to running into a cow that's broken down a fence and wandered on to the road, does it?

Well yeah but the thing about that is. if you're driving right you can see a cow and avoid hitting it. A clamp is some jackbooted thug assaulting your property without your permission or knowledge.


I'll agree the dude was a tard for trying to drive off with one attached to his car. If he was that desperate he should have used a crowbar like everyone else.

[alogram]

NO PARKING MEANS NO PARKING.

The way I read it is that the company owns the parking lot and owns the clamps. I don't think that they would put them on if they didn't own the lot.

And yes, parking lots are for parking, if you are going into that business.

If I owned a parking lot for my business and other people were taking those spots away from my customers I would be pissed too.

And also, I have never heard of those clamps doing damage....unless you try to drive off with them on.

[iradney]

If a parking lot has a sign on it saying "Parking for XYZ's business customers ONLY", then don't be shocked if you, as a non XYZ customer, get a ticket or clamped.
If they own the parking lot, it's private property, and they reserve the right to clamp or eject people as they see fit.

[rvdammit]

From memory crazylrgs is in the UK, which means a customer parking lot may only be 4 or so bays.

[Rahmota]

From memory crazylrgs is in the UK

Which may be why we (read I) am having a perceptual issue about things. Heck I have culture clash here stateside going to the big city.....

which means a customer parking lot may only be 4 or so bays
Looking back I didn't see anything about the size of the lot other than little. A little lot around here is around 10 spaces. Also stores either have enough parking or there is FREE street parking that people don't park their cars at a store and go off to someplace else. If it is only 4 spaces then yeah i can see and understand that. But then again if London is going to not have sufficient parking and be so anti-personal vehicle they just need to go ahead and prohibit personal vehicles inside the city and force everyone to take public transit (which if they have prohibited cars they need to provide), walk, or ride bikes. Maybe this should go to Fratching.

Yeah my county does not have any pay parking lots, parkign garages. Only 1 town in my county has metered parkign and from I read in this morning's paper they are goign to be getting rid of the meters soon too. So there will be no pay parking in my county at all. Stores have sufficient parking for their customers and in some cases a bit more. Downtown they have free curbside parking. Out at the shopping district the parking lots are at least 3 or more acres.

The way I read it is that the company owns the parking lot and owns the clamps. Companies should not be allowed to own those horrid clamps. Owning the lot is one thing. Getting cars towed if they are left there beyond a certain time or in no parking areas I can understand. Attacking people's cars with those clamps is not somethign I understand or condone.


I have never heard of those clamps doing damage Well I have. There have been cases I have seen and heard about where the officer improperly applied the clamp and damaged a person's car without them attempting to move the car at all. From somethign as minor as scratchign or damageing the surface of the cosmetic rim to damaging the tire or brake lines on the back side of the wheel. Those clamp things are an affront. I'd like to find the BSTRD that invented them and clamp him upside the head. Their just used to help drum up funds for cities with their excessive extortion fees and all after they steal your vehicle.

*sigh* This is going to turn into a rant for fratchign if I dont just walk away.

[crazylegs]

Just to clarify a couple of points
1) The car park *is* private property
2) Its around 20 spaces (they also share it with a large off licence)
3) You will only get a clamp if you leave the area of the two shops, if you stay then you don't get clamped
4) The store itself doesn't operate the clamps, they sell the 'business' to a seperate company because the Security Industry Authority (SIA) requires, by law, that a clamper is registered with the SIA (The SIA also covers CIT Guards and any guard which is subcontracted as well as doormen, this is to prevent those with a violent or criminal history from being in a position to exert their brand of violence etc.).
5) Being clamped in the UK is much more common than being towed, that here is seen as much more extreme but hey thats a culture thing.

Rahmota, I don't live in London, I live in what is officially classed as a Rural County, our largest city is only around 150,000 people or so.

I guess the reason to clamp in the UK is that you are guranteed to get the money straight away, if you were to ticket it is very difficult (because of the Data Protection Act) to access the Police National Computer or the DVLA system to find out where to send the fine for the ticket if its not paid (there is also the issue of previous keeper details only, but thats another story)

[Rahmota]

Okay that makes thigns abit clearer. Still doesnt make me like the concept of clamping and extorting the return of freedom of your own vehicle but thats my own culture thing too.

The store itself doesn't operate the clamps, they sell the 'business' to a seperate company I'm really still not enthused about this as a private company can get a bit tow/clamp happy if they get the proceeds from the extortion fees to get your vehicle back. I've known a couple people that got towed , even though they had every legal right not to be towed, because the tow truck guy was running a scam and towing people to get some extra money.

Being clamped in the UK is much more common than being towed, that here is seen as much more extreme but hey thats a culture thing.

Part of it I think is that clamping immobilizes the vehicle so if you wanted to teach the person a lesson it hasnt done anythign and you're still out the parking space as In that case I'd walk off and leave the car there to teach them not to clamp my car. (Of course if someone tried to steal my car like that I wouldnt pay the extortion fee I'd use that money to torch the car and let them keep the charred and twisted melted hulk, but then I'm evil that way.)
Towing gets the car out of the lot, teaches the person that they shouldnt park there and penalizes them further by having to go get their car back from the extortion lot.

I don't live in London, I live in what is officially classed as a Rural County, our largest city is only around 150,000 people or so.
Hmm. Some reason I thought you where in/near London. Okay my bad. Still though and no offense intended your rural attitudes and our rural attitudes are a bit different shall we say? and 150k people is still about 3 times as many people as live in my entire county! We had a population of aroud 40k according to the last census.

guess the reason to clamp in the UK is that you are guranteed to get the money straight away, if you were to ticket it is very difficult (because of the Data Protection Act) to access the Police National Computer or the DVLA system to find out where to send the fine for the ticket if its not paid Which is another reason onl y the police should have the power to write parking tickets.

*shrug* I dunno. This is one of those thigns where I can see some of the points you're making conceptually. However all those thigns are nothing I have encountered or encounter in my daily life so its only a concept to me. So I will bow out of this.

[Rahmota]

*sigh* I want to apologize and clarify this following paragraph. I am slightly grumpy tonight for personal reasons and unfortunately took it out on a situation I should not have. I have gone and takena hot shower, a shot of whiskey and calmed down a bit. I am not going to edit my previous post as that would be unfair and dishonorable as a person should own up to their embaressments and stupidity as well as their triumphs.

The previous paragraph was:
Part of it I think is that clamping immobilizes the vehicle so if you wanted to teach the person a lesson it hasnt done anythign and you're still out the parking space as In that case I'd walk off and leave the car there to teach them not to clamp my car. (Of course if someone tried to steal my car like that I wouldnt pay the extortion fee I'd use that money to torch the car and let them keep the charred and twisted melted hulk, but then I'm evil that way.)
Towing gets the car out of the lot, teaches the person that they shouldnt park there and penalizes them further by having to go get their car back from the extortion lot.

Okay. to clarify: I have utterly no problem with owners of the parking lot attempting to cut down on people using their lot as a public parking space. In my life and area it is rather difficult and pointless to do that so there maybe some conceptulization problems about people doing that. I personally would not do that if I knew the parking lot was not a public one due to signage or general knowledge. Of course if I knew the store had the power to have their private security people clamp vehicle and not actual real law enforcement officers I would stay away from a place like that anyhow.

As for the comment about the vehicle being left there and losing the parking space this is what I was trying to say in less grumpy terms. When you clamp a vehicle you immobilize it. If the store is trying to get their space back and punish the person for wasting their space immobilizing the vehicle seems a bit counter productive.

Also since it is a private company doing it and not real cops I would be perverse and pissed off enough to try and punish them back. Childish yes but I dont like private companies having that much power. Private companies do not need nor should they have their own police force. Further on that belongs in Fratching.

As for the comment about torching the car. If a person steals from me and I can do anythign about it I will not allow them to profit from stealign from me. I personally see a lot of the parking tickets and the clamping and such as legalized extortion. Especially in the case where its a private company doing it and then I might depending on how mad they made me destroy my own property rather than letting them win just to teach them a lesson because I do not deal with terrorists or extortionists. Pretty much more on this belongs in Fratchign as well.

Anyhow Private companies do not need to be acting like cops or have the power and authority of real cops and that is what peeved me and set me off in this posting. I apolgize for any hard feelings. There appears to be a cultural divide here once again.

[Broomjockey]

This thread's got one foot the other side of the Fratching line already. One more post along the same path and it'll be locked. If you have to say "Further belongs on Fratching" you're probably a sentence or two too far already.