Monday, February 13, 2012
Snow parking
Usually ice and snow give motorists problems because they have to try and navigate slippery roads, and deal with road closures too.
However, some drivers in Chiswick, West London, had some rather different problems with snow and ice.
A large snowball was taking up a parking bay for much too long – without paying we might add – and was quite rightly given a parking ticket for it.
Now, when I say ‘large’ you may imagine something about the size of a football. No – this was a 4-foot high monster snowball – and someone wasn’t very happy that it was taking up precious road-side space.
A spokesperson for Hounslow County Council stated, “It's good to see people support our efforts to keep our roads clear for traffic. However, removing a penalty charge notice from a vehicle, unless you are the driver, is an offence.
“This could lead to the driver unfairly missing out on the chance to pay early at the lower rate through no fault of their own.”
Hopefully the person who was meant to get the ticket did receive it before their fine was increased.
We wonder whether the snowball vacated the space after being penalized for its offence, or whether it is still sat resolutely on the tarmac attracting odd looks from passers-by.
Disclaimer: Attached photo is not of offending snowball. Photo was posed by model.
Photo © chatirygirl via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: Chiswick, fine, ice, London, motorist, offence, parking bay, parking ticket, road, road-side, snow, tarmac
Friday, January 13, 2012
Special motoring treatment for Olympic VIPs
It seems like only yesterday that Britain was awarded the Olympic games and yet here we are in 2012, the big year.
Usain Bolt is preparing to give us a special show on the track, Becky Adlington is readying herself for a showdown in the pool, and the environmentalists are getting hot under the collar over the announcement that Olympic VIPs will be ferried bout in BMW's.
Less might have been made about this final point had the event organisers not claimed that these would be the greenest games ever.
However, the London Organising Committee has opened itself up for criticism by subsequently declaring that the luxury, gas guzzling vehicles are to be used as taxis for the elite.
A key member of the London Assembly Transport Committee said, “As we were promised that the 2012 Games would be the greenest Olympics ever to take place, only electric vehicles should have been considered.
“The 2012 Games should have been a big boost to the growth of electric vehicles in the UK, but instead we have vehicles which merely add to London’s serious air pollution.”
The question of whether Olympic dignitaries would happily be driven about in electric cars such as the Toyota Prius or Nissan Leaf is open to debate.
Image © Roebot via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: London, Nissan Leaf, Olympic games, taxis, Toyota Prius
Friday, October 14, 2011
London landmark lands on MPs
Could you imagine the car accidents and carnage which would occur if Big Ben (the clock tower, not the bell) actually fell over – well, apparently it could happen because Big Ben’s tower is beginning to lean.
But, if you’re a London young driver, you don’t need to worry about getting a special clause in your car insurance just yet, because it is likely to be somewhere in the region of between 4,000 and 10,000 years before there’s a risk the structure could topple over.Apparently, the tower leans to the north-west by 0.26 degrees – which means it’s 0.5m out of line at the very top – and this is enough to make the lean visible to the naked eye.
Some pundits have suggested the listing may have been caused by the building of an extension to the Jubilee Line on the London Underground but experts who have been monitoring the tower since 1999 say there is no evidence to support this.
Other specialist civil engineers suggest that the clay on which the famous clock tower is built is drying out more rapidly on the north side and this has caused the structure to sink on one side. However, there is no concrete theory! Ha ha – concrete theory – get it!
And architectural historians worried about the demise of important, beautiful buildings need not be too concerned because if the tower eventually falls, its trajectory will see it landing on Portcullis House, the modern block just over the road from the Houses of Parliament, which is home to the offices of many MPs.
I’m not saying a word!
Image © J Venn
Labels: car accidents, car insurance, London, young driver