Oh dear, Nanny has banned my Dutch cousin..there's a very lame joke there folks, if you think hard about it!OK, on with the story...
Ken Hardman was recently defrosting his car outside of his home, in Whittle-le-Woods Lancashire, and was fined £30 by Nanny for the offence of "quitting" the vehicle and leaving it vulnerable to theft.
However, Mr Hardman disputes the validity of the fine; he noted that thieves had no way of stealing his Mercedes saloon, because its windows and doors could be locked while the engine was running.
Quote:
"I heard a knock on the door at 8.20am.
The officer asked me whether the car was
mine and said that, if it was, I was committing a crime.
I think it's completely outrageous.
This fine means that I'm paying stealth charges
even though there was no way of stealing it."
A police spokesman said:
"The officer tried to offer words of advice
but the male refused to accept them.
So the officer was left with no option
but to issue a fixed penalty notice of £30.
Every year we appeal to the public not to
leave their cars running unattended on frosty
mornings as they are easy pickings for thieves."
So, let's get this straight, Mr Hardman was fined because in the view of Nanny his car might have been stolen?
Isn't that Mr Hardman's business as to how well, or badly, he safeguards his property?
Does that mean Nanny will be fining all and sundry every time she sees a risk of a car or other object of being stolen?
Is this just an excuse to make money out of us?
"...but the MALE refused to accept them..."
ReplyDeleteEven more spokesrobotish than usual.
It's time to use Nanny's system against her.
ReplyDeleteEvery time nanny issues a ticket, you should go to court and fight it.
Tie her up in knots and jam up the courts with trivial cases.
I think it's probably an offence to leave a car on the road with its engine running. (The story doesn't say whether the car was on the road or on the drive of his own property - not of course that it would stop Nanny
ReplyDeleteBut based on what the robot officer said, it does seem he has been fined for leaving his own property vulnerable to theft. That, surely, is his business, and only his business.
I confess to going to a cash point then forgetting to take it away, thus leaving it to be stolen. The burden of guilt is too heavy to bear; please come and get me.
ReplyDeleteI meant forgetting to take the money, not the cashpoint.
ReplyDeleteIf the vehicle was on the road an offense was committed, and there is a danger of mechanical failure leading to a road traffic accident.
ReplyDeleteNannies victim obviously failed the police attitude test, therefore guilty.
BUT when there is an epidemic of car theft how typical that the police should go after the victims.
I undrestand the point about "if it was left in the road" etc.
ReplyDeleteHowever, why then did the police bang on about the risk of theft; instead of just invoking the rule about leaving it in the road with the engine running?
Sounds like it was parked in his driveway to me.
Ken
Anonymous Chris said...
ReplyDelete" If the vehicle was on the road an offense was committed, and there is a danger of mechanical failure leading to a road traffic accident."
True though rare if suitably parked with the handbrake on and so forth.
Equally possible, in some cases perhaps more so, if parked on a private drive.
Round my way our news paper deliverers seem to have difficulting with unreliable deliverers (or they are paying the kids too much ...) and our morning newspaper delivery often arrives by car. One day I must have a look to check but previously this has meant the vendor driving around the area to deliver the papers and when they do that they will leave the engine running whilst they are out of the car. It makes sense - much less wear and tear on the vehicle and much quieter than stopping and starting as far as the residents are concerned. Each delivery takes a few seconds.
Not legal though.
It is just possible that the deliveries are being made by a young paper delivery person who has employed a chauffeur (parent do the most illogical things sometimes) but I doubt it.
I think our milkman does the same thing, being diesel rather than electric powered these days.
People, leaving one's engine running is one of the biggest crimes know to humankind - imagine the C02 emissions this criminal is adding to his carbon footprint.
ReplyDeleteAs a concerned rock star environmentalist I always instruct my pilot to turn off the engine on my lear jet while waiting for clearance to fly to the next environmental summit.
Shame on the fool.
I had to read this twice before I realised it wasnt a joke...I just dont know whats happening anymore.
ReplyDeleteActually I'm grateful to Lancs Police for this, and also to Nanny II herself for carrying on where Nanny I left off. It's a great homesickness preventative for ex-pats.
ReplyDelete