WELCOMING LONDON

"JUST DOING MY JOB !" , stated a Southwest rail employee as he put a "parking ticket " on the transport vehicle of a " Para Victim "! This was despite my suggesting he go check the toilets at Hampton Court rail station , since that was the declared destination as the father unloaded the " Teenager's wheelchair  " off the built in ramp of the van . Anyone walking past would notice the yellow ramp in the rear of the van . Not this S/West guy , he was busy thinking of the plaudits he would get , for keeping the empty coach parking area , free of parking vehicles !

Photos i took show the parking area , the only coach willing to pay the £15 parking fee displayed on the board in the photo i will post later . Too far to walk back to the car to get the camera  and i will be using it tonight to capture moments of the " Closing Ceremony " of this London Olympic Games !

Austria allows you , the able bodied , to stand for up to 15 minutes on a " Disabled Parking Space "! Of course if you are " Disabled " and entitled to use that space , you will have to continue your search for another space and then go back to the Tourist Office where the space is occupied by some nitwit , unable to comprehend that there was a reason for that " Disabled space " , being placed there ! ME , ME , me is the common refrain used in this selfish world .

In several weeks the London Streets are going to be thronged with " Disabled Vehicle Owners " , some displaying their " Blue Accreditation  plaque " , most will be international issue and of course the owners will be unfamiliar with the intricacies of London Parking . These unsuspecting visitors will provide a field day for those with the " I am only doing my job ", work ethic . Too bad that they will go home poorer and even aggrieved by this high handed attitude . Even today's example of humanity , when i suggested he check the toilet then suggested he treat the matter in a spirit of goodwill , dug his heels in and completed the ticket before sticking it to the windscreen . He did not look in the car as requested to note the Yellow ramp , he did not make the effort to check the toilets but he did wait the 2 mins or so before commencing to write the " Parking Infringement notice "!

On speaking to the ticket office i was pointed to the notice warning of the purpose of the parking area and the cost to park a coach . You will see in the photo that both signs look like " Ads " for S/west rail , similar to others on their property . What you will not see is that the signs are not visible unless you drive through the bus stop to access the parking area . The other entry points are behind these signs so unless you wander around looking to find the reason this area is empty , it is unlikely you will discover them .

Madam Ticket seller voiced " He has parked illegally so he deserves the ticket "! She did agree with me that most people were unable to see the signs as they arrive , but added that they should look for them . Having overstayed the time in a Motorway Services Area , after feeling unable to drive further , i discovered weeks later , that 2 hours or more , had to be paid IN ADVANCE !  I have no intention of paying the " demand " and if they wish to waste more of their time , so be it ! Recently their signage has been improved and i pay more attention to this small , PETTY detail , i do not EVER SPEND MONEY in these areas , since discovering their attitude to safety ! All over the UK you will see signs saying " Do not drive when tired "! Usually they appear a little before the " Services " sign ! Could it be they cause people to take unnecessary stops by trading on their conscience ?