Fordyce Maxwell: Introduction of zealous traffic wardens has not helped the local mood

By FORDYCE MAXWELL
Published on 13/10/2012 17:15

FACT: no one likes parking restrictions. Fact: no one likes parking charges. Fact: both are part of town and city life as we know it and that is unlikely to change.

Why the homily? Because as a topic for conversation and letters to our local paper, high street parking, or alleged lack of it, vies with wind turbines and dog fouling.

I don’t write letters to newspapers, partly because that way madness lies – or, reading some offerings, has preceded – and partly because a senior government official told me that the biggest menace she had to deal with was men of a certain age with time on their hands and overactive word processors.

No time on my hands – I wish, while trying to fit in everything life has to offer – but do have a word processor restricted to business-only.

Nor, now, do I get involved with the wind farm argument after almost having to hold the coats at a summer party when two men who are neighbours disagreed about their usefulness.

Dog-fouling almost ditto. What more can be said about one of the more antisocial, slovenly, brainless messes of daily life? From letters and conversations it seems everyone hates dog fouling, but walk along any street, woodland path or beach and it just ain’t so.

As for the “refinement” of bagging the mess then throwing away the bag, what’s that about? IQ lower than shoe size, that’s what.

But dog fouling pales beside passions aroused by parking restrictions. Particularly, I think, in rural areas. City dwellers seem to accept having to pay to park, most being pleased to find a space.

Country folk, used to space, resent coming to town and having to pay and some go to any length to avoid doing so. Some of those lengths are, in parking terms, illegal and I don’t just mean sitting on double yellow lines.

Introduction of zealous traffic wardens in April has not helped the local mood. Their vow never to shop in this town again if it means having to pay to park or, worse, walk the length of themselves, has raised a stushie for and against.

As noted, I don’t write letters to the local paper. But others do.

This week a local lady wrote: “Perfectly able-bodied people seem to think they ought to be able to park right outside a high street shop… If locals and visitors could exert themselves to put one foot in front of the other they would find many excellent independent shops elsewhere in town.”

Couldn’t put it better. So I won’t try.

» Last week Fordyce... saw the excellent film Brave, met old friends for lunch, enjoyed a long coastal walk, started a new adult education class, did some writing and spent time with grand-children – oh, almost forgot, and with Liz