I went out on patrol today, issuing tickets and in some cases also marking the pavement in chalk indicating the width of pavement remaining for pedestrians. I upset at least one motorist who subsequently commented on this blog that “because of argumentative people like you the world is in the state that it is, if you want a world where people tell other people what to do with their lives and create animosity like you guys are doing right now be my guest and create anarchy. We are meant to live in a tolerant society respecting each other but because the so called pedestrian liberation think that they have special treatments they like forcing themselves on to others.
Interesting stuff and not worth analysing the above too carefully given the total lack of respect offered by the motorists in question to pedestrians (they had all left less than 800mm of pavement for pedestrians). Regarding ‘anarchy’, I want to see an end to the existing ‘anarchy’ where a minority of motorists feel that they have a right to park wherever they feel like and the authorities do nothing about it.
Here are a few choice pieces of parking from today’s outing. This first photo is of another driving instructor (from the ‘Benson school of motoring’ this time) parked on the pavement leaving only 700mm.
Another driving instructor parking on the pavemet
Then there is there this one where an unrepentant motorist left a miniumal 450mm for pedestrians to get by. The owner came out and asked me who I was and why I wasn’t ‘minding my own business’. She suggested that pedestrians could walk on the other side of the road which was thoughtful of her!
The driver said pedestrians could walk on the other pavement
Finally, here is beautiful still life which consists of a wheelie bin and and car which together leave only 400mm for pedestrians. I hope the chalk marking and the leaflets will make people pay a little more attention next time.
Car and bin conspire to close the pavement!
Pedestrian Liberation 
What an idiot, we don’t ask for special treatment, just that the law be applied fairly so that we are treated in a considerate manner. As for the driving instructor, they are all licensed and have to undergo retests. I feel certain that if a complaint were made to the governing body they would look into it.
Well done!. Such thoughtless actions need to be challenged.
As for the woman owner of AX02KXL “who asked me who I was and why I wasn’t ‘minding my own business’” and ‘suggested that pedestrians could walk on the other side of the road which was thoughtful of her’, it shows that she is one of the following: a pavement driver; an enemy of vulnerable road users; selfish; and probably more than a little stupid.
Dear Pete,
Good stuff and I applaud this.
But could you also measure the roadway left between the vehicles. As I have written before, if this is greater than say, 2.75m then the largest vehicles can creep along the road. The more space there is the faster people will drive. If the parking was marked to allow vehicles to ‘just about pass’ then the space between kerbs could be say. 1.7m for average car – times 2, + 2.75m = 6.15m. At this measurement there needs to be no parking on the kerb because there is space in-between the kerbs. Many councils will say this cannot be done because TSRGD demands 1.8m for a parking bay, otherwise it is not legal, and parking contraventions cannot be enforced. But the goal isn’t so much parking regulation (although that might be a goal) but clear footways.
Graham
ha ha ruffling feathers ? so you confirmed it by the title here you are proud of antagonising people and creating animosity.Ruffling feathers…? god you sound cocky what makes you think that the pedestrians are silent martyrs is that the be all and end all then?there are people dying of starvation ,going through hardship at this moment in time and yet you are here making a mountain out of a mole hill.Just because someone didn’t park the way you wanted?.You are just a very bitter unhappy person that has nothing better to do than suck positive energy from others …shame on you Peter Miller.
‘against site like this’,
From your comment, you appear to be an obnoxious, selfish hypocritical individual who drives and parks on pavements.
Why don’t you stop driving on pavements and park in the road?
Since petrol and diesel must now contain biofuels and such biofuels inevitably are derived from foodstuffs and impact natural ecosystems.
So get off your hypocritical high-horse about ‘people starving and going through hardship’, while hypocrites like you have the chutzpah to pretend to be concerned about such people while you’re actually contributing to making their circumstances significantly worse. Hypocrites like you make me want to vomit.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/13/biofuels-targets-unethical
/rant
Apologies to Peter.
God you sound cocky, what makes you think that the motorists are silent martyrs is that the be all and end all then? I can’t believe you are here commenting on this site whilst there are people dying of starvation, going through hardship at this moment in time and yet you are here making a mountain out of a mole hill. Just because someone highlighted the inconsiderate and destructive behaviour of people like you? You are just a very bitter unhappy person that has nothing better to do than suck positive energy from others… Shame on you, anonymous bellend.
(Sorry Peter)
My daughter was the recipent of one of your notices stuck on her windscreen on Good Friday – something which upset us both.It was never her intent to cause a problem.
Of course her parking did not allow much room on the pavement – I cannot argue with that. And of course you are right some road users do not care about anyone else, as also some wheelchairs users, or basically just some people, do not care about anyone else. But having looked at your website and read the comments you and others pro your campaign and those of people against it seems to me there needs to be some balance.
I have lived in my road for 9 years. I have walked up and down it with a buggie, with a dog and found that yes sometimes it is difficult to get round cars, bins etc. But I just manoeuvre around them, sometimes going onto the road. It’s called a compromise.I don’t believe anyone in this road parks or leaves their bins delibrately but the truth is that there is nowhere else for our cars or our bins. If cars are not brought up partially on the pavements there would be no room for emergency vehicles to access the road.The street is victorian and we are now in the 21st century. [ on bins – it is quite often the bin men that leave the bins strewn across the pavements]
That you have to fill your days measuring distances around cars on what was the start of a family easter week end is quite sad. On this particular day my daughter had parked so she could carry her sleeping child into the house. The road was very full with many people having visitors. She needed to carry in the dinner she had cooked for me and the rest of our family as I have just broken my foot. I currently often have to walk a way to have a lift in my car because the space outside my house is taken my someone else. I don’t rant and rave, I don’t stick a notice on the car outside my house – I just get on my crutches and get on with it. I’d like to live in a house with its own drive but unfortunantely can’t afford it – likewise with my neighbours. My daughter, the one who’s car you cowardly left an unsigned notice on works as a nurse with children at the end of life, in pallative care – she is one of the most caring people I know. You sound angry, bitter, lonely and vindictive. I’m sorry we took too much space and will try to avoid doing it again – but have always thought like that anyway.
If you can’t afford a house with a drive, why do you own a car? I’d love a shed, but I live in a flat. Rather than assume I can dump the shed half on the pavement and half on the road I simply don’t own one because I do not have land of my own on which to keep it.
Pedestrians have already compromised by accepting the existence of private motor traffic, traffic which restricts the movements of pedestrians and poses the constant threat to them of death or injury. Asking pedestrians to compromise on the pavement, the last shred of space for their exclusive use, is just taking the piss.
It appears that you and your daughter were offended by being made to think about your antisocial behaviour. There is no excuse for parking on the pavement, apart from obstructing the use of the pavement by pedestrians and wheelchair users, the pavement is typically not designed to cope with the high loads resulting from vehicular traffic and as a result the underlying services are often damaged, often incurring considerable cost to the council and residents. Parking on a pavement is undoubtedly a selfish and antisocial act. Not the act of someone who ‘really cares’.
I don’t really care about your excuses because that’s all that they are, excuses. If the road is too narrow to allow vehicles to be parked on the road and allow emergency vehicles access then it’s too narrow. That is not a reason to park on a pavement, it’s a reason to park in another road. That may mean you have to walk, so be it.
I lived in a terraced house in London, I didn’t have off road parking and I sometimes had to walk 10 minutes from where my car was parked to my home. That’s just the way it is, you accept it as part of the bargain of owning a car.
Why should anyone (and that includes you) have to manoeuvre around vehicles on the pavement or walk into the road? The pavements are there for the pedestrians, they are not parking spaces.
‘Against a site like this’ – If your “positive energy” relies on the freedom to obstruct others and prevent disabled people from getting around safely (Yes, that does count as “hardship”), then you may need to have a quiet word with yourself.
(Oh, and nice cowardly name – reminds me of the placards in that episode of Father Ted. “Down with this sort of thing!”)
There you go, persecuting poor hard done by motorists again, these pedestrians don’t pay for use of the pavements, have insurance or licences! Isn’t it time we had a walking test, to make sure that pedestrians know their place and understand that by owning a car, drivers have greater rights than everyone else. They do, don’t they?? 😉
The way they behave, you would think so wouldn’t you!
I object to the word ‘minority’.
Pavement parking is a majority action. It’s now so common, it’s deemed normal and – as you can see from some of the kick-back comments – many motorists have no inkling whatsoever that their pavement parking is in any way wrong.
Carlton: I do agree that parking on pavements in very common. I do also agree that motorists who are challenged often say that ‘everyone parks on pavements’ as part of their defense. However I believe that most people (ie >50%) don’t. For instance, >50% of parents walk with their kids to primary schools and most people who drive their kids to primary school park at some distance from the school sensibly. There are then a small minority of the total who park their cars on the zig-zags whereever they feel like and cause absolute chaos for everyone else. Sure, in some streets most residents with cars park on the pavement, but that is not the case in most streets. As a tactic I always emphasise that the majority of motorists do already park sensibly and that this is a campaign to challenge the behaviour of a selfish and thoughtless minority.
i would just end up pushing to bin over. to make room for every one to walk past.
Pushing bins over hardly seems helpful. A strange idea, especially when it apparently comes from a company that distributes wheelie-bins!