Freeloaders not Welcome (10 Viewers)

[Northernraider]

What I can't understand is people who freeload think that spending a few quid in the local shops negates the need spend on a stopover. Why not support the local campsites etc as well or would stopping on a campsite stop you spending in the local shops.

I don't feel obliged to spend in any of the local shops etc when I park up . I pay road tax and insurance, that covers me to use and park on any street that is local authority owned . Unless blocking a driveway etc it's perfectly legal and acceptable. People need to lose the attitude that just because we drive motorhomes makes us any different from people parking a work van ,a minibus or whatever on a public street or carpark . I'm tired of nimbys complaining about motorhomes they seriously need to get a life.

 

[Gina M]

Taxed , motd and insured it's perfectly acceptable to be parked on any street unless private road or blocking access. I've parked and stayed on streets many many times.


And I'll continue to do so .

If I encountered the sad bugger who put this sticker on that van he'd have a swollen nose

If we go on a walk and instructions say just park in the village. I will not park outside someone's house I always look for a car park or a layby. Us country villagers are weirdos though

 

[Northernraider]

I should also add I've never parked in a pub carpark etc because I feel its cheeky to park in one and not visit the pub.

I live/travel alone so it's not the Same going for a meal or drink on your own so I wouldn't get any enjoyment out of it.

Public carparks , public streets ( when needed) are a different matter entirely. I couldn't afford to spend the amount daily that some claim to do. But I'm not on holiday it's my lifestyle. And I do it for many reasons , 1 of which is because its cheaper than owning a house ( sometimes)

So yes technically I am a freeloader , but I'm a self sufficient freeloader. I feel no guilt, I claim no benefits etc and I take nothing from the system bar the use of public bins etc .

 

[Northernraider]

If we go on a walk and instructions say just park in the village. I will not park outside someone's house I always look for a car park or a layby. Us country villagers are weirdos though

I generally avoid parking overnight outside someone's house as I like my own privacy. But if I'm parking to walk in to town or visit something nearby during the day and I'm not blocking a driveway etc then I will park without concern .

As Helen Ariel said earlier people get all territorial about parking outside their houses etc but unless it's an allocated space they have zero right to it..

 

[Gina M]

Yeah, I'm happy to park on a street in the van if I am going to visit family or go to the local shops but wouldn't do it if I was going to be gone for 6 hours plus on a long walk.

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[St3v3]

I’d have thought that in this day and age it would qualify at the very least as a standalone ‘hate’ crime!

Sadly there are some people who can be hated and many who can't.

. Why not support the local campsites etc as well or would stopping on a campsite stop you spending in the local shops.

Well, if I'm stuck on a campsite then no, I won't be spending because I'm, well, stuck....

If we're walking distance to town we will be drinking/eating/shopping (and I don't mean supermarket) in the town. A lot.

but if it was overnighting things could possibly be a bit different.

Why?

I can understand your situation but park in town during the day see what you want to see then pay to stay "overnight" on a campsite surely you don't need to overnight where your not welcome.

We can't eat/drink/shop all day and then drive to the middle-of-feckin-nowhere campsite.

If that is your 'normal' spend on a one night stop over, you have to accept, you are the exception rather than the rule?

We're the same.

PS. I wonder what you spend on the following night after you have stocked up at Lidl?

Same, the lidl shop will just be a fry up kit and random crap from the middle isle. And that's only if our favourite pub from last night doesn't cook breakfast....

When I applied for my HGV OPERATORS LICENCE, one of the requirements was that I HAD to have off street parking for them and a financial bond.

IF HGV's can park 'anywhere' why was this necessary I wonder?

ALL of the HGVs can't be parked on our roads overnight. The ones that have to because of driver hours have to. Not rocket science.

As before.

Technically, every vehicle parked in a road is causing an obstruction.

Rubbish.

We explained that we would ticket both sides of the road and sometimes for quite a distance too.

That's when some police work comes in to work out who parked first. Then follow it up with making sure the council yellows one side of the street.

, loss of view, blocking of light etc.

I'm quite sure you have no right to view or light....

I hope you left a tip for the use of the parking space.

If we've been looked after we always tip.

I don't feel obliged to spend in any of the local shops etc when I park up .

If you're not 'holiday' spending then at least buy your day to day shopping in the same place as you park. That "costs" you nothing.

 

[Steve and Denise]

Because I pay a lot of money to live in a nice place simples

 

[Northernraider]

Sadly there are some people who can be hated and many who can't.



Well, if I'm stuck on a campsite then no, I won't be spending because I'm, well, stuck....

If we're walking distance to town we will be drinking/eating/shopping (and I don't mean supermarket) in the town. A lot.



Why?



We can't eat/drink/shop all day and then drive to the middle-of-feckin-nowhere campsite.



We're the same.



Same, the lidl shop will just be a fry up kit and random crap from the middle isle. And that's only if our favourite pub from last night doesn't cook breakfast....



ALL of the HGVs can't be parked on our roads overnight. The ones that have to because of driver hours have to. Not rocket science.



Rubbish.



That's when some police work comes in to work out who parked first. Then follow it up with making sure the council yellows one side of the street.


I'm quite sure you have no right to view or light....



If we've been looked after we always tip.



If you're not 'holiday' spending then at least buy your day to day shopping in the same place as you park. That "costs" you nothing.

I don't shop day to day , I tend to shop once a week . I may on occasion nip in to a bakers etc but I don't go near or in shops daily.

And I haven't at any point of my life whether in a house or a camper.

Why people think this makes any difference to people who think motorhomes are freeloaders if not on a site are strange beings.


Like the nc500 whiners ...it wouldn't matter if you were in every business in the village and spent a few hundred pounds . Unless they followed you and witnessed it they'd know no different. The only person you're comforting is yourself.

There are just sadly a lot of anti motorhome whiners out there and pandering to them will never help the situation.

 

[Abacist]

Yes, but we have no idea how long the AutoTrail had been parked up for, or any details as to where it was parked. Ie if it was obstructing someone’s access.
This hostile reaction to any MH just parked on any street is not good, and is part of an increasing ‘motorhomes should be on campsites’ cry which is cropping up more and more, with no thought to the fact that even motorhomes which are booked onto and overnighting on campsites will sometimes want to tootle out and about during the day.
I would be SERIOUSLY pissed off if anyone stuck stickers on mine and I would be reporting it.

Whilst I sympathise - Who to I wonder? I would imagine the Police would have a good laugh behind your back!

 

[St3v3]

Like the nc500 whiners ...it wouldn't matter if you were in every business in the village and spent a few hundred pounds .

Businesses are acutely aware of sales and profits. It doesn't take a genius to connect an influx of spendy vans to an increase in profits.

Or visa-versa.

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[Oldrat]

In response to your “Rubbish” comment St3v3

Anyone can complain about not being able to use a part of the road that someone has parked on.

That all the offence of wilful obstruction requires.

S137 Highways Act 1980 Wilful obstruction.​

(1)If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway he is guilty of an offence

As a traffic cop I issued hundreds of tickets in exactly that scenario described.

I’ll repeat, no-one has a legal right to park on a highway, (marked bays etc are different)

We explained that we would ticket both sides of the road and sometimes for quite a distance too.

“That's when some police work comes in to work out who parked first. Then follow it up with making sure the council yellows one side of the street.”

When called out at midnight for example. That’s no good to the poor blighters stuck in the chaos behind the obstruction

What planet do you live on! Yellow lines take months of consultation and planning!

 

[Steve and Denise]

In response to your “Rubbish” comment St3v3

Anyone can complain about not being able to use a part of the road that someone has parked on.

That all the offence of wilful obstruction requires.

S137 Highways Act 1980 Wilful obstruction.​

(1)If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway he is guilty of an offence

As a traffic cop I issued hundreds of tickets in exactly that scenario described.

I’ll repeat, no-one has a legal right to park on a highway, (marked bays etc are different)



“That's when some police work comes in to work out who parked first. Then follow it up with making sure the council yellows one side of the street.”

When called out at midnight for example. That’s no good to the poor blighters stuck in the chaos behind the obstruction

What planet do you live on! Yellow lines take months of consultation and planning!

Well that’s a fair enough answer from someone who would know the law

 

[St3v3]

Because I pay a lot of money to live in a nice place simples

That's potentially a bit short sighted and definitely a bit snobbish lol. Often the only reason a place is nice is because of the visitors. I.e. the people that come to the nice (expensive) place and pay inflated prices for EVERYTHING. Including campsites

 

[Northernraider]

In response to your “Rubbish” comment St3v3

Anyone can complain about not being able to use a part of the road that someone has parked on.

That all the offence of wilful obstruction requires.

S137 Highways Act 1980 Wilful obstruction.​

(1)If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway he is guilty of an offence

As a traffic cop I issued hundreds of tickets in exactly that scenario described.

I’ll repeat, no-one has a legal right to park on a highway, (marked bays etc are different)

Why doesn't that surprise me.

But from my own experience.

Last year I got tired of an asshole that repeatedly parked across the driveway of my mums house despite double yellows outside , I'd asked him several times not to do it and got nothing but abuse from him. And I'd reported it to local police and got told that by the time they sent someone out the car would likely be gone. So by luck I found where he lived and one Sunday night I left my car parked across his driveway and walked home.

Next morning by 12 noon I'd had several calls from the local constabulary which I didn't answer , 3 voucemails left saying the home owner needed to drive urgently to York to visit a sick relative .. ( he didn't get just wanted his morning newspaper that he abandoned his car across our drive daily to fetch ) I continued to ignore the calls , I counted around 14 in total. Around 4pm the doorbell went and 2 cops standing there. Asked if I owned the car , I said yes , asked if I could kindly move it as blocking a driveway , I asked if there were any road markings or signs , they said no , I then showed them the double yellow lines outside our driveway and told them about asshole parking there daily for over a year refusing to move etc . So they agreed to have a word in his ear. They drove to his house , I walked slowly refusing a lift from them, when I got there asshole started to mouth off before I silenced him by reminding him I was the person who he'd told to feck off several times ..

The 2 cops had a word and his face was a picture , but he never parked over my drive again.

Cops told me there was absolutely no legal requirement for me to.move my car it would simply make their life's easier and I'd made my point.

Personally I think he should have been charged with wasting police time . And they should have been doing something more important.

But I did their job for them



There may not be a right to park on a highway but its also not illegal to do so.

Has you given me a ticket I'd have had my day in court where I refused to pay it.

Usual lazy policing we've all become used to

 

[Steve and Denise]

That's potentially a bit short sighted and definitely a bit snobbish lol. Often the only reason a place is nice is because of the visitors. I.e. the people that come to the nice (expensive) place and pay inflated prices for EVERYTHING. Including campsites

Not really true in our case the road outside our house is definitely not suitable for long term parking due to width but there is a dedicated parking bay a couple of hundred yards along the road and that would be no issue at all, but the other problem I can foresee would be toilet waste? Not to bothered about grey as that could go into the road drains.
As for expensive I have put our village pub down as a stopover £10 a night refundable from your bar bill, so not bad.
Yes we do have a £35 a night camp site in the village that is exceptionally nice and gets well used but horses for course's
I would prefer the pub

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[Beltie]

And you would probably be in a cell overnight. At least it would be a cheap night!

 

[St3v3]

.... wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway he is guilty of an offence

How is free passage defined?

As a traffic cop I issued hundreds of tickets in exactly that scenario described.

What percentage of the people who didn't just take it on the chin had your tickets cancelled?

I’ll repeat, no-one has a legal right to park on a highway, (marked bays etc are different)

The highway code has a lot of (quite correct and reasonable) reasons why you can't park on the highway, but it doesn't say you can NEVER park on the highway.

“That's when some police work comes in to work out who parked first. Then follow it up with making sure the council yellows one side of the street.”

When called out at midnight for example. That’s no good to the poor blighters stuck in the chaos behind the obstruction

It's got to be quite easy to spot the idiot in these situations. Get them towed. After the investigation only one side if the road has committed an offence.

And just how busy is this road at midnight?

What planet do you live on! Yellow lines take months of consultation and planning!

Sure. Months not decades

 

[Oldrat]

Why doesn't that surprise me.

But from my own experience.

Last year I got tired of an asshole that repeatedly parked across the driveway of my mums house despite double yellows outside , I'd asked him several times not to do it and got nothing but abuse from him. And I'd reported it to local police and got told that by the time they sent someone out the car would likely be gone. So by luck I found where he lived and one Sunday night I left my car parked across his driveway and walked home.

Next morning by 12 noon I'd had several calls from the local constabulary which I didn't answer , 3 voucemails left saying the home owner needed to drive urgently to York to visit a sick relative .. ( he didn't get just wanted his morning newspaper that he abandoned his car across our drive daily to fetch ) I continued to ignore the calls , I counted around 14 in total. Around 4pm the doorbell went and 2 cops standing there. Asked if I owned the car , I said yes , asked if I could kindly move it as blocking a driveway , I asked if there were any road markings or signs , they said no , I then showed them the double yellow lines outside our driveway and told them about asshole parking there daily for over a year refusing to move etc . So they agreed to have a word in his ear. They drove to his house , I walked slowly refusing a lift from them, when I got there asshole started to mouth off before I silenced him by reminding him I was the person who he'd told to feck off several times ..

The 2 cops had a word and his face was a picture , but he never parked over my drive again.

Cops told me there was absolutely no legal requirement for me to.move my car it would simply make their life's easier and I'd made my point.

Personally I think he should have been charged with wasting police time . And they should have been doing something more important.

But I did their job for them



There may not be a right to park on a highway but its also not illegal to do so.

Has you given me a ticket I'd have had my day in court where I refused to pay it.

Usual lazy policing we've all become used to

I rather take umbrage at the lazy comment.
Let me explain, on arrival at an obstruction, mentioning out loud that many vehicles would be ticketed/removed, normally got things moving quickly resulting in fewer Fixed Penalty Notices. Besides, the ‘offender’ would argue ‘what about all the others’ . So far from being lady, it was both effective and expedient.

Hope that helps.


But on a point of legal technicality, case stated suggests that blocking someone’s driveway is only obstruction if the obstructed is a toad (edit -road) user, which someone, sat on their driveway unable to drive off, isn’t.

Don't ask me, I didn’t write the law, and personally I think it’s daft and worth pursuing. But hey ho, I’m retired now.

 

[Northernraider]

And you would probably be in a cell overnight. At least it would be a cheap night!

Wouldn't be the first time I've refused a fine.

Never spent a night in a cell though either.

Unless I was the only vehicle parked in the street and there were signs prohibiting parking then the fine is not justified.

I think more people need to actually challenge police because they really do hope you're just going to accept their word half the time. And if in doubt record them.

 

[St3v3]

Not really true in our case the road outside our house is definitely not suitable for long term parking due to width

I'm not sure space and time are related in that way lol.

but there is a dedicated parking bay a couple of hundred yards along the road and that would be no issue at all,

That sounds like that should definitely be the priority, but if its full

but the other problem I can foresee would be toilet waste?

Come on, we can all do multiple days. Especially if mostly spending time in pubs

Not to bothered about grey as that could go into the road drains.

I wouldn't be keen on that but again we should be able to hold days, not just a night.

As for expensive I have put our village pub down as a stopover £10 a night refundable from your bar bill, so not bad.

That is perfect - it's what ALL pubs should do.

Yes we do have a £35 a night camp site in the village that is exceptionally nice and gets well used but horses for course's
I would prefer the pub

If that's walking distance (with a wheelchair) then we would use it. You must understand that it's quite unusual for a campsite to be near the 'stuff' though? Visitors to your place are lucky

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[Northernraider]

I rather take umbrage at the lazy comment.
Let me explain, on arrival at an obstruction, mentioning out loud that many vehicles would be ticketed/removed, normally got things moving quickly resulting in fewer Fixed Penalty Notices. Besides, the ‘offender’ would argue ‘what about all the others’ . So far from being lady, it was both effective and expedient.

Hope that helps.


But on a point of legal technicality, case stated suggests that blocking someone’s driveway is only obstruction if the obstructed is a toad user, which someone, sat on their driveway unable to drive off, isn’t.

Don't ask me, I didn’t write the law, and personally I think it’s daft and worth pursuing. But hey ho, I’m retired now.

You seem to have pulled obstructions from nowhere. No one is talking about obstruction. You claimed every vehicle parked on a road was causing an obstruction and you were told by someone else that was complete rubbish.

If you can't prove the obstruction you've absolutely no grounds to issue a fine.


P.s the lazy policing comment was a generalisation of police UK wide. It has been shown time and time again they will mostly take the path of least resistance. In many recent polls the majority are dissatisfied by police results in the UK. They rely on the public to solve most crime and are rarely never around when needed.

 

[Oldrat]

How is free passage defined?



What percentage of the people who didn't just take it on the chin had your tickets cancelled?



The highway code has a lot of (quite correct and reasonable) reasons why you can't park on the highway, but it doesn't say you can NEVER park on the highway.



It's got to be quite easy to spot the idiot in these situations. Get them towed. After the investigation only one side if the road has committed an offence.

And just how busy is this road at midnight?



Sure. Months not decades

Too late to fully respond tonight, but after 15 yrs in traffic police in London and a total of 46 years in that environment I knew what I was doing, so hardly any declined tickets ever, and you sir, are just fishing.

Hope that helps

 

[Stoosal]

In response to your “Rubbish” comment St3v3

Anyone can complain about not being able to use a part of the road that someone has parked on.

That all the offence of wilful obstruction requires.

S137 Highways Act 1980 Wilful obstruction.​

(1)If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway he is guilty of an offence

As a traffic cop I issued hundreds of tickets in exactly that scenario described.

I’ll repeat, no-one has a legal right to park on a highway, (marked bays etc are different)



“That's when some police work comes in to work out who parked first. Then follow it up with making sure the council yellows one side of the street.”

When called out at midnight for example. That’s no good to the poor blighters stuck in the chaos behind the obstruction

What planet do you live on! Yellow lines take months of consultation and planning!

Surely the charge of obstruction is only valid if you physically cannot pass the vehicle/obstruction. If a vehicle is parked and you can pass it, it cannot by the definition be obstruction.

 

[Oldrat]

You seem to have pulled obstructions from nowhere. No one is talking about obstruction. You claimed every vehicle parked on a road was causing an obstruction and you were told by someone else that was complete rubbish.

If you can't prove the obstruction you've absolutely no grounds to issue a fine.

I was only referring to obstructions, and the ease in which any vehicle parked on a road can be cited for obstruction when it might have been parked in a usual fashion, ie say a rather a large lorry cant get through when cars could.

All the evidence needed is that traffic had to deviate and slow down.

But i’s far easier to warn than to write

 

[Oldrat]

Surely the charge of obstruction is only valid if you physically cannot pass the vehicle/obstruction. If a vehicle is parked and you can pass it, it cannot by the definition be obstruction.

Deviate and slow
Thats all thats needed

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[St3v3]

traffic police in London

OK, I'll give you that "that there London Town" is very different

 

[Stoosal]

Deviate and slow
Thats all thats needed

Not in all the stated cases relative to obstruction. Obstruction means cannot pass. A car slowing down is not being obstructed. I can’t think any court would prove a case of obstruction by a vehicle or pedestrian being required to slow down!

 

[St3v3]

Not in all the stated cases relative to obstruction. Obstruction means cannot pass. A car slowing down is not being obstructed. I can’t think any court would prove a case of obstruction by a vehicle or pedestrian being required to slow down!

Yea, you'd have to deviate and slow for a cyclist. But he's never getting a ticket lol.

 

[L' Hobo]

Sadly there are some people who can be hated and many who can't.



Well, if I'm stuck on a campsite then no, I won't be spending because I'm, well, stuck....

If we're walking distance to town we will be drinking/eating/shopping (and I don't mean supermarket) in the town. A lot.



Why?



We can't eat/drink/shop all day and then drive to the middle-of-feckin-nowhere campsite.



We're the same.



Same, the lidl shop will just be a fry up kit and random crap from the middle isle. And that's only if our favourite pub from last night doesn't cook breakfast....



ALL of the HGVs can't be parked on our roads overnight. The ones that have to because of driver hours have to. Not rocket science.



Rubbish.



That's when some police work comes in to work out who parked first. Then follow it up with making sure the council yellows one side of the street.


I'm quite sure you have no right to view or light....



If we've been looked after we always tip.



If you're not 'holiday' spending then at least buy your day to day shopping in the same place as you park. That "costs" you nothing.

But we can't have the option BOTH ways,

IF a vehicle is taxed and insured (as all legitimate HGV's are) are allowed to park on the street as stated by Tam and others, why do you say " ALL HGV's can't be parked on the street overnight"?

 

[L' Hobo]

I don't shop day to day , I tend to shop once a week . I may on occasion nip in to a bakers etc but I don't go near or in shops daily.

And I haven't at any point of my life whether in a house or a camper.

Why people think this makes any difference to people who think motorhomes are freeloaders if not on a site are strange beings.


Like the nc500 whiners ...it wouldn't matter if you were in every business in the village and spent a few hundred pounds . Unless they followed you and witnessed it they'd know no different. The only person you're comforting is yourself.

There are just sadly a lot of anti motorhome whiners out there and pandering to them will never help the situation.

Aggravating them will never help either!

Let's ALL try to find a compromise that benefits both parties?

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