Monty Parking Problems

In East Germany, people feared the Stasi: Europe's best secret police, where about one adult in six was reporting on the others. Nowadays, people think the future lies in instrumented cars, datacentres and the like. We say no, back to the old ways! All it takes is for people to get out there and report on each other! If you don't see anyone else, report yourself!

Showing that people beat technology, some (sadly low quality) footage hits our inbox of the ubiquitous YA55VDY van, here in Montpelier.

This is the first time the driver has ever made the screen, normally because they manage to get their dairy delivery van close enough to the destination that they can slide back the door and unload. But here, in Montpelier, they are forced to get out and walk across the road. They are at least wearing a hi-viz top, as crossing roads is dangerous. We would rather swerve across the road and park on the pavement than do it ourselves.

The fact that the van has now been forced to park on the wrong side of the road, increasing danger to the driver and slowing their delivery schedule down shows how Montpelier's anti-car policy is increasing business costs in the city, just as Noel Edmonds complains. If the pedestrian people hadn't had the bollard put back in at the turning, and added that bike parking outside the Thali Cafe, there would be more parking for important deliveries -and the driver would not be forced to risk their life by crossing this busy road -where they could easily be hit by passing bicycles.