Malicious Persection

At the end of Somerset Street, Kingsdown, a van with a police parking ticket. Why? Keep clear signs are just hints. It may be difficult to turn the corner, but you can go round the square if you have an issue with that. Someone is picking on vans.

A short distance away, on Montague Hill, another car has been ticketed. Yes, there is a sign saying that cars parked on the pavement will be ticketed, but it's never been done here before, according to our records. What has happened? Why has the local police started persecuting innocent motorists?

It could be Bristol is now officially anti-car, and it is a conspiracy from the council. But there is another possibility, one to strike fear into every law-abiding motorist who wants to exercise their right to park where they need to. Subversives are infiltrating the Police community groups. Last year: a righteous campaign to fine bicycles on the pavement. This year, at least in Kingsdown, the rules are suspiciously different:

1. Speeding vehicles - Dove Street.
2. Speeding vehicles - Cotham Road/Cotham Brow.
3. Environmental issues:
- Rubbish, various locations
- Dog fouling, especially King Square area.
- Discarded needles, especially King Square area.
4. Contravention of one-way systems:
- Nine Tree Hill.
- Nugent Hill.
- Marlborough Hill.

Crackdowns on vehicle speed and contraflowing. Anti-car priorities. Some drug problems. Nobody complaining about the quality of service in the Stokes Croft Massage Parlours .

Fortunately for loyal Evening Post supporters, Bishopston is still resisting this infiltration and retaining the priorities of the long war:

Agreed 5th February 2009
1. Match Day parking problems around the Memorial Stadium.
2. Inconsiderate cycling, Gloucester Road (A38) / Failing to stop at a red light, at junctions with Ashley Down Road and at junction with Sommerville Road / Pavement cycling / Cycling at night with no lights.

This is better. not just pavement and red-light cycling, but inconsiderate cycling. Presumably that means failing to get out of the way of cars, or refusing to stay in bus lanes, even when there are parked cars in the way.

People round the city need to keep an eye on their local PACT meetings and make sure no anti-car enforcement of petty rules gets encouraged. Push the real problems, like lack of parking, inconsiderate cycling and the lack of value for money we get in the city's massage parlours.

Rational Thinking

Here we see three vehicles, all of which made rational decisions, and by doing so created a traffic jam in Kingsdown. Their mistake: trying to get a vehicle onto Somerset Street.

The far vehicle is loading scaffolding; Somerset Street is to narrow for it to park, even if there was room. The other two vehicles wanted to get through. The UPS delivery van has recognised this isn't going to work, and instead stuck his hazards on and walked out to do the delivery. The Golf in the middle is now boxed in. They're going to try the "pavement gambit", but there's a big drop here and the pavement lined with metal: theres a serious risk of tyre damage. Which means they are stuck until the UPS van driver comes and both vehicles can reverse out.

The kingsdown residents association are strongly pro-CPZ, so that they and their visitors can park near their houses. Here's an alternative idea: make somerset street pedestrians, cycles and horses only. With the cobbles, its a lovely street, and if it was blocked off to non-motorised traffic, it would make it unique in the city.