Man cuts up car in clamp protest

Tinky · 12-05-2008, 10:54

That's torn it!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/g...re/7395452.stm

**Russ B** · 12-05-2008, 10:57

Quote:

And in cutting his car in two, he managed to put both himself at risk and also a number of bystanders - along with ourselves, the police had to be called and the fire brigade, as he set fire to the car while cutting it in two.

The Hitman · 12-05-2008, 11:38

I don't blame him. Stick it to the man.

Wicked_and_Crazy · 12-05-2008, 11:56

What was the point, he was going to scrap it anyway so why didnt he let them tow it away?

Nidge · 12-05-2008, 12:17

It wasn't taxed so it shouldn't have been half on the road. Quite a few years ago I'd put a new engine in my Toyota Celica, it had been off the road for 4 weeks, in this time the tax had expired. When I got the car out of the garage after the engine had been fitted I took it round the front of the house with all the good intentions of going down town to tax the car. Within 5 minutes a copper was knocking on my door asking me if the car was mine? I told him it was and that I'd had a engine fitted, I presented the receipts for the engine and told him that I was going into town to tax it. He said are you going to back date it? I said yes of course, the copper said OK I'll leave it with you.

2 Months later I got a summons from the court for having no Road Fund licence, I lost the case even though I took the receipt for the engine, the receipt for the Road Fund licence and proof that I'd back dated it. I got fined £80.00.

punky · 12-05-2008, 12:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wicked_and_Crazy

What was the point, he was going to scrap it anyway so why didnt he let them tow it away?

To generate media interest so he can intimidate NCP and gain some respect/sympathy. No doubt the media wouldn't be interested if it was just parked 1.5' or whatever on public property. NCP don't appear to be budging, and if the story pans out that his caught fire or was set on fire, he could end up looking like a complete pilchard.

Regardless of what's happened he still has to pay his fine. If he scraps it with the clamp on (or damages it) he can be done for criminal damage or theft.

TheDaddy · 12-05-2008, 12:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wicked_and_Crazy

What was the point, he was going to scrap it anyway so why didnt he let them tow it away?

A lot of small companies work under the umbrella of NCP, believe it or not they might not even have had a tow truck

---------- Post added at 12:35 ---------- Previous post was at 12:32 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gavin

To generate media interest so he can intimidate NCP and gain some respect/sympathy. No doubt the media wouldn't be interested if it was just parked 1.5' or whatever on public property. NCP don't appear to be budging, and if the story pans out that his caught fire or was set on fire, he could end up looking like a complete pilchard.

Regardless of what's happened he still has to pay his fine. If he scraps it with the clamp on (or damages it) he can be done for criminal damage or theft.

Now the police are involved I doubt they'll pursue it, they won't want their men down the station for hours or spending a day in court, time will tell though of course

**Russ B** · 12-05-2008, 12:36

As much as I like to see people get their own back on clampers, it appears this guy was completely in the wrong. If he did set fire to the vehicle then he's risking injury to other people.

mentalis · 12-05-2008, 12:44

I am not sure if the rules are the same now, but I watched a programme a few years ago saying it was perfectly legal to remove the wheel clamp.

This involved deflating the tire, undoing the wheel nuts and rolling the wheel out of the clamp. The main thing to watch was that you did not damage the clamp (otherwise you would be done for the criminal damage) and that you returned the clamp (otherwise you would be done for theft).

Not sure if anyone has ever done this, or whether the loophole has been closed.

punky · 12-05-2008, 13:00

I thought clamps covered the lugnuts so you can't undo the wheel? I'd guess if you deflate the tyre to empty you could roll most the car and wheel out of the clamp together, assuming the hub is small enough to fit through the braces.

However I'd think that if you managed to remove the car without damaging the clamp, that you'd still be liable for the fine. And if you left the clamp on the road and the clampers couldn't recover it because it was stolen by persons unknown, the clampers would hold you financially responsible.

bmxbandit · 12-05-2008, 13:04

Given that he was scrapping the car anyway, he could've just destroyed the axle, and handed the company the clamp back (with the wheel enclosed).

Pointless and inflammatory, but no doubt he'd find it amusing...

**Russ B** · 12-05-2008, 13:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gavin

I thought clamps covered the lugnuts so you can't undo the wheel? I'd guess if you deflate the tyre to empty you could roll most the car and wheel out of the clamp together, assuming the hub is small enough to fit through the braces.

The latest clamps prevent you from accessing the lugnuts and therefore stop you from taking it off. Up until these were introduced you could indeed get away with it as long as no damage occured and you didn't take the clamp with you (some people used to just leave them at the side of the road).

There are other methods to deal with over-zealous parking rules. When I lived in Oxford in 2001 I used to leave my car in a carpark where the rules were always changing without telling people so by way of a protest I used to park my car with the front right up against a wall, with the number plate literally touching it. I'd remove the rear plate and partially cover up the registration on my tax disk.

This meant they could not give me a ticket as they couldn't record my registration. I wouldn't encourage anyone to try this obviously however a few others copied me at the time and it spurred Oxford council to admit they'd messed with the rules and they sorted it all out a few weeks later.

SOSAGES · 12-05-2008, 13:44

it wasnt taxed but he did have some notice in it saying something...
perhaps i should of listened to the radio news and remember the details. Anyway it was worth 50 quid

kryogenik · 12-05-2008, 15:39

What a total nutcase. Cutting a car in half without draining the petrol lines at the very least. I'd be fuming if it was me sure, but cutting up a car on the street with a grinder? Hello??
He should be fined for endangering lives. He probably set fire to the carpet/seats or something. It could have been nasty if a spark had hit a severed petrol line.

The car had a SORN so should be completely OFF the road.

Quote:

only part of a rear wheel poking out on to the pavement.

Quote:

for the sake of an inch and a half on the path

Err.. how do you get only part of a rear wheel of a Fiesta out without getting some of the rear quarter, hatch & the bumper etc out? You don't. It wasn't off the road. I have to pay car tax or be fined when mine's on the road, why shouldn't everyone else? When I had a car SORN'd I put it away in a garage, not on a drive that was either not long enough or had another car on it so it couldn't be completely OFF the road in the NCP's eyes. Everyone knows how over-zealous parking goons are. You'd like to think the NCP guys might have knocked or left a note rather than clamping it for such a small amount, it'd have saved all this hassle and calling out services for a start.
Though one acted within the law, neither parties are commendable for their actions in my opinion.