It was open season on parking wardens last week when John Dybvig described an incident outside St Heliers School.
Evidently his "rear bumper was a bit over the far edge of the driveway, but it wasn't actually over the driveway, the driveway entrance was perfectly clear" - which,
of course, is a roundabout way of admitting the car was improperly parked. The author's main gripe was that the traffic warden was being sneaky by ignoring him (and lulling him into a false sense of security) until "10 to three when the school safety rules come into play".
Dybvig concluded that it "wasn't cricket and that ... is why we hate traffic wardens".
Well, I can't say that I hate them. In fact, I don't think they deserve the abuse they often suffer from members of the public. But traffic wardens aren't the only misunderstood service provider: dentists, journalists, lawyers, real estate sales people and used car sales people also experience more than their fair share of hostility.
Parking/traffic wardens: When I get a parking ticket I take full responsibility. It is my fault I stayed too long or paid too little; it's not that of the warden who is only doing his or her job. I'm usually online trying to pay the fine before it's even been entered into the system. Because of the bad PR they get I try to smile at traffic wardens in the street but I've yet to make eye contact with one. They seem to go about their duties with eyes fixed to the pavement. If I have a gripe, it's about the chalking of tyres. I kind of think they should have a system that doesn't involve marking parked vehicles. On the plus side, of course, this chalk is easy to erase. I used to belong to a tennis club where the members were expert on removing chalk evidence from tyres almost as soon as it appeared.
