Parking in Greystones

mail4liam

I wouldn't have believed it only I saw it myself last Tuesday 25th February About 10;45 am.

There was a Window Cleaning crew working on the Library in the Town area of Greystones, Their van was laden with ladders & other equipment for their work! the Library opens it's doors at 10 am.

It was now going on for 10;40 & I was having a coffee in the diner next door to the Library, it was a cold & windy day & raining, there was only the cleaners van in the loading bay & there was plenty of parking within the area!

The boss as it seemed from the Window Cleaners approached the Traffic Warden and asked her why she had put a ticket on his van. She replied you are over your time, you are only allowed 30 minutes in the loading bay, I observed your van there 36 minutes ago, so you have over stayed your time.

The guy in question was polite to the warden & explained, we need access to the van, we have heavy ladders to carry in & out of the Library. She kept telling him that he was parked over his time! He went on to explain there was a collogue of his working only 10 feet away from where she had booked the van? Could you not have called him & gave him a polite reminder to move the van, she replied she had no authority to enter a public area looking for people! In the end the guy was wasting his time trying to reason with this Zombie ticket writer!

I would have assumed that the Warden would have used some common sense & at least tipped off the window cleaner working out side, all he would have had to do was drive away & come back in five minutes & have another 30 minutes free parking! God help the Traders in Greystones with a Traffic Warden like that maning the town!

happyhappy

I saw the same thing happen a few weeks ago to a guy who was changing the advertising hoarding that is at the side of the Watson centre.

Again there was loads of parking and he pulled in for literally 5 mins.

What got me though was that the parking warden didn't approach him and tell him to move the van, she hid behind it, out if view and started issuing a ticket. (Again I wouldn't believe if someone told me, but I saw it myself)

I copped what was going on and told my new friend who was up his ladder, which he came down like Michael Flatley and went over to her.

I kept walking but it looked like it was ticket time for him too.

What gets me is that it was obvious he was only going to be 5 mins and he was doing his job up a ladder! Why not apply a bit of common sense!!

Banta

I would have assumed that the Warden would have used some common sense

Why not apply a bit of common sense!!

How many traffic warden stories are told with those sentiments. I gave up a long time ago.

legrand

ah those errant hobbits again

sysconp1

I will start by saying that I am in no way biased for the Wardens...

But there is an awful lot of poor parking in Greystones. People seem to believe it is their right to dump their cars wherever they feel and be damned to anyone else driving in the area. The biggest offenders are those going into Insomnia. Perhaps if some of the ignorant drivers started sorting out their driving/parking then there wouldn't be a necessity to chase down the innocent with a warden!

I am also very sure, based on the expense of the cars I have seen abandoned, that these folks could easily afford the 1 euro it would cost to park in the Meridian for 10 mins.

conlof

Illegally parked=ticket.
I have got 3 tickets in greystones over the years. Each time I was illegally parked just like the previous examples. Traffic warden is a ****e, thankless job but they only issue tickets to illegally parked cars.
No surprise that it was tradesmen/deliverymen either.

cuddlycavies

I can't state as a fact but it would appear that they are paid extra for the amount of tickets that they write. they hide in the peoples park sometimes watching people going into vincents and the dry cleaners. For them it appears to be about catching people out when they make a mistake. And that's not what it should be about!

Plastik

People that double park are usually very aware that they're double parked. They just don't care.

sysconp1

Maybe these folks feel it is below them to find a suitable legal parking spot and it is their civic duty to contribute their additional funds to parking tickets. Fair play to them, Wicklow council love them!!

conlof

I hate this excuse of 'and I was only popping in to ....... and i was delayed because (insert nonsense) and the awful traffic warden had put a ticket on my (illegally parked) car. How unfair!'
I did get a ticket once when I decided to risk it and was delayed. Fair cop, paid my ticket and will probably take the odd risk but I won't moan about it.
Btw the van in the loading bay was likely there for the duration.

conlof

cuddlycavies wrote: »

I can't state as a fact

Why am I reading this?

LorMal

conlof wrote: »

I hate this excuse of 'and I was only popping in to ....... and i was delayed because (insert nonsense) and the awful traffic warden had put a ticket on my (illegally parked) car. How unfair!'
I did get a ticket once when I decided to risk it and was delayed. Fair cop, paid my ticket and will probably take the odd risk but I won't moan about it.
Btw the van in the loading bay was likely there for the duration.

I strongly disagree. We are such a sheepish, compliant society. Greystones was better before this shower were given the freedom to prey on people. Its absolutely outragious.
An example - I was fined last year - 80 euro - because my parking ticket flipped over in the wind as I was closing my car door and I did not see that it had overturned on the dashboard. I appealed to the warden - who could not have been ruder.
I appealed to the company - I even sent them the ticket showing them that I had fully paid at the time they ticketed me. No joy.
This is a farce. And, accordingly, we are supposed to passively take it on the chin and blame ourselves if we get fined 80 euro for a minor infringement!! Rubbish.

Alun

I remember trying to navigate down Church Road before the parking restrictions came in, dodging all the badly parked cars "just popping in" to wherever for "a couple of minutes", and it's not a situation I'd like to see return. Much better the way it is IMO.

cocker5

I got fined for parking in a loading bay on a saturday afternoon (was there 15 mins) , paid for a ticket and everything etc but it was a loading bay so therefore a park free zone (i know this now), got an €80 fine Warden was dog ignorant.

I appealled to the company, emailed them over my actual ticket, explained I had made a mistake etc they were grand about it, over turned it on that occasion but they did warn me it would be a once off.

Now i just park way up in the Burnaby, or pay in Meridan (prices are very reasonable) etc - not worth the hassle.

Guess I was lucky

shar01

LorMal wrote: »

- because my parking ticket flipped over in the wind as I was closing my car door and I did not see that it had overturned on the dashboard.

And a quick turn of the head to ascertain that your ticket was properly displayed would've saved you €80.

I hate paying for on street parking but I make sure to follow the rules as I rather put €3 in a meter than €80...

LorMal

shar01 wrote: »

And a quick turn of the head to ascertain that your ticket was properly displayed would've saved you €80.

I hate paying for on street parking but I make sure to follow the rules as I rather put €3 in a meter than €80...

A quick turn of the head??? 'To ensure your ticket was properly displayed'?
Give me a break Gruppenfuhrer.

LorMal

Alun wrote: »

I remember trying to navigate down Church Road before the parking restrictions came in, dodging all the badly parked cars "just popping in" to wherever for "a couple of minutes", and it's not a situation I'd like to see return. Much better the way it is IMO.

A few really unfair fines might change your mind -I have met many Greystoners who have been genuinely shocked by the attitude and tactics of these vultures (not casual law breakers but honest nice people)

Alun

No it wouldn't because I never park illegally and therefore have never had a parking fine in over 40 years of driving. It's quite easy really.

stanley1980

I'm not suggesting this is exclusive to Greystones but the sight of lazy, thoughtless, slobs parking in wheelchair spaces outside Superquinn makes my blood boil....

cuddlycavies

stanley1980 wrote: »

I'm not suggesting this is exclusive to Greystones but the sight of lazy, thoughtless, slobs parking in wheelchair spaces outside Superquinn makes my blood boil....

yep it's a fave of mine too

Maudi

Those parking vultures that work the greystones streets are the reason more and more shops are closing down..pre parking .I could have been up to the village personally ..praps six times during the day..and spending around 6/8 euros per trip..48 quid x 2 or 3 days a week..now I put 20cent in the meter x 3 times a week and do my business really quick..without spending at all..shops lose out ..opoca wins..loads of my friends wouldnt bother to park in greystones either except for the odd 20 cent.

Jimjay

Maudi wrote: »

Those parking vultures that work the greystones streets are the reason more and more shops are closing down..pre parking .I could have been up to the village personally ..praps six times during the day..and spending around 6/8 euros per trip..48 quid x 2 or 3 days a week..now I put 20cent in the meter x 3 times a week and do my business really quick..without spending at all..shops lose out ..opoca wins..loads of my friends wouldnt bother to park in greystones either except for the odd 20 cent.

What shops are you talking about? There is one empty shop on the main street and that closed down a couple of days ago and there are already people viewing it. There is a huge free car park in the town, free parking at the harbour and three additional free car parks at the weekend. Even if you don't mind paying the parking fee to get closer to the shop you want you are unlikely to find a space anyhow and if there were no parking fees at all you wouldn't get a space full stop as all the spaces would be taken by poeple who travelled to Dublin for the day on the train. So the shops are actually probably better off as you have slightly more chance of getting a space now it's pay parking.

cuddlycavies

It seems to be a pointless exercise arguing with the high and mighty who apparantly have never made a mistake or have and always got away with it!
the story as described is one of WRONG being done on working people because they made a mistake by staying in a loading zone for 5 minutes beyond the expiry time. The reason they were there would have been obvious and a polite request to move would have sufficed. Let me say again. The over zealous behaviour of the wardens in the village suggests that they are commissioned to write more tickets. Regarding shops closing down. Ask any of the shop owners what they think of the wardens and they will tell you. They are wrecking trade! Ticket people who leave there car and go on dart for the day? yes! Ordinary shoppers who go 5 minutes overtime? no! There is nothing sweet about what is going on here(to cop).

calfmuscle

This is how bad the ticket wardens are in Greystones!

A couple of years ago I was living on hillside road and left my car parked in Heatherview. There is a yellow line at the circular end of Heatherview just where you have the lane that leads to Hillside road. There used to be one parking spot or one area without the yellow line on this circle. I left my car there over night. I came back the following day to find they had PAINTED A YELLOW LINE beside my car and given me a ticket!!!

Maudi

Jimjay wrote: »

What shops are you talking about? There is one empty shop on the main street and that closed down a couple of days ago and there are already people viewing it. There is a huge free car park in the town, free parking at the harbour and three additional free car parks at the weekend. Even if you don't mind paying the parking fee to get closer to the shop you want you are unlikely to find a space anyhow and if there were no parking fees at all you wouldn't get a space full stop as all the spaces would be taken by poeple who travelled to Dublin for the day on the train. So the shops are actually probably better off as you have slightly more chance of getting a space now it's pay parking.

Free carpark at the park and ride is way too far away if one is carrying shopping /toddlers etc..especially this weather..same with harbour way too far away for me anyhoo..its a bit like woodies in bray for eg..I park there for free ..and pop in for a washer brouse around.i might end up buying a shiny new drill.plants.paint or whatever then praps pop into the other shops in the retail park and spend more airgead..I wouldnt bother going if I had to walk ten miles after parking. and if they charged for parking id be in and out with my washer..pronto...; )

LorMal

Maudi wrote: »

Free carpark at the park and ride is way too far away if one is carrying shopping /toddlers etc..especially this weather..same with harbour way too far away for me anyhoo..its a bit like woodies in bray for eg..I park there for free ..and pop in for a washer brouse around.i might end up buying a shiny new drill.plants.paint or whatever then praps pop into the other shops in the retail park and spend more airgead..I wouldnt bother going if I had to walk ten miles after parking. and if they charged for parking id be in and out with my washer..pronto...; )

I agree - should be called Park and Hike.

Why do some people love to get all uppitty about their petty and nasty rules and regulations? When I used to pick up my little kids from St Bridgets school, the wardens would be hovering and trying to ticket people while they were in their cars. They told me that I could not stop to collect my child (not park - just stop) - even when their was absolutely nowhere else to stop. What did they expect us to do? Get the 5 year olds to walk the 3 miles home?
I dont know if it was the Town Council or Wicklow Co Council who imposed Apoca on us - but this has definitely made Greystones a less inviting place. (I have been living here for 20 years and can remember when it was really charming).
I do not object to parking meters and restrictions per se - but this lot are obnoxious and definitely motivated to catch and fine as many people as possible. This was never in the spirit of the initiative - in fact we were promised the opposite.

mail4liam

cuddlycavies wrote: »

It seems to be a pointless exercise arguing with the high and mighty who apparantly have never made a mistake or have and always got away with it!
the story as described is one of WRONG being done on working people because they made a mistake by staying in a loading zone for 5 minutes beyond the expiry time. The reason they were there would have been obvious and a polite request to move would have sufficed. Let me say again. The over zealous behaviour of the wardens in the village suggests that they are commissioned to write more tickets. Regarding shops closing down. Ask any of the shop owners what they think of the wardens and they will tell you. They are wrecking trade! Ticket people who leave there car and go on dart for the day? yes! Ordinary shoppers who go 5 minutes overtime? no! There is nothing sweet about what is going on here(to cop).

Thanks to the above for pointing out that this was a trades person trying to earn a living, as I explained above I was having a coffee in the Cafe next door! This van was laden with ladders & the two workmen had to unload their equipment & of course re-load it when finished! It was also a bad morning as regards weather it was also wild & windy. All the warden had to do was ask the guy cleaning the windows to move the van & that was it with a 6 minute over stay! The van was in a legal parking bay & there was a notice in the windscreen warning these would be wardens that they were collecting ladders
What ever the cost of the job that day, there was another €40 added on for over parking for 6 minutes!

Annasopra

Maudi wrote: »

Those parking vultures that work the greystones streets are the reason more and more shops are closing down..

And yet strangely enough Greystones Town centre has almost the highest business occupancy in the Country.

Maudi

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

And yet strangely enough Greystones Town centre has almost the highest business occupancy in the Country.

Im not surprised..its a great town (except for the harbour) and some of the nicest friendliest community spirited people in the world.ive lived here a long time and grew up with the town..but feel the parking company apoca will ruin things in the long run..greystones needs of course parking restrictions for it to work but in a managed " grown up "way..not run by a profit before people company like apoca anyhoo put up a link there for your statement. .

Jimjay

Maudi wrote: »

Im not surprised..its a great town (except for the harbour) and some of the nicest friendliest community spirited people in the world.ive lived here a long time and grew up with the town..but feel the parking company apoca will ruin things in the long run..greystones needs of course parking restrictions for it to work but in a managed " grown up "way..not run by a profit before people company like apoca anyhoo put up a link there for your statement. .

Don't get me wrong I agree with you however even though there is pay parking it is still very hard to find a space near the shops and before the pay parking you could never find a space.

loyatemu

worth noting that the minimum payment for on-street parking (if you can find a space) is 20c, so you don't have to pay for a full hour if you're just nipping in for a coffee.

its a tricky problem - if you have any form of parking regulation (e.g. "max 2 hours" as Greystones used to have) then you have to pay people to enforce it or it gets ignored. Then you have to finance the enforcement so you need pay parking that at least covers the costs.

from the sounds of things the wardens could show a bit more discretion, but everyone who gets caught has some sort of excuse or sob-story so I can understand why they prefer to keep things black-and-white.