Airside daylight robbery

Hellrazer

Lidl /Aldi cordless angle grinder kept in the boot fully charged - Just dont cut off a county council clamp or a clamp of an operator assigned by a county council.

All other agencies / private operators are fair game though in my opinion. You can be charged with criminal damage to the clamp so either bring it with you and dispose of it or bring it with you, replace the chain and then return it to the operator fully working.

Where I work theres one clamping lad that decided to clamp 10 of our customers and staff cars about a year ago - we had an agreement with them as our boss owned the car park and it was rented out to another company - this lad was a new employee and wasnt fully aware of the agreement we had.

Anyway we cut them off with the angle grinder and threw them into out metal waste bin. He comes back and asks for the clamps back which we did after explaining we had an agreement - he goes out and clamps the same cars again with the clamps we gave back to him - we cut them off again. He comes in and asks for the clamps back - this time not a hope and we denied even having them this time.

At one stage we had 40 in the skip.

He took pictures of all the cars, I think he even had a picture of us removing them. Nothing done about it. Threatens us with Garda etc and says he`ll keep coming back and clamping the cars - My exact words were - "youll run out of clamps before I run out of angle grinder discs" - havent seen him since and the local garda said they dont get involved in private clamping company disputes unless there is a complaint of criminal damage to the clamp .

BTW Its the same company that clamps at the airport mcdonalds as far as I know and Id have no hesitation cutting one of them off either. Same in Airside - they have no real recourse if you cut one off as long as you dont damage the clamp or are found to have stolen it.

Even Micks garage have a blog about cutting clamps off.

The practice has even been outlawed in the UK now and they were worse than here for shady operators and its time it was outlawed here aswell.

Muahahaha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119165073#Comment_119165073

Id say its not that bizarre, clamping companies are naturally profit seeking and the clampers themselves are on bonus payments by how many cars they clamp. Showing up to somewhere like Airside at 6.10pm when all the shops shutters are down and finding cars to clamp would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Id say every day at 6pm there are at least five or six people who make the same mistake the OP did so at 125 a clamp its an easy 625 or 750 quid every evening after 6pm. As money goes thats probably as easy as it gets for them, its certainly a lot easier than cruising apartment car parks at 3 in the morning looking for a needle in a haystack so they can clamp it.

kennethsmyth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119159764#Comment_119159764

Nope, I may have embellished a little but you if you can remove the clamp without damaging it the matter is civil only and they must go to court to obtain the cost of clamping or their amount they say is due.

kennethsmyth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119159862#Comment_119159862

Nope never went that far, keep stretching what I said to the point that you circle back. When all you have is to try and discredit the person instead of the sentence you have lost. At least aim at what was said not the person.

JayRoc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119168971#Comment_119168971

I was referring to the earlier part of your post (the bit about telling the clampers they have "interfered with" your car and wanting to charge them for clamp storage)... freeman type daftness.

Spook_ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119167502#Comment_119167502

Not regarding the parking you described where you had some kind of permission but regarding the OP, unauthorised removal of a clamp is likely to next time, see the vehicle relocated to another location as per NTA regulations, good luck getting the car from Gannons or similar without paying.

Hellrazer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119176875#Comment_119176875

So what you are implying is that the next time you are parked in the wrong (could be in any car park in the country operated by the same company) - rather than get clamped as per the NTA rules your car could be relocated without being clamped first because there was "supposedly" a clamp removed from your vehicle previously. They would have to have a lot of proof that you removed it. And I highly doubt that would stand up in court - the NTA rules dont allow for that procedure anywhere in their guidelines.

With regards to our situation the operator did say he was relocating the vehicles if he saw them there again. I pointed out that he would have to clamp them first and then wait the required period of non payment before he could relocate them. Nothing ever happened because he knew "someone" would just remove them again.

The rules regarding relocation state that relocation can only take place if the vehicle is either causing an obstruction to traffic or property or the release fee hasnt been paid within the time period set out by the operator.

Theres nothing to suggest that it can be relocated without clamping unless it is causing an obstruction - that would be classed as a retaliatory action and Im sure any company using this tactic would find themselves in trouble with the licencing authority if it could be proven to have happened. Id like to see that one tested in court.

Spook_ie

I'm implying nothing that you can't read for yourself in the link to the SI that regulates clamping and clamping companies.

Trawler1954

I think you should stop at the entrance

Cause absolute mayhem at the entrances while you read the signs

Maybe wait for about 5 minuntes

Until complete chaos reigns and hope someone calls the Gardai to have you removed cause you are causing a delay

or really protecting your backside cause you are parking there

Spook_ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119177303#Comment_119177303

Think you must have missed this then

(b) Where a vehicle is wrongfully parked in a non-statutory clamping place due to a breach or breaches of the terms and conditions or restrictions or prohibitions applicable to parking in the non-statutory clamping place concerned, other than such terms, conditions, restrictions or prohibitions falling within paragraph (a):

(i) a clamp may be fixed to the vehicle,

(ii) the vehicle may be relocated, or

(iii) both, as the case may be

AND

(e)(i) Where a vehicle is wrongfully parked or unlawfully parked in a clamping place solely due to a failure by the owner or person in charge of the vehicle to pay the relevant parking fee, such vehicle may not be relocated from the place where it is parked until the expiry of twenty four (24) hours from the time the wrongful or unlawful parking was detected, except where:

(A) within the previous twelve months, the vehicle had been clamped and that clamp was removed without authorisation; or

(B) a member of An Garda Síochána has requested a parking controller to relocate the vehicle.

From https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2017/si/421/made/en/print#

Hellrazer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119181399#Comment_119181399

Spook thanks for that - I stand corrected.

"(A) within the previous twelve months, the vehicle had been clamped and that clamp was removed without authorisation;"

Im going to have to be more careful in my dealings with my problem now. Mind you it goes to show that the ones Im dealing with dont know the law either since they also believed I was correct in saying it had to be clamped first. Hopefully they dont read this thread!!! Its a bit of a **** law to be honest and Id probably still continue to cut these off especially as we are supposed to have an agreement with the owners of the property.

Zebra3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119153078#Comment_119153078

I’m confused. I’ve read the entire thread and can’t make out where this public car park is and what it has to do with the thread.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119192691#Comment_119192691

Airside Shopping Centre according to the OP.

It's a carpark on private land to which the public have access.

odyssey06

Where was the OP supposed to park if they were going to somewhere in Airside other than the shops after 6pm?

Seems like a racket and innocent mistake. The shops in Airside have suffered zero loss as a result of the OP's actions and there's been some godawful strawman arguments put forward which seem based on nothing more than schadenfruede.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119193042#Comment_119193042

Yes it's a kind of flytrap.

Cars need to be parked in order to be a useful means of transport.

You have a big car park open to the public and might innocently think it's ok to park there.

The problem is that the law is on the side of the car park owners.

If you enter a car park that has signs, read them.

Spook_ie

Why would you need to park there if the shops are closed? Quick getaway after a bit of larceny perhaps.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119196608#Comment_119196608

There are businesses on the other side of the car park which open later hours than the main shops but they do not have access to the car park for their customers. However, as the car park is physically accessible and very close to those businesses, it's easy for the uninitiated customers to assume that the car park is there for all customers in the area. Hence the reason why many believe that the clamping is purely a money making racket. If the car park owners really didn't want parking there, they could simply install a barrier.

Zebra3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119198634#Comment_119198634

Why should they go to the expense and bother of a barrier?

Typical of the leach like attitude of motorists. Always expecting free storage space. Legally or illegally.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119198664#Comment_119198664

To prevent customers of other businesses in the vicinity from parking in their car park. Would you leave your front door wide open and employ staff to prevent people from entering your house or would you simply lock your front door and dispense with the additional staff? Would you remove the doors on you car and employ people to prevent access to it? A barrier is hardly an 'expense' or 'bother'! We're not talking about 'leeching' for free storage space but motorists who are customers of businesses in the vicinity of this very large car park.

Zebra3

False comparison.

And a barrier is both an expense and a bother. It costs time and money. They have a system that works for them, the only people with a problem are the freeloaders.

paul321123

Have seen this a few times out there while waiting in the car for the other half, looks like they wait in there car and watch were people go after they parked, if they are not going to the shops they will be tickeded, be warned, this is the way they do it out there, a bit sneaky but there are signs all over the place.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119199455#Comment_119199455

A couple of posts anchored to the ground and a metal crossbar and padlock is hardly much of an expense and it's a one off expense. Most supermarket car parks have them. There's too much money to be made from clamping instead.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119202125#Comment_119202125

Not that I have any time for the clampers but there may be reasons why a locked barrier would not suit all tenants on the complex.

For instance after hours access may be necessary for deliveries, for cleaners and maintenance, for keyholders in the event of alarm going off etc.

Also maybe all shops don't close at the same time and opening hours may vary ie. late opening at Christmas.

Then there is the question of access for emergency services, AGS, fire brigade, ambulance.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119202429#Comment_119202429

Some valid points alright - there's a separate entrance for deliveries so I'm assuming key holders can also access their premises via that entrance.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119199455#Comment_119199455

clampers are also an ‘ ongoing ‘ expense and a bother.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119202631#Comment_119202631

I didn't think of the delivery entrance but I suppose that would probably have to be controlled with a barrier as well if they put one at the main entrance.

Is there much anti social carry on there after hours?

Wishbone Ash

For anyone not familiar with the car park in question, here's a satellite image of it. The car park is for customers of the businesses on the upper side. The customers of the businesses on the lower side (across the L2305) are not permitted to use it.

Zebra3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119202125#Comment_119202125

Well, organise a whip round.

oceanman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119202442#Comment_119202442

same here..never been clamper but always carry the gear in the boot.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119202841#Comment_119202841

Not long enough.

Between the extra weight you would be carrying around for a lifetimes driving and the charging up and replacing the grinders when the batteries can't be revived it would probably be cheaper to pay the release fee.

markpb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119202816#Comment_119202816

Maybe you’ve never been clamped because you know how to park?