ABOLISH TRAFFIC WARDENS?

Who Needs It! Someone suggested that traffic wardens should have more powers, so as to be able to do some of the job that the police usually do. However, as an alternative, this is a proposal to get rid of traffic wardens altogether and instead provide more policemen and women. However, although this would be far more useful and agreeable to the public in everyway, it would completely expose the reason why we have so many traffic wardens in the first place, and the real motivation behind the idea to give them more powers.

Money, Money, Money! Of course, traffic wardens, or as the local authorities like to call them nowadays, parking or civil enforcement officers, make lots and lots of money for the local authorities at our expense. They are not a very welcome sight to most members of the public, as they sneak about, hiding in alleys and behind lampposts, waiting for the poor unsuspecting motorist, who is trying to find somewhere to park and having the same old problem. You wouldn't mind if the local authorities ever provided enough viable parking, but they don't. I wonder why?

Under Providing! Yes, in fact, the local authorities appear to be deliberately under providing on parking in certain places, painting more and more yellow lines, and knowing full well that they can capitalize on this with their army of wardens. As soon as you've gone into the shop, even for just a couple of minutes, like cat on a mouse, they pounce! Another nice little earner and easy money for them as they exploit the anomolies in our infrastructure, our population density and the problems the general public now have to face.

Local Authority Controlled! Who controls all of these factors? Funnily enough, its the very same local authority. Yes, they decide how many houses to build and how many people to cram into any one location. They decide the widths of the roads and pavements and whether we can park on the pavements. They decide how much parking we get and have to make do with. They decide where to paint the yellow lines and they decide the bylaws and regulations. They are at best inept and inconsiderate and at worst, wholly corrupt in their thinking.

Burden On Society! I have seen vehicles sensibly parked, half on the pavement and half on the road, so as not to cause an obstruction to either pedestrian or other road users, and a traffic warden will be driving along, spot the vehicle, stop, and issue it with a ticket. For what? Doing the sensible thing? What a burden on the normal members of society the traffic warden culture is. They are a menace and a complete nuisance to the majority of the general public trying to go about their business. Afterall, if a vehicle is REALLY causing an obstruction, the police should deal with it and it can go to the pound. However, most vehicles are not.

Wouldn't It Be Nice! Saving money on traffic wardens wages could finance more policemen, which would help to deter all sorts of 'real crime' and so truly benefit society. But of course, how would the local authorities manage without all of those crafty fines? But wouldn't it be nice to be able to go about our business without the threat of being targeted by the yellow peril!

Emphasis In The Wrong Places! It has recently been announced that the authorities are proposing to give traffic wardens even more powers. The nightmare gets worse! Let's get our emphasis in the right place and instead of persecuting the ordinary taxpaying people, just trying to go about their business in difficult circumstances, lets try dealing with some real crime. The unruly elements of our society who really do cause problems and spoil it for the rest of us. Oh, yes, and the traffic wardens too.

Sneaky Scam! In fact, the more you think about it, the more it becomes very clear that the local authorities run a deliberate and sneaky scam to under provide on parking facilities in certain places, knowing that people will innevitably be challenged and caught short. They then send in their army of traffic wardens to ticket the unfortunate people, so as to raise more revenue for themselves. Legalised and underhanded theft on a grand scale and like taking candy from a baby! Definitely taking the P.