Why clamped instead of getting a ticket?

balkanhawk

Hi all,
I was clamped today in the city. I left my car at 1400 and returned at 1430. I totally forgot to get a ticket so I know its my own fault. When I returned the car was clamped at 1407. My query is why didn't I get a ticket first and then a clamp later? 80 bills was steep for forgetting a 30 min ticket.

Losty Dublin

balkanhawk wrote: »

Hi all,
I was clamped today in the city. I left my car at 1400 and returned at 1430. I totally forgot to get a ticket so I know its my own fault. When I returned the car was clamped at 1407. My query is why didn't I get a ticket first and then a clamp later? 80 bills was steep for forgetting a 30 min ticket.

Because clampers clamp you and issue a ticket at the same time; that's how they work. And yes, I hate them too.

seamus

balkanhawk wrote: »

My query is why didn't I get a ticket first and then a clamp later? 80 bills was steep for forgetting a 30 min ticket.

€80 would be the standard fine, clamp or no clamp.

The rationale here is obvious. The clampers do not have access to the national database. If they were to ticket you and let you drive off, then they would have to go to the motor tax guys, ask for your details, go to the hassle of sending you out warning letter after warning letter, before finally taking you to court (assuming you let it get that far), wasting hours of time and money.

Instead you get clamped and you can't go anywhere until you pay the fine. No messing with cross-department data requests, no warning letters, no court appearances, the money is simply in the account, job done.

I've no qualms with it at all if it saves the state money.

ardmacha

Instead you get clamped and you can't go anywhere until you pay the fine. No messing with cross-department data requests, no warning letters, no court appearances, the money is simply in the account, job done.

I've no qualms with it at all if it saves the state money.

Clamping is a good example of a State that treats its citizens with contempt because it cannot gets its act together. A fine is a proper response to people evading small parking payments. By all means clamp people who have outstanding tickets and are taking the piss, but if a person has saved a Euro then a €50 fine is proportionate punishment and the procedures should be in place to ensure this. Saying that it saves the state money is not good enough, so would summary execution of criminals.

schemingbohemia

ardmacha wrote: »

Clamping is a good example of a State that treats its citizens with contempt because it cannot gets its act together. A fine is a proper response to people evading small parking payments. By all means clamp people who have outstanding tickets and are taking the piss, but if a person has saved a Euro then a €50 fine is proportionate punishment and the procedures should be in place to ensure this. Saying that it saves the state money is not good enough, so would summary execution of criminals.

Pure rubbish, given the lack of consistency in the vehicle and driver database and the lack of any proper penalties for not keeping it up to date it can't be relied upon for fines.
Also any foreign vehicles, especially Northern Irish ones would flout the parking laws even more if clamping was not in place, I'd rather towing took place particularly where muppets park in clearways/bus lanes, but the current crowd don't seem to like towing.

BrianD

ardmacha wrote: »

Clamping is a good example of a State that treats its citizens with contempt because it cannot gets its act together. A fine is a proper response to people evading small parking payments. By all means clamp people who have outstanding tickets and are taking the piss, but if a person has saved a Euro then a €50 fine is proportionate punishment and the procedures should be in place to ensure this. Saying that it saves the state money is not good enough, so would summary execution of criminals.

Opposed as I am to the methods and standards of both DSPS and DCC in operating clamping in Dublin, clamping does work and has been effective. Even if there was access to a driver database, clamping is an effective deterrent and the fine money is collected immediately.

However, normally there's 10 min grace allowed after your ticket expires. They most have been keen on the day or waiting for your ticket to expire. Where were you parked?

ardmacha

Pure rubbish, given the lack of consistency in the vehicle and driver database and the lack of any proper penalties for not keeping it up to date it can't be relied upon for fines.
Also any foreign vehicles, especially Northern Irish ones would flout the parking laws even more if clamping was not in place,

You chose not to read my post, as it didn't suit your agenda. I said that vehicles with outstanding tickets could be clamped. Consequently, the only revenue loss is for one ticket which is not huge.

Also any foreign vehicles, especially Northern Irish ones

Throw in a bit of prejudice when you are at it.

-Chris-

Bear in mind also that the OP had no ticket whatsoever, so rather than knowing when the ticket expired and allowing for a grace period, as far as the clampers knew, the OP had been parked there for hours.

Victor

BrianD wrote: »

However, normally there's 10 min grace allowed after your ticket expires. They most have been keen on the day or waiting for your ticket to expire. Where were you parked?

Not all grace periods are 10 minutes.

A car might get a zero grace period in a loading bay, whereas a taxi might get a few minutes int eh same place, if there was evidence of loading, e.g at a hotel.

Also, the OP might have been there at 1357, making it 10 minutes.

schemingbohemia

ardmacha wrote: »

You chose not to read my post, as it didn't suit your agenda. I said that vehicles with outstanding tickets could be clamped. Consequently, the only revenue loss is for one ticket which is not huge.



Throw in a bit of prejudice when you are at it.

Sorry it wasn't prejudice, it's a fact there are no real means of pursuing parking tickets for vehicles from outside the State so clamping is the best way of ensuring "fines" on vehicles from outside the State (including NI) pay up. I have a particular problem where I work with NI registered vans blocking up entrances all the time, I'd rather they were towed away as clamping them keeps the blockage in place.

What exactly do you mean by outstanding tickets? A ticket that has not been paid? What if that ticket had been given the previous day? If you have 28 days grace to pay a ticket then someone could rack up 27 days before being clamped, it's thus unworkable.

The sad fact is, if people just obeyed the rules there wouldn't be any problem. But that's a wider societal issue that has helped get the country where it is.

HivemindXX

People would rather chance a ticket when they park illegally than chance getting clamped. I knew plenty of people who were happy to park illegally and chance a fine. Some of them reckoned they saved money by never paying for parking and dealing with the odd fine. None of these people are willing to risk clamping.