Cars clamped in LIDL (Ennis Road) carpark

Comhrá

Was passing LIDL on the Ennis Road on Saturday and a car had just been clamped. It appeared to be parked normally so I'm not sure what rule it's owner broke.

I had a warning leaflet placed on my car in the same location last week as I was parked outside an official parking bay. I had just ran in for milk and was out in about 3 mins. and the clamping company had been watching me obviously.

How many other supermarkets are using clampers in Limerick? Anyone using LIDL car parks needs to be wary, obviously.

AnneFrank

I hate clampers, I'd rather be a janitor

amcalester

AnneFrank wrote: »

I hate clampers, I'd rather be a janitor

I’d rather park properly.

Jofspring

Comhra wrote: »

Was passing LIDL on the Ennis Road on Saturday and a car had just been clamped. It appeared to be parked normally so I'm not sure what rule it's owner broke.

I had a warning leaflet placed on my car in the same location last week as I was parked outside an official parking bay. I had just ran in for milk and was out in about 3 mins. and the clamping company had been watching me obviously.

How many other supermarkets are using clampers in Limerick? Anyone using LIDL car parks needs to be wary, obviously.

If its the car im thinking of, its clamped because it has been there for at least a week with a for sale sign and number on it.

I wish all the supermarkets used clamping companies.

osarusan

Comhra wrote: »

I had a warning leaflet placed on my car in the same location last week as I was parked outside an official parking bay. I had just ran in for milk and was out in about 3 mins. and the clamping company had been watching me obviously.

Isn't it more likely that the clampers just put warning leaflets on every car, rather than watching you specifically - given that you'd only been in there for 3 minutes?

I think companies like LIDL would be very careful with clamping - a person wrongly clamped is likely to go elsewhere from then on - so I'd say they'd only act in extreme cases.

bazz26

Pitty they don't operate outside in Tesco, Coonagh. They would make a fortune due to the lazy bastards who think a legitimate parking space is too far from the door.

Comhrá

osarusan wrote: »

Isn't it more likely that the clampers just put warning leaflets on every car, rather than watching you specifically - given that you'd only been in there for 3 minutes?

I think companies like LIDL would be very careful with clamping - a person wrongly clamped is likely to go elsewhere from then on - so I'd say they'd only act in extreme cases.

I say they'd be careful about alienating people alright. The car-park was half empty when I parked...over by the fence at the back of the park, away from other cars, and I just went in for a litre of milk. I'd have understood if I was causing an obstruction but I was neatly parked, just not in a designated slot.

tedpan

bazz26 wrote:

Pitty they don't operate outside in Tesco, Coonagh. They would make a fortune due to the lazy bastards who think a legitimate parking space is too far from the door.

It's the same in Tesco Drogheda, mostly BMW's just parked in the bus stop and loading bay next to the front door. I just don't get why it's allowed and how people are so ****ing lazy.

Comhrá

I would also like if LIDL ( Ennis Road) made an effort to discourage lazy shoppers from parking in the disabled parking slots by the entrance instead of threatening to clamp shoppers causing absolutely no inconvenience to anyone, and also it would be great if LIDL made a serious effort to remove the long-term vagrants begging every day outside their entrance. They really don't give a toss as long as sales don't suffer.

This instutionalised begging is a real symptom of the total indifference shown by businesses in Ireland, so long as sales aren't impacted.

DaveNoCheese

bazz26 wrote: »

Pitty they don't operate outside in Tesco, Coonagh. They would make a fortune due to the lazy bastards who think a legitimate parking space is too far from the door.

Those people drive me crazy, height of laziness and ignorance!

riverrocked

Comhra wrote: »

I had a warning leaflet placed on my car in the same location last week as I was parked outside an official parking bay. I had just ran in for milk and was out in about 3 mins. and the clamping company had been watching me obviously.

This attitude really grind my gears, "ah sure I was only" that is why William Street is a dysfunctional mess, why people park on the double yellows throughout the city, and the hatched areas in the Crescent.

If I ruled the world, I would tow all of these "I was only.." cars, no clamping but take them to the impound where a much larger release fee would be issued. Then people would realise that it's not worth it to park illegally to "only".

osarusan

Comhra wrote: »

I say they'd be careful about alienating people alright. The car-park was half empty when I parked...over by the fence at the back of the park, away from other cars, and I just went in for a litre of milk. I'd have understood if I was causing an obstruction but I was neatly parked, just not in a designated slot.

Just realised that you said you parked outside a designated slot - missed that the first time I read it somehow.

why did you do it if the carpark was half empty?

Anyway, agree with the above poster that a clampdown (geddit?) on crappy parking would be more than welcome. Unlikely to happen in places like shop car parks, but on streets, it would be great as long as it's justified.

Dial Hard

Oh God, I wish they'd start doing this in my local Lidl. The car parking is beyond obnoxious. Some people would actually drive into the store and park there if they thought they'd fit.

Comhrá

osarusan wrote: »

Just realised that you said you parked outside a designated slot - missed that the first time I read it somehow.

why did you do it if the carpark was half empty?

Anyway, agree with the above poster that a clampdown (geddit?) on crappy parking would be more than welcome. Unlikely to happen in places like shop car parks, but on streets, it would be great as long as it's justified.

I parked away from the designated spaces even though the car-park was half-empty because I have a newish car and my last car was damaged in the same car-park (in an official parking zone) by another motorist who parked beside me and banged her door into mine, causing damage when the car was a few weeks old. :mad:

Ever since, I use the empty space along by the wooden fence at the far end of the carpark, where it causes absolutely no obstruction to anyone. I've had another dent caused by someone bumping into my parked car with a fully laden shopping trolley in the same car-park so I'm a bit paranoid at this stage, hence my desire to park away from other careless parkers as much as possible.

riverrocked

Oh why didn't you say so in the first place! That makes all the difference.

I have a new car (not newish), I guess I should park where ever I like too. Especially if I am only going to be out of it for three minutes (I am still not sure how people can gauge how long they will spend in a shop from illegally parking outside it) in a half-empty carpark where I could have chosen a space with no cars either side. Now I know different.

Mr.H

Clamping should be banned

If a car is causing obstruction then it is still gonna be in the way if its clamped. Tow the friggin things. They only purpose to clamp is to make quick cash without needing to pay for an impound lot. Ridiculous.

Comhrá

riverrocked wrote: »

This attitude really grind my gears, "ah sure I was only" that is why William Street is a dysfunctional mess, why people park on the double yellows throughout the city, and the hatched areas in the Crescent.

If I ruled the world, I would tow all of these "I was only.." cars, no clamping but take them to the impound where a much larger release fee would be issued. Then people would realise that it's not worth it to park illegally to "only".

Totally agree with you, especially regarding William St. and and the Crescent. I too, would be delighted to see the offenders towed or clamped.

However I wasn't parked illegally or causing an obstruction (There's no sign in LIDL's car-park saying that the spot where I parked was 'illegal' or forbidden)

However, there are cars parked in the disabled driver spots at LIDL more or less all the time, and I didn't ever see any of them issued with warning stickers by this clamping company, and they are potentially causing much more inconvenience than what I did.

Comhrá

...and these clampers have such a nice attitude too.

T-Maxx

Comhra wrote:

...and these clampers have such a nice attitude too.

Can anyone blame them when they're dealing with such 'nice' people in turn?

jonski

ah lads , ye want to head into Tesco Roxboro to see parking at it's finest , and none of this 3 minutes ****e , they will be parked there until........ they are not .

Comhrá

Originally Posted by riverrocked View Post
This attitude really grind my gears, "ah sure I was only" that is why William Street is a dysfunctional mess, why people park on the double yellows throughout the city, and the hatched areas in the Crescent.



If I ruled the world, I would tow all of these "I was only.." cars, no clamping but take them to the impound where a much larger release fee would be issued. Then people would realise that it's not worth it to park illegally to "only".

Well, you sound far too self-righteous and pompous to have anything like being clamped happen to you but do be careful you don't topple over and fall off your (very) high horse.

amcalester

Comhra wrote: »

[/B]

Well, you sound far too self-righteous and pompous to have anything like being clamped happen to you but do be careful you don't topple over and fall off your (very) high horse.

I’ve been clamped twice and I’d be delighted to see cars parked where they’re not supposed to be towed away.

Park in the spaces provided, it’s pretty fcuking simple.

Comhrá

amcalester wrote: »

I’ve been clamped twice and I’d be delighted to see cars parked where they’re not supposed to be towed away.

Park in the spaces provided, it’s pretty fcuking simple.

Took you a few clampingss to figure it though. Another 'road to Damascus' poster. Well said!

endacl

AnneFrank wrote: »

I hate clampers, I'd rather be a janitor

A cheap small angle grinder and a power inverter don't take up much boot space. Costs a fraction of a cowboy clamping fee.

amcalester

Comhra wrote: »

Took you a few clampingss to figure it though. Another 'road to Damascus' poster. Well said!

Nah, both times I was properly parked but clamped anyway.

Paid the fee, appealed and was refunded.

Comhrá

endacl wrote: »

A cheap small angle grinder and a power inverter don't take up much boot space. Costs a fraction of a cowboy clamping fee.

LIDL probably sell them. Next day I'm in I'll look for one. Should be a part of every motorist's travel kit!

endacl

Comhra wrote: »

LIDL probably sell them. Next day I'm in I'll look for one. Should be a part of every motorist's travel kit!

You’ll pick one up in b&q for under 50. No need to be waiting on Lidl.

riverrocked

Comhra wrote: »

[/B]

Well, you sound far too self-righteous and pompous to have anything like being clamped happen to you but do be careful you don't topple over and fall off your (very) high horse.

Ouch.
You are correct on one part, I have never been clamped it is remarkably easy to avoid especially in Limerick where despite the rants about parking spaces we actually have plenty.
I'm not sure why you expected sympathy from anyone when you got a warning about breaking rules and offering a poor excuse as to why you did it.
My horse is only high enough to see the inconvenience that the "I'm only..." brigade causes everyone else perhaps more people should be on it and driving would be less irritating.

adaminho

endacl wrote: »

A cheap small angle grinder and a power inverter don't take up much boot space. Costs a fraction of a cowboy clamping fee.

Not parking like an idiot is free!

kippy

Can't comment on this incident but any time I've seen a car clamped its been well justified.
There are people out there and a few in this thread who think they are above normal rules and regulations. Talk of angle grinders and other such nonsense, is ridiculous.
As a few people have said above. Clamping works. If you are daft enough not to follow the rules you'll get clamped, after a while you will learn to follow the rules.
There would be no need for clampers if people behaved in a civil manner.

Comhrá

kippy wrote: »

Can't comment on this incident but any time I've seen a car clamped its been well justified.
There are people out there and a few in this thread who think they are above normal rules and regulations. Talk of angle grinders and other such nonsense, is ridiculous.
As a few people have said above. Clamping works. If you are daft enough not to follow the rules you'll get clamped, after a while you will learn to follow the rules.
There would be no need for clampers if people behaved in a civil manner.

Agree with you but the point I was making, specific to my experience at LIDL was the selective way the clampers warned people. I was let off with a warning, for which I was thankful, but the 4-5 cars parked in the disabled parking bays weren't even ticketed, and I felt they were committing a bigger offence that I was. Also, if LIDL have restriction about where people can park, they should have a notice to this effect.

If clamping or towing is to be a fair deterrent, the rules should be the same for all transgressors ......and the angle-grinder thing was just a bit of humour. Seems people are taking it really seriously.

Mr. TTime

My guess would be that it's not LIDL at all but the management company of the property who are issuing the clamps / warnings hence why they are ignoring those parked in handicapped spaces and targeting those who are not parked in designated parking spaces which would be in direct contravention of their public liability insurance or some such thing

endacl

adaminho wrote: »

Not parking like an idiot is free!

Never have. I was out with friends in a well known pub in south Dublin two Saturdays ago. There's a car park across the road where you have to pay till 6. When we came out around midnight all 7 cars in the car park were done. We phoned the cowboy and explained the signage issue. His attitude was too bad, you can pay the 'fine'. One of the lads had his grinder in the back of the van, so we all drove home about half an hour later. Left the clamps neatly lined up by the exit for him.

endacl

kippy wrote: »

Can't comment on this incident but any time I've seen a car clamped its been well justified.
There are people out there and a few in this thread who think they are above normal rules and regulations. Talk of angle grinders and other such nonsense, is ridiculous.
As a few people have said above. Clamping works. If you are daft enough not to follow the rules you'll get clamped, after a while you will learn to follow the rules.
There would be no need for clampers if people behaved in a civil manner.

I've no problem with the corpo clamps. They're covered by by-laws and are consistently and fairly enforced in a transparent fashion. I only have an issue with the opportunistic cowboy firms who act as their own appeal process and take no notice of their own stated policies.

There would be no need for grinders if private clampers behaved in a civil manner.

chicorytip

Comhra wrote:

Agree with you but the point I was making, specific to my experience at LIDL was the selective way the clampers warned people. I was let off with a warning, for which I was thankful, but the 4-5 cars parked in the disabled parking bays weren't even ticketed, and I felt they were committing a bigger offence that I was. Also, if LIDL have restriction about where people can park, they should have a notice to this effect.

Are you certain that the cars parked in the disabled bays belonged to able bodied drivers? This type of illegal parking is pretty common in the city centre as well, particularly outside Tesco on Patrick Street.

Comhrá

chicorytip wrote: »

Are you certain that the cars parked in the disabled bays belonged to able bodied drivers? This type of illegal parking is pretty common in the city centre as well, particularly outside Tesco on Patrick Street.

I was in LIDL about 45 mins ago (properly parked by the way) and I saw three cars in the disabled bays and none of them had disabled driver stickers.

One of the drivers was getting out of her car and seemed to have possession of all her faculties. This is the norm there, and at most other stores as far as I can see.

LIDL have no signage over these bays reminding people not to abuse them.