A relative of mine recently changed their number plate at the same time as exchanging cars. Due to problems along the way they had two cars with identical number plates. Garages are not that efficient and the DVLA is horrendously crap at doing anything reasonably simple. Having duplicate number pates is an illegal act with a £1000 fine. But is it really illegal when they haven’t done it deliberately to perform some nefarious act. It’s all down to the cock ups by the garage and DVLA. They are many other times when something is technically illegal but in the wider context it was due to some other action and not deliberate. Are such actions illegal then?

Now they were lucky because they could keep their cars off the road whilst the number plate issue was sorted out. But what if they only had off road parking? If some jobs-worth police-person (or Civil Enforcement Officer) came along they could quite rightly charge my relative for committing a criminal act and they would end up in court with a fine a large fine. But would they be morally right to do this? A proper local policeman who knew the area and the people would not so much turn a blind eye but ask about the situation (and not in the officious voice that they use) to understand the problem and then monitor it.

Near where I live is a market town and when the traders are packing/unpacking they park on the main thoroughfare road on double yellows. There is no sign to indicate loading/unloading is allowed but they aren’t nabbed by CEOs. In fact I don’t think there is any sign. That’s because there is no other place to perform the operation and there would be a great uproar if they did get slapped with fines. So this operation which takes 10 minutes is allowed. Is this civil disobedience or just a fact that life is not black and white and that sometimes you can’t help but commit a criminal act to just get through they day. Especially when there are hundreds if not thousands of laws which affect your daily life but which you don’t know exist. Especially when many laws and rules and regulations are defined to the nth degree with no concept of the greyness of life.

The police already ignore some criminal acts when they need to make use of a witness for a more serious crime which is for the public good or when they have particular targets set by their chief inspectors. It could be argued that the ignoring of minor offences by the generally law abiding should also be done as it for the public good to have some confidence in the police that they aren’t being petty, vindictive, tick boxing, target seeking, officious jobs-worths.

To allow this the police needs some autonomy in deciding whether or not they should take the issue higher up the chain or handle it themselves. Currently everything is done on targets which does not allow this as it forces the police to report everything they do to their management.

SBML

Clarissa January
18, 2011 at 22:18

Having seen plenty of vans delivering to various office blocks in London be
ticketed for brief stops on double yellow lines – there being a lack of
anywhere else in many cases – I’m fairly certain that all of the delivery
companies consider it a cost of doing business and simply pass the £x
thousands it costs them a year on to the customers.

A Brave New World
January 18, 2011 at 18:01

Last week I received a surprise inspection from the local council’s anti
smoking inspector. She tells me that if anyone were to buy or sell contraband
cigarettes on my premises that I would be liable to prosecution unless it was
specifically forbidden in my employers policy handbook.
On the bright side,
she said that the same principle does not apply to murder.

There’s nothing quite like a bit of consistency, and this is nothing like
consistency.

Matt January 18, 2011 at 16:30

In a town where I lived years ago was a sort of secret square enclosed by
buildings, reached by a narrow sort of lane, known only to locals.
It was
actually a rectangle with an oval of grass and scruffy trees in the middle. It
was a “No Parking” area. Dozens of cars parked there nose on to the walls and
the oval to get plenty in. It was patrolled by two wardens working
shifts.
As you parked they would make a big show of looking at their
watches and writing in a book. The procedure was to tell the guy what your
mission was. Post Office, Sainsburys for some bacon. Halfords for a cycle
pump–sort of thing.
No-one ever seemed to get a ticket. I asked one of the
guys if he ever “did” anyone and he yes if they take the micky and take longer
than the mission needed.
He then said “You are OK with me because you
always run”
That’s how life should be. Bit of common sense ,bit of
cooperation, give and take, bit of discretion. Or move to Spain or France
these days.

woodsy42 January 18, 2011 at 14:36

“They are many other times when something is technically illegal but in the
wider context it was due to some other action and not deliberate. Are such
actions illegal then?”

This surely depends who you are. For ordinary people it will be illegal and
punished by an on the spot fine. For politicians etc it will be ignored.

Ray January 18, 2011 at 11:10

You can load/unload vehicles where there are yellow lines, as long as there
aren’t yellow stripes or ‘blips’ on the kerb – see this page:

http://www.ukmotorists.com/highway%20code6.asp

about 2/3rds of the way down (or indeed the highway code if you have a
copy).

However, I have found that ‘parking enforcement officers’ or whatever the
councils call their contractors these days tend not to be too up on the
parking regs in either the highway code or the local council rules!

Derek Reynolds
January 18, 2011 at 14:58

Have to be careful with those kerb markings relating to loading. Many
areas have ceased to paint them and advise checking the plate on a pole,
that gives you an added problem in finding one! Usually after you have gone
100yds past the delivery point.

I once parked a motorcycle on a single yellow on a Sunday, and went off
to view the Cutty Sark. Came back to a ticket stuck on the bike as were all
other vehicles in the vicinity. Upon challenging this, I was informed the
area is within a CPZ, and the signs are not therefore needed at individual
areas.

CEO’s and morality are not combined. Their aim is a target. You are the
sponsor for their ammunition.