"RichardS" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
oups.com...
David Lang wrote:

The fake notices are a good idea, but you need to reinforce them with
some
psycology.

Put up some new, bigger notices that look differenet. The inference
is that
a new company has taken over.

Beg borrow or steal a wheel clamp. I think you can hire them. Or
make a
mock one from MDF & paint it bright yellow.

Fix this to your own car with a big label on the windscreen in
yellow/black.
Leave in conspicuous position. Repeat next day with neighboors car.


Clever. But why fake it when you can do it for real?



Because you're dealing with the devil. It also ends up being a bit of a
burden on the residents and others on legitimate business.

We have a flat that we rent out - it's in a housing association run block
and isn't that far from Hounslow town centre. The car park has allocated
spaces for the residents, and it used to be unpoliced.

More and more frequently people started parking there when going shopping,
or leaving their car there and going to work for the day. So the HA
employed a clamping firm to police it - above board, completely legit
operation.

Unfortunately this now means that every resident has to have a sticker on
display in their car. They also have a limited book of vouchers for
visitors, and you can't easily get hold of more vouchers when they're used
up (they have to be filled out with the date, so it's one per day - I
don't know what would happen if a visitor stayed and slept in & the
clampers came round early in the morning). All other parking is either
yellow lines or 2 hours max meters.

So, every time I have to do some work on the flat (which has sometimes
taken more than a day) I have to use up their supply of vouchers. We
can't get a permit because it's strictly one per flat.

So, it's solved the parking problem, but with quite a bit of restriction
on the resident's peaceable enjoyment of their parking space. You really
don't want to employ the services of a clamping firm unless you've
carefully thought the whole issue through and are happy with the
restrictions that go with the schemes.


--
Richard Sampson

mail me at
richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

The housing association I lived at provided me with 3 laminated A5 signs,
with my flat no. details for when I had visitors and my own motor. The
parking was policed, even got a ticket while moving in, which was resolved
quickly with no hassle.

Should be easy enough for the OP to design own version for residents.

Also, as to poster stating children do not make a big difference on
shopping, I'd have to say they do. Next time you are shopping check how many
items are themed for kids and all the latest promotions, Star Wars being the
current one. It ranges from sweets, biscuits, cereal, crisps, ice-cream,
juice, yogurt, cheese (that stringy stuff), ketchup, beans, in fact anything
you can stick a label on.

Kids are very good at pestering parents till they get something and at
lifting some promotion from a shelf only to be discovered at the till after
its been scanned and too much bother and hassle to return.

Cheers,
Stephen