Clamped for 2nd time in 6 days

[drykin3]

Last night my car was clamped at Portmarnock station for the second time since last Wednesday. Mt car was not parked on a double yellow line, was not obstructing any other cars or any access point and was not parked on a yellow box (picture attached). I asked ncps why my car was clamped. The first person said it was because it was in a non-designed space. However, I pointed out that cars are alowed to park all around the perimeter in non-designed spaces without being clamped.

I rang ncps to get the car declamped at 1901. One hour and 6 minutes later, the ncps van arrived. The driver filled in the declamp form stating that I was clamped because of being parked in a yellow box. On pointing out that no part of the car was in a yellow box, he said he couldn't tell me why I had been clamped but "maybe it was they don't want people parking there".

Meanwhile, Irishrail continue to refuse to open up a large area of unused ground immediately to the rear of the car park that could easily accomodate 50 to 60 cars.

[PaulM]

I can see a sign on the fence, does that say no parking? If not I see no reason either.

[MOH]

That's completely ridiculous. If ther's no sign there indicating no parking, I'd consider threatening them with the small claims court.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by MOH

That's completely ridiculous. If ther's no sign there indicating no parking, I'd consider threatening them with the small claims court.

agreed.

[Mark Gleeson]

Off I go on a site visit so, well tomorrow

[davidth88]

Unless that's an exit/entrance to the car-park I would say you have a very good case , that is crazy.

[drykin3]

The fence to the left surrounds a mobile phone mast. The fence to the right surrounds the ESB substation. The sign warns against trespassing into the substation, due to high voltage danger etc. There is a sign saying no parking at the yellow box but this obviously refers to parking in the yellow box (as there is a gate for access to the substation).

I am currently appealing the clamping fee (the ncps employee I spoke to last night assured me her manager would ring me first thing this morning but of course I haven't heard a word from them). If unsuccessful, I will definitely be going to the small claims court.

[zag]

Is that a dead-end alley-way the car is parked in, or is it a pedestrian path ?

Someone should point the clampers at Booterstown car park and they would make a bomb. I don't know how there aren't more scrapes and bangs with the way people fit an extra line of cars into the middle of the car park. I know I would never park in some of the spaces near the road for fear of being effectively boxed in or needing to do a 50-point manoeuvre to get out.

z

[Mark Gleeson]

[James Shields]

In Drogheda there are signs up stating that vehicles parked outside designated spaces will be clamped or towed (from 23rd September). Fortunately, so far nobody seems to have been clamped for parking in the unmarked spaces down the end of the car park.

There was a situation where people were parking on the double yellow line along the access road, reducing it to a single lane for cars exiting the station. This has been stopped, and there is a noticeable difference in the queues exiting the station in the evenings, especially for cars turning left.

[colmoc]

try coming out to coolmine station which is like fords storage yard. cars park all the way into the local estates in every available spot including my driveway .
It would be a great spot for a feeder bus

[woodseb]

IMO, any reasonable person would know that it's not supposed to be a parking place, regardless of whether there's a sign to that effect or not. Using the excuse that there was no sign indicating you couldn't park there doesn't wash, if people used common sense at portmarnock dart station in the first place where people were regulary double and triple parked blocking people in, there wouldn't be need for clampers.

[Mark Gleeson]

It looks like a space, there are no signs saying no

Given a choice between double parking or the very boggy looking grass verge where would you park

We went on site to confirm and the OP is quite correct to contend that the clamping was incorrect. While we agree that the space should not be used for other reasons it is the responsibilty of IE and its agents to clearly mark such 'illegal' spaces to avoid confusion, they failed to do so

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by woodseb

IMO, any reasonable person would know that it's not supposed to be a parking place, regardless of whether there's a sign to that effect or not. Using the excuse that there was no sign indicating you couldn't park there doesn't wash, if people used common sense at portmarnock dart station in the first place where people were regulary double and triple parked blocking people in, there wouldn't be need for clampers.

Wrong. If there is no sign (be it a written sign, a graphic sign a yellow or double yellow line on the ground or a graphic on the ground or a wriing on the ground) and you are in a car park you may park at a given location, such as the case here.

Even more so in this case, as the area forward of the spot is hatched that area is not, which assumes it is a parking space, or else the hatched area would not be needed to keep clear access to that spot.

They (the clamping company) have just simply made a mistake and he is entitled to his refund.