Shouting out the rules to motorists (From Gazette & Herald)

Shouting out the rules to motorists

9:50am Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Letters

ON my walk through the village this morning, I spent half an hour looking at the visitthorntonledale.co.uk website via a computer in the county council van parked outside the Thornton-le-Dale almshouses.

As I left, I was asked if I would like to post a comment. As I couldn't think of anything to say, I said no.

How things can change in a very short time.

An hour later, I came across a car parked next to Ellerburn church. Three of its windows bore large yellow stickers all saying the same thing: parking in the church car park could result in the clamping of the offending vehicle.

Other than two men on a tractor, I had seen not one other person or car during my walk up the valley, so on this quiet January morning there was little danger of severe congestion in the hamlet.

What inspired me to write this letter was the comforting fact that, be it the glittering Palace of Versailles, the baroque splendour of Sans Souci or the modest charm of Ellerburn, one can be confident that a petty jobsworth can be on hand to tell you what you can or cannot do.

It might well be against “the rules” to park in the church car park, but aren't rules “for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools?”

It also seems an excessive waste of money to use three stickers when one would do. Or is three the equivalent of shouting?

JP NAYLOR, Thornton-le-Dale