General Discussion
Wheelie Bins
The latest flyer through my letterbox from Teignbridge D.C. about recycling, states that “Once containers have been emptied please return them to your property. They should not be left on the public highway” On collection day I leave my bins at the end of my drive, a few inches away from the pavement. After they have been emptied, the refuse collectors always leave the bins in the centre of the pavement, completely blocking the path. (Despite once placing a note on the bins requesting “Please return to drive”) How come it's now my responsibility to prevent the refuse collectors from blocking the public highway?
Does the pavement fall within the legal definition of a "public highway"? I thought that the term referred to roads, not pavements.
A bit off topic, but The definition of public highway is a “way over which all members of the public have a right to pass and repass”. There are various types of public highway - the most common are footpaths, bridleways and full vehicular use highways. Generally, the public highway extends over the whole width of a road, path, verge and other land up to the boundaries of adjoining properties and fields.
As I understand it, but not having read the legislation, they are not allowed to park on footpaths or pavements, at least if they cause an obstruction. On the wheelie bin topic, I have wondered for some time who is legally responsible for damage to, or loss of, wheelie bins that belong to the council and are placed on public property at the council's insistence. Whatever the legal position, I have little doubts that councils will try to bully people into paying. This week I received a letter from Hounslow Council demanding immediate payment of £298 Council Tax arrears, with the usual threats but no details as to when or why. I thought that this was odd, having left London in 1999 and heard nothing previously. When I phoned them I was told that they had sent out a whole batch of these in error and that I could ignore it. Mine, at least, related to 1993. Hey, ho.
Talking about cars parking on footpaths, a good example would be upper long lands the footpaths are always blocked with cars and vans forcing people to walk in the road’s I am not sure if these roads would be classed as a service road or a highway? Some clarification if anyone knows would be appreciated. I suppose if it was a highway it could have double yellow lines?.
Yes that area is bad, they park on the pavements so that traffic can get through, was annoying when I had to push a wheelchair to have to come off the path to negotiate the kerb, go round the car and back on path again. Police told me just advise when a car blocks a path and they will book them.
Take something very loud with you when you go out and if you find the way blocked, use it as a car would it's horn, you'd soon make your point lol. I used to have to step out onto a busy 2 lane road with a pushchair where I used to live, to avoid cars parked on the pavement, eventually I accidentaly scratched the car with the pushchair, surprisingly, this solved the problem!
A traffic warden year ago gave me a yelllow warning card to slip under the wippers, sayimg 'this is a warning, continue to park a fine will result', that worked.
I have some clear plastic envelopes that look like those that are using to put parking tickets into. Inconsiderate/illegally parked drivers recive one of hese underneath their windscreen wiper with a piece of paper inside it. "This is your lucky day. Next time you selfishly park like this, it could be a real parking ticket. Have a nice day." Don't know if it works (it certainly wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to the hardcore professional lawbreakers like you-know-who), but it certainly helps my blood pressure lol.
Just as incisive as your constant comments about lawbreakers, who have never been charged. But I expect authorites to live by the law of the land as I do, and I or anyone else who breaks the law then they should be charged, no matter who they are.
How tedious and empty ones life must be if one deliberately seeks out double yellow lines that one deems to be incorrectly marked, and then deliberately parks on them purely and simple in order to get ones self into the newspapers. Anyway, related to what has been posted about leaving notes under the wipers of selfish/illegally parked cars, whilst walking along the Dawlish Warren to Dawlish seawall this morning with Mrs Man we spotted that someone had left a laminated note wedged into a dog turd on the path, addressed to the irresponsible owner of the offending dog. I didn't want to get too close to the note, so can't tell you exactly what it said. However I truly hope that the owner does see it and is shamed into picking up the results of their mutt's bowel movements.
Quite difficult to recognise which dog pooped, but do agree owners should clean up. I think most people do clean up and a small amount of dog owners who do not spoil it for the rest.