John Oram's photos with the keyword: Bad Parking

The driver of this Volkswagen Tiguan came along the hotel access road at immoderate speed and, with spaces available in the car park adjacent to the health club, simply abandoned the car inside the double yellow lines. He was obstructing the sharpish left turn into the body of the car park and was essentially on an internal roundabout which is to the right and is part of the reason for the lines. I nearly had a fit but such behaviour is hard to challenge and risky. TZ70_2_P1000556E

I strongly believe in and defend the sanctity of disabled spaces and believe too that that sanctity should also be observed by legitimate users. This Mercedes, at Tesco Whiteley, was displaying a Blue Badge but the choice of parking position, depriving three other potential users of a space, appears both indefensible and inexplicable. Photograph by John Oram Photoshop (blur) by Gregory Halse TZ70_P1030170CE_PS

The title might be a bit lost on you unless you're a sports fan but I had to choose something. So, the narrative. This Audi had been driven at immoderate speed along Queen Street, Newton Abbot before slewing to a halt, exactly as shown, at the junction with Lemon Road. Yes, at a junction, on double yellow lines and with at least two perfectly useable and spacious parking spaces just 20m behind it. The occupant was headed for a convenience store ATM at which he spent a long time, apparently experiencing some difficulty with the transaction. 200_4_P1000534E

There is more to this picture, taken in High Street, Lee on Solent even than meets the eye. Parking all round the town was over subscribed as crowds watched the Red Arrows performing for Cowes Week. Out of shot to the right of the picture, two coaches had parked alongside the cars on that side of the road for a protracted drop-off (unconnected with the display). This left little space for vehicles to pass on a main route through Lee on Solent and this thoughtlessly 'parked' Citroën created something of a chicane just before the coaches. The driver was, of course, entirely unrepentant. DSCN9268R

Some pictures just speak for themselves (again). 200_2_P1110045

Thoughtless parking is by no means confined to my side of the Atlantic. This BMW at Palo Alto Airport was taking up 4 or, arguably, 6 spaces. It was stationary for several minutes while the driver did goodness knows what. There were dozens of free spaces in the car park so one might contend that 'it did not matter' but I take the opposite view. How difficult can it be simply to align with a marked space within which you can linger for as long as the local rules permit? 200_2_P1100281

Although the lights are on in this shot, this is exactly how the occupants left the car when they got out. I don't think this is either necessary or acceptable just because one has chosen a quiet area of the car park, in this case Winchester Services northbound (M3). Photograph by John Oram Photoshop (blur) by Gregory Halse 200_2_P1080451_PS

In a gentle seasonal dig at bad parking, a classic white van is seen in Gosport with a background which conveniently inspires a title TZ30_P1030543

The colour version of this picture is simply an addition to the Bad Parking album and group(s). The Neath Multi-Storey Car Park is one of the most dire I have visited but, to be fair, it is being replaced by a modern structure opposite as part of the town centre redevelopment. The Kuga was, as you might observe, in two spaces but this did not seem to bother the warden who had just passed through checking tickets. Such was the Orwellian gloom of this site that I have created a b&w version of the picture and commentary (next). 200_2_P1060378

Following on from the previous photograph, this shows one of the two vans which just sailed straight into disabled spaces at Pont Abraham services, M4. The hazard flashers probably have the same effect as when used elsewhere such as on double-yellow lines which I think is intended to annul the offence or perhaps even reduce the size of the obstruction. In the interests of balance and as I have already made clear, although I do not condone the illegal use of disabled spaces (quite the opposite in fact), their provision needs to be reviewed in many places in terms of quantity and layout. Here, for example, there was nowhere to use as a loading bay whilst the substantial number of disabled spaces remained unoccupied except as shown in my two pictures. 200_2_P1060350C

And today's prize for most inappropriate use of disabled parking spaces goes to.....the builders at Pont Abraham services, M4. Now, admittedly, there was a significant over-provision of disabled spaces at this location and no-one in need was using one during my visit. However, during that visit, a Royal Mail van parked in one to empty the post box and a delivery van parked next to it, also in a disabled space. At least the vans were going to move. The building work was at Costa. If they take as long to refurbish the outlet as they do to serve a coffee, the construction materials could be there a long time. To clarify my earlier comment, I wholeheartedly oppose the misuse of disabled parking spaces but it is also a fact that many sites have a provision beyond anything that could ever be used legitimately. This encourages contagious misuse which then leads to the blocking of spaces which are genuinely needed. 200_2_P1060349C

OK, so the space next to the bin at Watford Gap services M1(S) is not really usable but the one on the left is so why is this Suzuki Alto not in it? 200_2_P1060030

This photograph serves two purposes reflected in the albums to which it is added. The Jaguar XF is one of the more striking cars of the '10s and deserves a record. However, this type of parking is all too common. The defence is frequently that the driver does not want the vehicle dinged. I accept that people in adjacent spaces could be more careful when opening their doors and that many spaces could be larger but that does not excuse a selfish response. A car, however cherished or expensive is just a tool. In use, tools become worn or damaged. 200_2_P1050828

High Street, Lee on Solent is busy but rarely so short of parking spaces that you can not park by going round perhaps once. If you have a short car, you can just put part of it in a space and leave the rest on the road. 200_2_P1010917

What can I say about this photograph that it does not say for itself? The front plate was illegally formatted too and the vehicle was in a disabled bay without displaying a blue badge. 200_2_P1010916

This was one of three similarly parked cars I saw on a short outing in Lee on Solent in the evening. There is no excuse. If a conversation were to arise, you might hear 'I was only going to be a couple of minutes', or 'the car park wasn't full'. There is no excuse. P1180177 - 5 June 2013