Parking pirates are back!

Now what if it was a Black car?

Also Brian W,

Good suggestion there Brian. I would however also urge our blog readers to report these errant drivers to the authorities. – Online News Ed.

Hi Reg, I have at length explained why we are not putting up the registration number of the offending car. Also, apart from speaking to the driver and not asking for identification, it leads to inconclusive proof that the driver is in fact the owner of the car.
For this reason I am flagging your post with the registration number and would like to ask you to desist from posting the car’s registration plate on the blog – Online News Ed.

Jan – Thanks for the opportunity of venting our frustrations at these idiots.

While we realise there are pros and cons to publishing the identity, there appears to be a number of needs of the community.

Possibly suggest -
a) publish the photo with hidden numberplate to promote awareness of the problem
b) At the same time forward the photos to the traffic department with a request for action (and they can provide you with follow detail sof actions they have taken)

Readers (bloggers etc) will at least be aware that something is being done about the reporting of the problem, and it has not just gone into a big hole.

Keep up the great work with the blog and giving us the chance to air our frustrations and compliment other where due.

Well done Reg!!! Love it! Ha haha!

Well done, Reg!! True, now all white Volvo’s won’t be subject to suspicion.

What could be defamatory about publishing a numberplate of the vehicle which was parked illegally – it is a fact, it is of public interest and the public should be made aware of it. He/she parked in full public view, admitted to parking illegally and was arrogant enough to say that it should be placed on the internet! There we go – what more do you need, other than the owner’s consent? Lots of photographs with numberplates have been published for various reasons – what makes this one different? Could it be that the owner is known to the DD? Or maybe FROM the DD?

But then – Jay is right. Driving a Volvo should be punishment enough.

@ Zubb. I know what you mean – driving can be such a frustrating experience as people are so impatient. I live in a fairly busy road and every morning have to wait for traffic to pass so that I can reverse out of my driveway. Do you know how often I have just reversed out when people come around the corner and act as if I have committed a crime just because they have to slow down. The same happens in the evening when I have to stop to turn into the driveway – so many people behind me actually get peeved. The biggest problem on our roads is impatience and inconsideration and that is why people park where they are not supposed to.

or like the extremely obese man who demonstrated such road rage on Monday PM coming back from work, hooting and waving and gesturing at the bakkie in front of him turning from devereux ave into frere road – then this bakkie put on indicator to turn right into a drive way and was waiting for a gap, this fatty in the wee little car carried on with rude signs and started to pull out to OVERTAKE on the right — the bakkie then turned in, fatty then turned left again, wheel spun, went over the speed bump at such a rate he almost missed the next one, squealed tyres the whole way down and then wheel spun into Jarvis road! Wish we could have a place where we could post THAT! I wish I’d been able to record that one. And trust me, I’ll recognise that short fat red-faced ginger haired man in his vomit green comet ….. and I will comment to him if I see him. Would actually love to let the air out his tyres too ….

I would agree with BBZMo, I don’t park in the disabled although and if there is no close parking – Nahoon Checkers being a good example, I tend to leave! But I was at one of the Spar shops the other day and saw a car pull into the disabled parking and I just wanted to say that being FAT, LAZY and STUPID does not allow one to park in the disabled parking space!

I think the name and shame is an excellent idea regardless of whether the number plate is or isn’t revealed. Not to say that I have ever parked in an off-limits parking bay before but since the campaign I am now more alert of where I do park for fear of someone taking a snap shot of my vehicle. So yes this campaign has been worthwhile. Can we also take photo’s of those who park so badly and skew that they take up two parking spaces when the parking lot is full.

JAN – What would scare me from your point of view is that if you publish the reg number for all to see, there may arise a situation where some idiot who has seen the story in the DD sees the vehicle out and about and then challenges the driver. The situation could get nasty/punches thrown etc.
Another scene that could happen is where you name & shame and then somebody goes and damages the car while it is parked somewhere. The owner may then come after the DD.
I am all for the name & shame part….but the consequences could be far reaching. A tw@t that parks in a disabled space illegally is the same type of tw@t that will blame everyone else when the pawpaw hits the proverbial. The guy might hold the DD reponsible for every scratch or ding that his vehicle suffers.

Thanks Darren, you make me feel a little better about things late on a Tuesday afternoon and I appreciate that.
As far as I know, the law states that not only can the person who make the defamatory statement, but also the person who provided the platform be subjected to litigation.
You raise an interesting point: What happens (in any case in general) when a person sues a blogger for a comment made on a blogsite? Is the blogger responsible?
My personal feeling is that people’s avatars (pseudonyms) are to be treated the same way you would treat a source. I.e, I would not be prepared to reveal the person’s identity and would rather face the courts.
But I digress: Let me see where we stand legally by getting an opinion from our lawyer, once and for all solving the questions that we all have.
If our lawyer says it’s okay, then I will go ahead and put the person’s registration back in the picture.
It’s an interesting debate and I don’t necessarily say I always have the answers.
I do listen to what people have to say and have genuine sympathy with Reg’s problem.
Let me therefore defer to a legal expert and I’ll come back to our blog readers on this issue. – Online News Ed.

Jan, is it not possible to see whether revealing a numberplate is subject (realistically) to litigation? As long as the offender is not subject specifically to abuse from the person putting their name and plate on the web, then it is arguable that any abusive comments aired are directly linked primarily from the persons actions, and secondarily from the poster?

I like the campaign, and the reasons you have aired are valid – one does need to cover one’s butt legally – however, my personal idea is that it could use a bit of a bite, where people are aware that others will know who they are, and will be actively, rather than passively, shamed.

It seems that one can follow the same vein as reporting on any personage, really. They aren’t in a court case, where details can be repressed, and as long as the paper absolves itself via notice of any commentary, and does not associate with it in any form (similar to online blogging disclaimers, basically), with strict enforcement of some of the more outlandish and abusive language, it can possibly take off?

I think it would be a shame to cancel something like this that has great potential, especially after the success it has enjoyed thus far. It would perhaps be worthwhile investigating other aspects to continue this as aggressively yet legally as possible.

As to complaining readers – no matter what, when or where, someone will always be grouchy. Heck, I have objected to some things reported on, but there are others who haven’t, and vice versa. If some people object, doesn’t mean what you are doing is automatically wrong!

Think about it?

Kindest regards
Darren Reed

Hi folks,

@Reg, thanks for your comments.
However, I’ll say it again: Contrary to what you may believe, we do NOT have access to the NaTis system.
When it comes to public vehicles, there is no problem in putting up plates, but private vehicles are a different matter.
But nonetheless, thank you for your comments, we are taking note. – Online News Ed.

yeah I remember, the plate was first blurred so that the DD could check that the car was NOT entitled to park there and later on it was unblurred.

Of interest to the readers is that the original campaign started on 30th June 2009 with you printing photo’s of the POLICE vehicle AND the Number Plate! You also did the same with other such incidents.
As good journalist do, if you had any questions such as those you posed in your response to your critics, YOU COULD ALWAYS ASK.
PLEASE D D DONT run away from your commitment to “Name and Shame”. We need your on-going support. I hope you will have the courage to print the story in the DAILY DISPATCH and not limit this to the few who read this Blog!
Sincerely,
Reg Mason

any info on the whale that washed up at leeches bay

Okay. The people have spoken. I’m cancelling the campaign – Online at least! – Online News Editor.

I agree with Jay, he must be handicapped to drive a Volvo. I thought the parking pirate had to drive a ‘car’ at least and excluded Swedish go-carts.

Jan…..I think you get the point. Cancel the campaign!!!

i agree with bob. just gets us worked up otherwise.

It’s pointless, if you can’t show the numberplate. Cancel the campaign.

He drives a Volvo. I think that is punishment enough.

Ok folks, I take your points. We had a long discussion here in the newsroom on whether we should include the number plate in the picture.
People may feel free to disagree with me here, but the idea is not to set up a witch-hunt by publishing the offending number plate.
It’s to create an awareness to the plight of disabled persons and to ask folks a little consideration when they park their cars willy-nilly.
The reason why we do not publish plates is also rooted in our obligation as journalists.
We often get nailed by the public when some of the stories we do are perceived as “one-sided”.
In the case of this parking pirate, we do not have the capacity to trace this person’s number plate as only law enforcement people have access to the NATIS system, not ordinary people like ourselves.
So having said that, should we print the car’s plate and there is somebody able to trace it and put the owner’s name on the web, how would that person then be able to give their side of the story?
What if the car was driven by say, the owner’s wife or son?
So it does leave ourselves open – and the person putting the offender’s name on the web – open to litigation.
If readers feel cheated, then I sincerely apologise, but that’s the reason why we block out registration plates. – Online News Ed.

your site is very nice
thank you! That looks like a great resource

no name or shame…..

A white “offending volvo” with no registration plate is the same as any other volvo.This “naming and shaming” is simply child’s play….

Who say he is educated? Surely if one can steal the money for a nice car it doesnt mean he is educated.Just another corrupt official in the circus.

unfortunately its probably against the law to show the cars license plate?????… can any body clarify me here; im sure thats the reason otherwise the bugger would not have been so arrogant of the fact…. this individual drives a nice car and thus must be educated and at the same time knows his legal writes?????

Offending volvo my foot! who are you deceiving? If you want to expose these parking offenders why conceal the number plate.

Nontsha

I agree – why no muber plate??

Its quite pointless otherwise!

I forwarded pictures of offending motorists earlier this year. It took DD nearly two months to respond and then I was expected to remember details that, to be honest, I had forgotten.

And now a picture of “Mr Anybody’s” car. So what? Neither named nor shamed.

The idea is fantastic but, if you want to name and shame, do it properly or not at all.

Where’s the number plate!!!! Come on Dispatch what is a name and shame program if we don know who is the offending person!!!