Car share cash con?

By Bad Dad on March 26, 2008 7:33 PM | Permalink

AS any parent will tell you money can be tight when children expect new jeans, school shoes, football boots and all the other teenage paraphernalia that costs the earth.

So when I was pulled over by the police for driving in the A47 Heartlands car sharing lane - for the last 10 yards of it before the roundabout, anyway - I thought of what cost would have to be cut at home.

Today's story in the Mail revealing the crackdown clawed in thousands of pounds simply confirmed what every driver in Birmingham and beyond already knows...schemes like this are simply money making exercises,

Interesting though that the police told me "we don't want to be here - we're only doing it for the council" and the city council - as you'll see in tomorrow's paper - say the money goes to the police.

Someone, somewhere is being economical with the truth.

Interesting too that the figures we managed obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showed 119 motorists were pulled over in nine days.

Strange that, given that while I was being patronised by the boys in blue, at least seven other drivers were waved off the road in the space of eight minutes.
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Yes, I may have suggested that they should be out catching real criminals but there really was no need for the parting gesture from the officer in charge after I'd been issued with a fixed penalty notice.

"Have a nice day," he smiled sarcastically as I pulled off.

It's little wonder that today's kids, mine included, find it hard to relate to the boys in blue when they're making enemies of law abiding, decent people they should be trying to woo.