That seems very harsh Elle. They actually seem to me a very cunning bunch. I observed them one morning emerging from their base behind the Town Hall and noticed that they immediately headed for spots where the parking requirements were confusing including the trap where two different tickets prices apply on Heathfield Terrace.As far as I can observe they are very effective in maximising the number of tickets they issue by focusing on spots were inadvertent failure to display the right ticket or pay the right amount is commonplace.The notion that anti-social parking will rise when they are not working may be misplaced because they will only deal with that when they come across it not actively seek it out.Hounslow Council appear not to have written anything in to the contract to avoid enforcement being about anything else other than revenue maximisation. Ealing are dealing with this by bringing enforcement in-house and this will allow the parking attendants to be directed, for instance, to schools were drop off and pick up are creating issues. This would not necessarily be to issue tickets but to increase safety.Given how poorly these guys are paid, particularly the daily grief they receive, and how much revenue they bring in, I'm amazed Hounslow Council didn't give them what they asked for. The extra cost is unlikely to be bigger than the lost revenue.
Jeremy Parkinson ● 40d