Most traffic wardens are on a commissioned based pay scheme, so why the hell would they say "ahh go on mate on your way - my kids dont care if they eat or not tonight".
They are just doing a job which they get paid for like all the other annoying sales types...
Would you rather pay even higher taxes for them to scrounge of the dole?
These types of workers are also a very good way of generating extra revenue for the council as they dont always get enough from central government.
So you can see why they are not going to let it go.. but if you didn't park ILLEGALLY in the first place, you wouldn't get done..
However if you are working via a van using fixed equipment inside the van like a pump or generator, then you need to obtain a permit/waiver from the local council.
Ah that one has come up here in Tewkesbury and the insist they are NOT paid by comission
Also I dont have an issue with them doing their jobs regarding illegal parking but don't you think it has gone a bit to far when they start using tape measures to check the distance you have parked form the kerb.
When was the last time you pulled up and thought to yourself "hang on I have parked 2cm more from the kerb than I should I better move it?"
If they need a tape measure to know this then surely you can see that it was pedantic.
Going back to the guy up the cherry picker, he was working for the council and was told he wouldn't need a permit as a result yet the women still came along and slapped a ticket on the cherry picker while he was working away (on behalf of the council) this is the same council who upto last year gave the war veterans free parking on rememberance Sunday but then decided that theywould withdraw this. Did they tell anyone? No, they just waited for the day and then while these veterans were commemorating their comrades went out and ticketed the lot. I understand that there are rules and they are there for a reason but when your parking is controlled ny the uk version of the Nazis it is hard not to get annoyed!