Cunning cop hides behind news
2012-10-15 10:47
LEADING BY EXAMPLE: Above shows a UK metro police CCTV vehicle parking on double yellow lines though they are legally permitted to "park where necessary to carry out their enforcement duties."
WIMBLEDON, UK - A rather cunning traffic cop has a unique way to spot drivers parking illegally, by hiding a surveillance camera behind a newspaper. Unfortunately the crafty cop was found to be guilty of the same of offence he hoped to curb – illegal parking.
According to the UK's Daily Mail, a traffic warden in Wimbledon, London was spotted sneakily recording drivers while parked on double yellow lines. A case of Big Brother saying "Don't do as I do, do as I say!"
BREAKING THE LAW
Such hypocrisy will likely to enrage drivers who believe that traffic police see drivers as potential "cash cows".
The sneaky cop was photographed by a resident who slammed the cop: "It is outrageous that Merton Council is entertaining a CCTV operator that breaks the law to catch unsuspecting drivers The operator- and I stared him in the face - could not have cared less that he was on double yellow lines even after several other passing pedestrians told him so."
A spokesperson for Merton Council, which operates CCTV enforcement vehicles, admitted that trying to conceal a camera was "unacceptable". When shown the image of the hiding warden, the council denied that the officer was attempting to conceal the camera from drivers.
'YELLOW LINES FOR SAFETY'
A council spokesperson said: "The vehicle has enforcement signs on it and a sign showing a camera on the doors. Our civil enforcement officers are legally permitted to park where necessary to carry out their enforcement duties; this includes double yellow lines.
"However, we advise them that, if it is at all possible to do their job safely from a point where there are no traffic restrictions, they should do so."
Merton Council’s website advises drivers: "Double yellow lines are sited for safety reasons, in areas where parking could cause a serious obstruction, so please avoid parking where these restrictions apply."
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