When goodwill turns sour!

[Consistency]

We have all, especially as business at some point gave a bit of goodwill. This could be with an informal arrangement or a discount but at what point does this become irreversible?

In this story, churchgoers were as a goodwill gesture allowed to park in an informal arrangement in an area where they were not allowed to park. The council then retracted this, as sometimes this is needed and these churchgoers start getting a few tickets.

The uproar of these members is a kick in the teeth for any good will to be given in future. Rather than be thankful for all the times they have been allowed to park there for free, they cannot wait to run to the press and cause others to want the same courtesy - free parking.

Is it any wonder people are helping people less and less. That does not make it right that people are helping one another less and less but it is backfiring far far too often.



Here is the report


http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co...laim-parking/story-13579995-detail/story.html
Worshippers at Cheltenham church claim parking tickets are 'persecution'

Monday, October 17, 2011
Gloucestershire Echo
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OUTRAGED churchgoers say they are being 'persecuted' by over-zealous parking attendants in Cheltenham.
Parishioners of St Gregory's Church in St James' Square were horrified when they returned to their cars after yesterday morning's service to find £70 parking fines on their windscreens.

1. ​
   
   
   fined: A parking attendant tickets cars on double yellow lines in St James' Square, Cheltenham, yesterday

An informal arrangement had historically been upheld to allow the congregation to park on the double yellow lines during the hour-long service. But that arrangement has been axed by the borough council and yesterday around six drivers were issued with fines.
Churchgoer Ben McDonald said: "It has been an informal arrangement over the years. This is Sunday morning, hardly a time when people will be using the roads here. The shops are not even open yet."
He dubbed it "religious persecution".
"My ticket is timed at 10.07am, when they know we are in church so they have targeted this area especially," he said.
"It is obviously a source of income that the council finds easy to get by targeting people for their religious beliefs. It is despicable."
Catherine Shepherd, who is registered as legally blind, was a passenger in Mr McDonald's car. She said: "I have been coming to the church for more than 30 years and I think this is disgusting. I normally bring my disabled badge to put into the windscreen but forgot it this time. Now we have a ticket."
Varghese Philipose, from Cheltenham, has been a member of St Gregory's for four years.
He said: "Where do I park my car? This is a very big problem. This is England, a Christian country and we should be able to park here without any trouble.
"I will worship at home from now on because I can't afford to pay these fines."
Chelt Walk car park, owned by the borough council, is a few minutes' walk from the church. It charges £1.60 for up to an hour, or £2.60 for up to two hours. But the worshippers said they should not have to pay to park.
It was back in March when the Echo first revealed borough council bosses had removed the privilege, with enforcement officers issuing fines to anyone caught parking illegally.
Civil enforcement officers said churchgoers had previously been allowed to park there due to an anomaly in the system. Disabled members of the church are still allowed to park on double yellow lines for up to three hours providing they show a valid blue badge.
Last night no one from the borough council was available to comment.

 

[internetspaceships]

They had plenty of notice. There was adequate and pretty cheap parking near by. They have no excuse they should be ticketed.

You're right. They took it as a right and not a privilege and determined in their own minds that despite all the facts that were clearly available to them they could believe something to be true.

Hang on, aren't we describing religious people as a whole?

Lol sorry Connie I really couldn't resist that one and I'm sure you won't hold it against me

 

[Consistency]

I absolutely agree that they should have been ticketed. The council will no doubt have to think twice before cutting someone else slack.

I hope they will pay their fines too but the council may well cave in.

This will of course affect people such as delivery drivers to small business - wardens will be scared of cutting slack just in case that same driver gets a ticket from another warden and wails to the wall of the media.

What I find absolutely disgraceful is that they refer to this as "religious persecution". There are several countries where it is against the law to own a Bible and carries the death penalty. These people have no idea what religious persecution is.

 

[internetspaceships]

Good point well made.

 

[Bri]

What I find absolutely disgraceful is that they refer to this as "religious persecution".

That did make me smile Connie. How short sighted of the congregation but typical of the parking nearest the door brigade. Perhaps those that comply should be given priority reserved seats at the front of the ministry on church days.

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

If the church had absolutely no right or authority to allow people to park on double-yellow lined roads, then I really don't know why they lulled them into a false sense of security like that. The church really should have made them aware that they actually have no jurisdiction whatsoever, and their 'permission' is effectively meaningless.

That "religious persecution" line is funny though. They weren't targeted because of their religious beliefs. They were targeted because they parked somewhere they weren't allowed to park.

 

[mobyme]

They have had plenty of prior notice so "tough" as they say.

You can bet your bottom dollar though there was bugger all goodwill gesture or informal arrangement about being allowed to park there before though.

It's pretty obvious that the double yellows were illegal and any prosecution would have failed if anybody did any research and now they have legalised them.

We have double yellow lines on a nearby village through road but they are all totally illegal, every now and then somebody gets done and because it's local knowledge that they are illegal it's thrown out when it gets to court.

 

[KF_Researcher]

This church sounds slightly foolish to be honest! Law is the law, applies to all

 

[Bri]

This church sounds slightly foolish to be honest! Law is the law, applies to all

Wasnt the church, it was the congreagtion. The church is built on the other side of the yellow lines so falls out of the jurisdiction of the parking officials and cant have a ticket pasted on it.

 

[I Love Spreadsheets]

We are in the middle of a University town and parking is a nightmare. Being a typical Welsh Valley town, Trefforest is full of small resident only parking streets. There basically not enough parking spaces for the residents let alone the students.

At the start of every new year the police run an educational drive at the University to let the student know where they can and cant park. They put posters up all over the place, dummy tickets on cars etc, so the students get plenty of warning. Approximately a month after that, they just book anyone and everyone.

They cant say they havent been warned. I suspect something similar has happened here but those complaining have forgotten to mention that when talking to the press.

 

I paid for the roads.

I paid for the council.

Now the greedy buggers want to charge me to park on what I own .

So they can squander the money on yet more of there hair brained schemes alongside feathering there mates pockets.?:|

Earl