Further to the Newspaper reports concerning the cowboys who are making a tidy profit out of clamping vehicles in Athenaeum Place, the alleyway beside Sainsbury’s in Fortis Green Road.
Last week I was drawn to the alleyway upon overhearing a heated discussion between a tall, coarsely spoken yob and a hapless clamping victim. The air was decidedly blue due to the yob, (who is an employee of Ace Car Wash) airing his ‘views’, as he quaintly put it. The hapless victim had complained to the police who could do nothing and therefore complained to me that he had seen the yob there as he parked, very carefully and in a way so as to cause no obstruction to other vehicles, whereupon the ‘kindly yob’ had given him the ‘okay’ to pop into the store and pick up his shopping. On his return his vehicle had been clamped and ‘kind yob’ was smirking. The hapless victim claimed to have been assaulted by the yob from Ace Car Wash, (who manage the clamping). I spoke to the yob and he informed me that the business suffered due to cars being parked there and he and his boss, one Tony Heller (well named!), were trying to run a business. I was far from impressed with the pair of them. The point I wish to make is I believe the firm is running a ‘sting operation’, I pass there during the day and often see parked cars which are never clamped. This I believe leads unwary motorists to believing that as long as they park in the same manner they will be fine. NOT SO, as many will testify.
As to the argument that the parking affects their business….. absolute tosh, whenever I have seen a car parked there, it has always been carefully parked without causing an obstruction. I mentioned to the owner of the Ace Car Wash, who claims to own the road, that it might be a good idea to install restraining poles/bollards on the pavement or some other prevention, if he was really concerned, but he showed no interest in the idea. He stated that his customers might scratch their cars! I have yet to see an articulated lorry heading for a wash and polish at Ace Car Wash’s premises.
The sooner these little ****s are put in their place and made to feel unwelcome in Muswell Hill the better.