Galway Advertiser 2006/2006_07_27/GA_2707_E1_020.pdf 

Extracted text

20

LETTERS

27 July 2006

Courting the wrath of the clampers
Dear Editor, On May 30 2006 I attended the district court at the Courthouse, Galway. I parked my car in the carpark at Newtownsmith at 9.30am up to 12.30pm. Since our case was not held up to 1pm, we were asked to return at 2pm. On arrriving at the carpark, just before 1pm, I paid 4 at the ticket machine only to discover that my auto was clamped. I then rang the clampers and explained that I would be attending the district court at 2pm and when the court was over I would contact them. This I duly did at 4.30pm. The clampers arrived and when I explained that I was attending the district court, the head man informed me that since I was attending the said court, I had to pay him 20 to be unclamped. I then could write to the director of services, transport, and infrastructure, City Hall and explain my case and I would get my 20 back. As I could not leave the court while it was in session for fear of contempt of court, I wrote to City Hall on May 31 2006. They wrote back to me on June 6 acknowledging my letter of May 31 and explained that my case was under review. Why should my case be under review when I was clamped in the wrong? I wrote again to them on June 9 and explained that my car was clamped while I was attending court, in a public carpark, and I required my 20 back, unless they were suggesting that I was not telling the truth. The clamping people wrote to me again on June 19 2006 and stated that Control Plus Ltd had clamped my vehicle and that Galway City Council would refund the clamping fee for the amount of 20 "on this occasion only". "On this occasion only?" What did they mean? Do they mean that somehow they are doing me a favour by returning my 20 for clamping me in the wrong? I wrote again to the clampers at City Hall, now asking them to supply to me by return the following information: A copy of the law set up by the legal representatives of Galway City Coucil, regarding clamping on the city street and in the people's public carparks; where in that legal document it refers to attending district, circuit, and high court cases while one has his or her car parked in the public carpark; where it states that the taxpayers of Galway who own the city carparks are warned or enlightened what grace they have, if any, before they are clamped after paying into the ticket (parking) machine. This legal information now being requested, will apply to 30/05/06, not afterwards. When did the elected members to City Hall pass all of those laws concerning clamping in the people's carparks? I can see some merits of clamping people who park illegally on our public streets, etc, but I am damned if I can see how the clampers can enter into our public carparks and clamp our vehicles because they are a very short time over the time stated on the parking ticket. Surely a small fine, if any, should be placed on the screens by the traffic wardens - certainly not in such cases, by clampers! An auto is one of the most important forms of transport to the everyday person, in the 21st century. It's hard enough trying to get parking space in our public carparks, without watching out for a bunch of bureaucrats who use taxpayers' money to beat us with our own financial stick. As for our elected members to our city council that allow such a disgrace to take place - they should be ashamed of themselves. As of this day of writing, I have not received any reply from "the clampers", and neither have I received my 20 back. Someone must get up off their knees and be counted. "We can compromise on the issues, but never on the principles!" Yours, Brendan Madden, Rosscahill, Co Galway

Protect children from the explicit street protests
Dear Editor, Shop Street on a sunny Saturday morning is a magical wonderland. Its narrow cobbled thoroughfare, mix of medieval buildings, modern stores and make-shift markets make it one of the most unique public spaces in Ireland. It is alive with performers, poets, pipers, preachers, puppeteers, politicos, pedlars, parents, paisti, pedestrians and poseurs. If this atmosphere could be bottled and sold it would make a fortune. A stroll through Shop Street on a Saturday is a weekly highlight for many Galwegians. It is a place we are all proud of. Last Saturday week morning this magical spell was violently broken by the pro-life, anti-abortion group formerly known as Youth Defence. To attract attention this group, now known as the Mother and Child Campaign, used the cheap advertising shock tactic of erecting large display boards with gruesome images of aborted foetuses. Now before I continue let me be clear on one thing, I do not have any beef with this group or with their message. Indeed anyone who has the courage of their convictions to stand on a public thoroughfare and spread a non commercial message (religious, political, charitable, other) is to be applauded. Especially in these greed filled days. What I do have a major problem with is the way the pictures are used. Due to the narrow streetscape there was no avoiding them. There was no crossing the street to avoid your children from seeing them. This group had placed these gruesome pictures between face painters and a puppet show on one side and clown street performers on the other. It was a cynical and disturbing placement on their behalf. I realise that for these campaigners this is a life and death issue. Abortion is as serious as it gets. But there isn't a mainstream newspaper or magazine that would publish or indeed a broadcasting organisation that would screen these pictures as advertising. They have codes of conduct known as the Advertising Standards. These codes have been implemented for good reason. To avoid causing upset and distress to children other campaigns which also employ shock tactics (for example the Road Safety ads) are not permitted on air before the watershed (9pm). Similarly pornographic publications are stacked on the top shelves of newsagents. And of course you can always choose to switch the channel, turn off the TV or to not buy the pornographic publications. You can choose whether or not you want to engage with it. However this group left the families of Galway with no option last Saturday morning on Shop Street. Now before you shrug your shoulders and say, "Ah sure what can I do about it?" Allow me to make a suggestion. This is our street. This is our sacred public space. It is up to us and our public representatives to protect it from abuse. It is up to us to contact our local City Councillors and lobby them to introduce a bye-law. They did it before with the drinking on Quay Street. They're doing it in other parts of the country over jet skis on lakes or dogs on beaches. It's simple. The people of Galway can send out a message to all street activists, you're welcome to spread your message (with the few notable exceptions) but please show us some respect in the way you go about doing it. Please allow us the choice of engaging with it or not. I would propose that the City Council take a leaf out of the Advertising Standards Authority's codes of practice (look them up on asai.ie) and introduce a bye law that forbids the public display of graphic or upsetting imagery in areas where children are present and at times when children are present but permits the dissemination of materials on an opt-in basis (the litter laws notwithstanding). I am not proposing censorship. I am simply making a common sense "live and let live" proposal. Contact your local City Councillor now. Contact Mayor O Brolchain. Those of you who saw this display last Saturday week can tell them how it made you feel and urge them to act. One final note, congrats to Gardai at Mill Street who in the face of a hostile and militant opposition from this group removed the offending display boards.

Roads are killing us so why have more?
Dear Editor, The road is not a safe place to be these days, and that's a fact. They've never been safe, but lately, despite depressing and gory road safety ads, penalty points and other such measures, they have become veritable concrete killing fields. That's a fact we're all agreed on, I think, but solutions to the problem? We've had a few decent suggestions, but there's a rather obvious one staring us in the face. Put very simply: Roads are where the accidents happen. Cars are the things that do the killing. Fewer roads, less cars, fewer deaths. The USA has one of the world's best road systems, and a hell of a lot of cars; which is what Ireland seems to be aiming for at the moment. But the USA also loses over fifty thousand people on their excellent roads every year. How can people like Frank Fahey propose that we build a new bypass in Galway, in all good conscience? Are they hoping that more concrete will soak up all the city's traffic? We all know well that, at the rate everything seems to be growing in Ireland these days, it won't take very long for this miraculous new bypass to be swamped with vehicles -- and for it to become yet another graveyard for unlucky motorists. That was just an example. The same goes for all of Ireland. We need to move on, to stop relying so much on cars. We should look to the very successful Luas system for an example of a good, safe transport system -- even if it did take ages. Ireland needs far more such public transport systems. Our rail service is frankly laughable at the moment, and buses never run on time. As well as the blood sacrifice we make to our roads on an almost daily basis through accidents, there's the environmental damage it does as well. Whether or not you believe in global warming and that kind of thing, no cyclist will deny that busy roads stink to the high heavens of unwholesome fumes. And of course, with every new road we are cementing over another patch of Ireland's beautiful countryside. I do not think that convienience is so important that we should throw away land, clean air and hundreds of lives just to make things a little easier. It's time to stop treating cars as our masters instead of our servants. Yours, Manus Lenihan Newcastle

I'm no monk says Conneely
Dear Editor, I refer to your editorial June 29, "Councillors who misbehave etc" Can I point out the Chamber of Galway City Council is not a Trappist monastery where a vow of silence is required. On being elected in June 2004 I took no vow of silence, nor was I elected with a rubber stamp in my pocket. The Cistercian order founded at La Trappe France is noted for silence and other authorities. Offical silence is the order of the day in City Hall. Yours, Cllr Padraig Conneely West Ward Fine Gael

Yours, David Quinn, Galway. (Full address with editor)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

letters@galwayadvertiser.ie
The Galway Advertiser wishes to advise that it is not responsible for the content which appears in the letters pages and accepts no liability arising from publication of material on these pages. The Galway Advertiser, 41-42 Eyre Square, Galway. Tel: 091 - 530900. Fax (General) 091 567079 Fax: (Advertising) 091 - 567150 Fax: (Newsdesk) 091 - 565627 Internet Address: http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie / news@galwayadvertiser.ie