Backlash af ter traf f ic warden books 999 crew on lunch break
A ‘JOBSWORTH’ traffic warden slapped a parking ticket on an ambulance when the crew went to buy lunch during their first break in eight hours.
The paramedics left their vehicle on double yellow lines outside a Tesco store to grab a drink and something to eat.
But when they returned they were dismayed to see a fine on the ambulance windscreen.
In a video posted online, a female paramedic can be seen confronting the warden, at around 3pm on Tuesday, but he refuses to back down.
The paramedic, who works for North West Ambulance Service, pleads with the warden: ‘I’ve been on since quarter to seven this morning. I’ve had nothing to drink and nothing to eat.’
The warden replies that as they were not answering an emergency or ‘on a call’ he was justified in handing out the ticket.
The paramedic said she did not want to park in a disabled bay and explains that the ambulance would not fit in a normal parking space.
But the warden says: ‘I understand, that’s fine... but you can’t be parking on a double yellow line, can you?’
When challenged by passer-by Ian French, he says: ‘She was not on call, she was having lunch. Where’s the sirens?’
Mr French, 47, a cameraman who captured the heated exchange in Northwich, Cheshire, later branded the warden ‘an idiot’ for failing to listen.
‘I felt so strongly about the unfairness of what was happening that I started filming on my iPhone, hoping to bring attention to what was happening to the hardworking paramedics,’ he said. ‘I believe they were just collecting some food and water eight hours into their shift.
‘The parking enforcement signs were only installed a few weeks ago. The locals are not happy about it, nor are some of the businesses.’ The confrontation ends with the paramedic saying to the warden: ‘If you ever need an ambulance...’ before shrugging her shoulders and walking away.
The car park is on a private retail park and is run by Euro Parking Services Limited. It is not known exactly how much the fine was, but typically private car park tickets are usually between £70 and £100.
The video provoked a debate on social media, with many Twitter users backing the paramedic, but some supporting the traffic warden.
Nick Knowles, presenter of television show DIY SOS, was one of those who sided with the paramedics, saying that Tesco was ‘abdicating its social responsibility’ if it did not help solve the situation.
Addressing Tesco, he wrote: ‘So you don’t feel you can support an emergency services worker stopping at your store for water – not your problem?’
He said the supermarket chain was ‘morally separating itself’ from the problem by outsourcing its parking management.
Another Twitter user said: ‘He (the warden) spent that long arguing with her she could have been in, had lunch, her bottle of water and watched a film… Jobsworth.’
But others supported the warden, with one Twitter user saying: ‘For real? The guy is 100% right. The ambu (sic) was not on call and illegally parked.’
George Chawawa, of Euro Parking Services, said the firm had apologised to North West Ambulance Service and rescinded the ticket.
‘We recognise that a mistake was made by our parking attendant and have taken immediate action to rectify this situation,’ he said.
‘In addition, we will be following our internal procedures to investigate this matter further with the warden concerned to ensure situations similar to this will not be repeated in future.’