So called ‘Chelsea Tractors’ and life living in a campervan!

One thing is for sure, cars are much, much, bigger than yesteryear.

For quite some time it has struck me that cars are much bigger than they were a generation ago. Whether a generation is ten, twenty, or thirty years past - one thing is for sure, cars are much, much, bigger than yesteryear. A government report co-written by local authorities has confirmed that fact - because, for instance municipal carparks and the authorities that run them are underpressure to widen the spaces available to motorists when they come into town to do their shopping. Mind you, anyone who has eyes to see will recognise the growth in sizes of all manner of vehicles. A story in my local paper here, reported an incident recently when a heavily pregnant woman could not get out of her car whilst parked in a town centre carpark and had to be helped by other motorists. I have always found it amusing that the modern concept of the ‘Mini’ is that it isn’t that small anymore, and some luxury (and not so luxury) 4x4’s out there are truly enormous. Also, I have noticed that in certain parts of the town where I live, has now taken to making pavements available to motorists such is the pressure to be able to park safely without inhibiting other road users. Indeed, heated arguments have regularly erupted outside of schools when mothers/parents have sought to pick up their children in so-called ‘Chelsea Tractors’ and have fallen foul of locals who resent these large vehicles turning up twice a day and complete blocking the streets around the school on school days. Jealousy of “…flashmums” in top of the range, Range Rovers, or just a genuine annoyance at people not concerned with local sensibilities? As I am on the subject of cars and suchlike, I have noticed that a growing issue in some towns and cities in the United Kingdom, is one regarding how camper-vans and large cars have begun to be both parked and lived in, on some of the streets of the nation. For example, it seems that high rents are turning the city of Bristol into Britain’s vehicle dwelling capital. In a report recently published, it appears that over a thousand people live in 600 to 650 vans of all descriptions on the streets. Before the pandemic it seems there were less than 50 vehicle dwellers on those same streets. As long as camper-vans are taxed and have a MOT certificate, normally in the UK they are allowed to be left on residential streets as long as they do not contravene local parking restrictions. Recently I have been reading in my Bulletin about the increase in caravans around and about on the island, a situation that was singularly disapproved of in the past by both the local and regional authorities. Indeed, it was always my understanding that the…. let’s face it, all powerful tourism lobby, was - and will always be dead set against any liberalisation of the current local by-laws involved in this type of issue. Nevertheless, with rental property rates soaring and with many key tourism workers unable to find somewhere to live, I understand that pressure is building for a compromise to be sought on this issue, with specific regard to those workers seeking somewhere to stay when they do find employment that both they and the authorities are desperate to make available. Before we regard this as strictly a European problem, it seems that many American cities such as Los Angeles, have become inundated with all manner of tents and vehicles being used as homes by those who cannot afford to live anywhere else. I wonder if this rarely discussed issue is set to become a major social problem?