Letter of complaint
Discussion
Below is a letter I am sending to the local rag following a conversation earlier today... just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on it?
Perhaps calling them busybodies (repeatedly!) doesn't help my case, but thats how I feel!
"Dear Sir,
Following my conversation with the local community busybodies, I feel compelled to write to share some of my thoughts.
I am a resident in Parkfield, Stockton, in the area which has just undergone a ‘face-lift’.
Following a letter from the council informing us that they were looking at the area with a view to installing speed-bumps and such, I spoke to the community ‘spokes-people’, and commented that perhaps they would be better dealing with real traffic issues, such as parking. People frequently park blocking the alleys which residents, particularly those living on Sun Street, use as access as Sun Street is a dead-end, and even though the roads are narrow, people park a distance from the kerb, making passing difficult, sometimes impossible. My car has been hit on several occasions.
The response was that the speed humps were needed to protect the children in the area. I replied that perhaps if the children were not playing in the road in the first place, this would not be an issue. The answer? That the children had nowhere else to play. I’m sorry, but have I dreamt the recent improvements of Ropner Park and ‘Riggy’s Rec’, both within a few minutes walk? I suggested that perhaps parents should show a little responsibility and take their children to the park, and the two ladies, both mothers, said ‘I’m not taking my children there’ – no reason given, so presumably, their laziness.
I pointed out that the road is for cars, not ball games and that my car and living room window, along with other cars and windows are frequently hit by balls, causing damage. “Make a complaint” they responded. To who? The mothers that let their 5 year old children wander the streets at 9pm, as does happen – I’m sure they’ll take a lot of notice.
I then asked about how I am to drive out of the estate – we own a car that is naturally low to the ground and wont physically clear a speed hump at any speed. Their answer was to sell it. So we now must own a car which fits their standards to live in this area?
No doubt there will be people writing to correct me on this, but as has been seen on countless other estates, speed humps don’t deter the people they are put in place for, they merely prove a challenge, where racers see how fast they can speed up between humps before having to brake again – that will really help ‘protect the children’.
Don’t get me wrong, I am the mother of a little boy, and I don’t want him put in danger either, but then my son wont be allowed to play on a road, and will be taught a little road sense – perhaps many of the residents round here need to be taught some common sense?
Finally, we recently had a ‘community agreement’ put through our door to sign. This contained items such as ‘I will endeavour to be a good neighbour’, “I will make sure my children behave in a respectful way’, ‘I will drive carefully’. A little patronising in my view. Do they really think that the people who are currently not abiding by these ‘rules’ are going to sign a piece of paper and then become a wonderful neighbour? I think not. How do parents ensure their children are behaving in a respectful way when they are playing in the road two street away?!
All this, along with the experiences we have had living in Parkfield have made us determined to move. Then perhaps, when the house is bought by some landlord who doesn’t care about who is in the area as he doesn’t have to live here, and the likes of recent residents in the street are moved in – such as the two houses of drug dealers – the community busybodies will rethink their ‘community agreements’ and road safety schemes, and tackle the issues that matter, such as caring and providing for the residents who already live in a decent manner, and not driving them away.
Perhaps they could plow the money from the speedhumps into a worthwhile scheme which will actually help and protect the residents instead of inconveniencing and irritating them? How about CCTV to catch the drivers who hit other cars, the drug deals that take place from houses in the area, the people that steal from cars, and those that vandalise them? In the two and a half years we have lived here, we have had two cars broken into, one car vandalised and one hit twice by other vehicles. In each case, except the vandalism, the police have been called and despite the fact we knew who had hit the car on both occasions, they said that due to lack of evidence they could do nothing about it unless the drivers confessed. Excuse me? Two witnesses and matching paint is a lack of evidence?!
It was suggested that I should attend the monthly meeting of the residents group. Unfortunately, I do not see sitting in a room with a group of like minded people who are set in their views that they hold no responsibility for their children and that it is drivers at fault as my idea of a fun evening.
I would welcome the views from the community group, and other residents, I’m sure we can’t be alone in feeling the way we do.
Yours truly,
T Wright"
Perhaps calling them busybodies (repeatedly!) doesn't help my case, but thats how I feel!
"Dear Sir,
Following my conversation with the local community busybodies, I feel compelled to write to share some of my thoughts.
I am a resident in Parkfield, Stockton, in the area which has just undergone a ‘face-lift’.
Following a letter from the council informing us that they were looking at the area with a view to installing speed-bumps and such, I spoke to the community ‘spokes-people’, and commented that perhaps they would be better dealing with real traffic issues, such as parking. People frequently park blocking the alleys which residents, particularly those living on Sun Street, use as access as Sun Street is a dead-end, and even though the roads are narrow, people park a distance from the kerb, making passing difficult, sometimes impossible. My car has been hit on several occasions.
The response was that the speed humps were needed to protect the children in the area. I replied that perhaps if the children were not playing in the road in the first place, this would not be an issue. The answer? That the children had nowhere else to play. I’m sorry, but have I dreamt the recent improvements of Ropner Park and ‘Riggy’s Rec’, both within a few minutes walk? I suggested that perhaps parents should show a little responsibility and take their children to the park, and the two ladies, both mothers, said ‘I’m not taking my children there’ – no reason given, so presumably, their laziness.
I pointed out that the road is for cars, not ball games and that my car and living room window, along with other cars and windows are frequently hit by balls, causing damage. “Make a complaint” they responded. To who? The mothers that let their 5 year old children wander the streets at 9pm, as does happen – I’m sure they’ll take a lot of notice.
I then asked about how I am to drive out of the estate – we own a car that is naturally low to the ground and wont physically clear a speed hump at any speed. Their answer was to sell it. So we now must own a car which fits their standards to live in this area?
No doubt there will be people writing to correct me on this, but as has been seen on countless other estates, speed humps don’t deter the people they are put in place for, they merely prove a challenge, where racers see how fast they can speed up between humps before having to brake again – that will really help ‘protect the children’.
Don’t get me wrong, I am the mother of a little boy, and I don’t want him put in danger either, but then my son wont be allowed to play on a road, and will be taught a little road sense – perhaps many of the residents round here need to be taught some common sense?
Finally, we recently had a ‘community agreement’ put through our door to sign. This contained items such as ‘I will endeavour to be a good neighbour’, “I will make sure my children behave in a respectful way’, ‘I will drive carefully’. A little patronising in my view. Do they really think that the people who are currently not abiding by these ‘rules’ are going to sign a piece of paper and then become a wonderful neighbour? I think not. How do parents ensure their children are behaving in a respectful way when they are playing in the road two street away?!
All this, along with the experiences we have had living in Parkfield have made us determined to move. Then perhaps, when the house is bought by some landlord who doesn’t care about who is in the area as he doesn’t have to live here, and the likes of recent residents in the street are moved in – such as the two houses of drug dealers – the community busybodies will rethink their ‘community agreements’ and road safety schemes, and tackle the issues that matter, such as caring and providing for the residents who already live in a decent manner, and not driving them away.
Perhaps they could plow the money from the speedhumps into a worthwhile scheme which will actually help and protect the residents instead of inconveniencing and irritating them? How about CCTV to catch the drivers who hit other cars, the drug deals that take place from houses in the area, the people that steal from cars, and those that vandalise them? In the two and a half years we have lived here, we have had two cars broken into, one car vandalised and one hit twice by other vehicles. In each case, except the vandalism, the police have been called and despite the fact we knew who had hit the car on both occasions, they said that due to lack of evidence they could do nothing about it unless the drivers confessed. Excuse me? Two witnesses and matching paint is a lack of evidence?!
It was suggested that I should attend the monthly meeting of the residents group. Unfortunately, I do not see sitting in a room with a group of like minded people who are set in their views that they hold no responsibility for their children and that it is drivers at fault as my idea of a fun evening.
I would welcome the views from the community group, and other residents, I’m sure we can’t be alone in feeling the way we do.
Yours truly,
T Wright"
Welcome back WD, long time no see.
If your fighting speedbumps, the only way is to gather a petition of residents that the scheme will effect. If you can manage it, attend all local meetings and voice your opinions - it's you that will have to take up the fight, no one else will do it. You'll have to argue that you represent the majority and not let one or two loud mouth wingers take it upon themselves to be your estate's representatives.
Those that shout loudest etc......
If your fighting speedbumps, the only way is to gather a petition of residents that the scheme will effect. If you can manage it, attend all local meetings and voice your opinions - it's you that will have to take up the fight, no one else will do it. You'll have to argue that you represent the majority and not let one or two loud mouth wingers take it upon themselves to be your estate's representatives.
Those that shout loudest etc......
Hiya Byff,
The busybodies asked if I had made an objection, and when I said we had, they said 'oh well', they've gone with the majority'.
Of the 16 houses in our road, only 6 own cars - not really a good start for a petition as the apathy from the non-car owners is likely to be high. Also, two houses are empty, and about half are the type of people who I am objecting to - next door has a 5 year old boy who shouts and swears at her and in the street, and plays out until god knows what time, either several streets away, or in our road with lots of his chavvy kid mates and their balls.
Unfortunately, as for the residents meetings, I get quite tongue-tied when I am wound up and end up tripping over my words and would end up just getting flustered and upset as I wouldn't be able to get my point across, hence putting the letter in the paper.
It really is infuriating, but until we can afford to move, I am going to fight them for my right to be able to live and drive in flipping peace!
The busybodies asked if I had made an objection, and when I said we had, they said 'oh well', they've gone with the majority'.
Of the 16 houses in our road, only 6 own cars - not really a good start for a petition as the apathy from the non-car owners is likely to be high. Also, two houses are empty, and about half are the type of people who I am objecting to - next door has a 5 year old boy who shouts and swears at her and in the street, and plays out until god knows what time, either several streets away, or in our road with lots of his chavvy kid mates and their balls.
Unfortunately, as for the residents meetings, I get quite tongue-tied when I am wound up and end up tripping over my words and would end up just getting flustered and upset as I wouldn't be able to get my point across, hence putting the letter in the paper.
It really is infuriating, but until we can afford to move, I am going to fight them for my right to be able to live and drive in flipping peace!
The questions to ask are "what are you trying to achieve"?
GOVERNMENT FIGURES PROVE SPEED HUMPS DO NOT SAVE ANY LIVES
So are they
a Trying to give everyone cancer as the emmisions increase by 7 fold in areas where speed humps are constructed and diesel engines emit the two most carcinogenic substances known to mankind.
b Trying to kill the elderly and vulnerable? In London alone 900 people per year are killed by speed humps preventing the emergency services reaching them
c Trying to injure firemen and ambulance crews. Many are off sick as a result of injuries sustained from speed humps.
d Simply trying to create dangerous cars by smashing suspensions?
e Trying to kill poor people? poorer areas tend to have speed humps and more people die in these areas
f Trying to damage housing as speed humps damage foundations
Hope that helps.
GOVERNMENT FIGURES PROVE SPEED HUMPS DO NOT SAVE ANY LIVES
So are they
a Trying to give everyone cancer as the emmisions increase by 7 fold in areas where speed humps are constructed and diesel engines emit the two most carcinogenic substances known to mankind.
b Trying to kill the elderly and vulnerable? In London alone 900 people per year are killed by speed humps preventing the emergency services reaching them
c Trying to injure firemen and ambulance crews. Many are off sick as a result of injuries sustained from speed humps.
d Simply trying to create dangerous cars by smashing suspensions?
e Trying to kill poor people? poorer areas tend to have speed humps and more people die in these areas
f Trying to damage housing as speed humps damage foundations
Hope that helps.
You might like to edit out your street, at the very least, our kid... 
Edit -
PLOW!? PLOW!!!???? God's teeth girl, did I not send you to the best school bribes could buy? Yet you reward me with Americanisms like this? Wash your keyboard out with soap and vodka THIS INSTANT!
Edit again - your website's not working
Love, Dad.
>> Edited by wedg1e on Monday 14th November 01:14
Edit -
PLOW!? PLOW!!!???? God's teeth girl, did I not send you to the best school bribes could buy? Yet you reward me with Americanisms like this? Wash your keyboard out with soap and vodka THIS INSTANT! Edit again - your website's not working
Love, Dad.
>> Edited by wedg1e on Monday 14th November 01:14
Two solution to this problem;
1) Claim the dole, make money by selling drugs on the black economy.......
2) Give up, there's nothing that can be done anyway.
I grieve with you.
We had one of the three unemployed young single mums, that share a house at the end of our road (next to the drug dealer), lying in the middle of the road screaming blue murder at three in the morning. Her boyfreind (I think) was just shouting at her, that she better get back inside "before the pigs turn up". Just yesterday.
I wouldn't normally have listened, but I couldn't help but hear. They're trying to take her daughter away (don'tcha know). That lasted for about ten minutes until the rest of her drunk mates staggered along makinging a very inebriated and loud sound, scraped her off the floor and dragged her and her boyfriend into the house.
The drug dealers are usually quite inoffensive, by comparison!
Then the stereo came on at full tilt.
1) Claim the dole, make money by selling drugs on the black economy.......
2) Give up, there's nothing that can be done anyway.
I grieve with you.
We had one of the three unemployed young single mums, that share a house at the end of our road (next to the drug dealer), lying in the middle of the road screaming blue murder at three in the morning. Her boyfreind (I think) was just shouting at her, that she better get back inside "before the pigs turn up". Just yesterday.
I wouldn't normally have listened, but I couldn't help but hear. They're trying to take her daughter away (don'tcha know). That lasted for about ten minutes until the rest of her drunk mates staggered along makinging a very inebriated and loud sound, scraped her off the floor and dragged her and her boyfriend into the house.
The drug dealers are usually quite inoffensive, by comparison!
Then the stereo came on at full tilt.
wedg1e said:
You might like to edit out your street, at the very least, our kid...
_I_ never said I lived there!
wedg1e said:
Edit -
Erm...
can't even blame alcohol, had only had one! Has yours survived the lager, or are you still suffering from stiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiickiiiiiiiiiiing keys? wedg1e said:
Edit again - your website's not working
Works fine for me, have you got the right address?
Unfortunately (following the comment about speed humps in poorer areas), we live in what is seen as an underpriviliged area, so are forever plagued by Surestart schemes inviting me to pebble painting sessions, and community support officers raiding the rubbish when it is out too early (not done by us, but they make more mess by routing through it, leaving binbags open!); despite the fact that dieselnut probably owns more on his own than three average households round here put together. Unfortunately, the way house prices round here have gone, we simply cannot afford to move at the moment, or rather, we can move but it would be either to somewhere similar. The estate agent was recommending Roseworth..... a large council estate where about half are now privately owned, but the half that are still council owned still hold a large enough number of scrotes to make the area undesirable. (yes, I'm a snob, but I'm not knocking council estates! I grew up on one! I simply like to go to bed on a night and wake to find my possesions where I left them!)
I digress.
I will try and edit the letter down, I thought it looked a little long (about a page and a half of A4!) but haven't done a word count. It is just so infuriating that they are already decided. Why ask for public opinion if they aree then going to take no notice?! Despite a page long objection, stating that we would be unable to drive the car (a Robin Hood) and points about how speed humps encourage drivers going even faster between the humps and the damage to cars (if my flipping exhaust comes off once more....) we never even had a response, not even an "thank you for your opinions, unfortunately following consideration, blah.." .
i think you should have gone to the public meetings, at least then your objections would be on record. you might have found someone there with similar opinions to yourself, and at least then they'd know that there were people who didn't like the idea.
look at if from their point of view " anyone object to us putting speed bumps in?"......"no?...ok carried unanimously".....at least if you'd have been there they'd have known.
look at if from their point of view " anyone object to us putting speed bumps in?"......"no?...ok carried unanimously".....at least if you'd have been there they'd have known.
Many boroughs are removing speed bumps because they cause drivers to choose other less appropriate routes where children had previously been relatively safe playing on the road. The other major issue is ambulance and fire service response time impact. Speed bumps are considered a hazard in their own right with people concentrating on slowing down and speeding up all the time leaving less brainpower to concentrate on children. Lewisham, borough of London, has had to remove their speed bumps because the number of car related incidents increased significantly after installation and the council was pursued for compensation because an ambulance late arrival.
eccles said:
i think you should have gone to the public meetings, at least then your objections would be on record. you might have found someone there with similar opinions to yourself, and at least then they'd know that there were people who didn't like the idea.
look at if from their point of view " anyone object to us putting speed bumps in?"......"no?...ok carried unanimously".....at least if you'd have been there they'd have known.
It was done by way of a letter from the council stating the plans and giving you a form to send back if you objected, which we did. I am tempted to go to the next one, but as I said before, I get wound up easily and end up making things worse!
i know how you feel about publicly stating your objections...
have had to do a similar thing when the council where wanting to knock down my house...
was getting increasingly wound up and the bullcrap pouring from their gobs i had to stand up... i was passed the mic and delivered my piece infront of 500 angry folk who also objected... was very nerve racking! but it got my point accross
have had to do a similar thing when the council where wanting to knock down my house...
was getting increasingly wound up and the bullcrap pouring from their gobs i had to stand up... i was passed the mic and delivered my piece infront of 500 angry folk who also objected... was very nerve racking! but it got my point accross
For the next meeting make up a lot of posters and plaster them all over the entrance and hand them out inside. On the poster should be a picture of a potentially dead child/old person and in big letters the slogan. SPEED BUMPS KILL THE VULNERABLE. And then all the reasons why that is true as posted further up. This way all you have to do is say. "I refer you to my poster" when asked any numpty questions.
heres a good pic to use...
>> Edited by Munter on Monday 14th November 16:47
heres a good pic to use...
>> Edited by Munter on Monday 14th November 16:47
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