Parking Cowboys in the news!

Well not exactly, but it seems the Daily Mail has taken inspiration from us in naming its latest campaign. The Mail like to think they were behind the clamping ban, and so they have now started the campaign against the Parking Cowboys. This week they have published a number of articles exposing the behaviour of private parking firms, including people unfairly ticketed in hospital car parks and fast food restaurants, and targeting of the vulnerable.

Not all of the guidance and explanation has been accurate, but at least it is getting attention – hopefully enough for the Government to start clamping down on the industry (no pun intended…).

Now for many of us, this isn’t news, this has been going on for years with sites like this trying to expose it. However, the Daily Mail have a great ability to bring it to the public attention. It seems that it’s already had some success with McDonalds reportedly considering sacking their parking ‘management’ company, and Eric Pickles launching a Government investigation.

The British Parking Association have clearly been rattled by the bad publicity, and have responded in their usual immature way with press releases and blog articles that don’t answer the criticism, and use false logic in order to blame everyone else. For example:

• The straw man: “So, what does the Daily Mail want? To pull down the adjudication process that more than 30,000 motorists have been able to access since 2012?”
• The slippery slope: “Or does it want to get rid of all private parking operators and leave land-owners unprotected?”
• The ad hominem: “The Daily Mail is a follower, not a leader”
• The tu quoque: “The real ‘rogues’ here are Government for its failure to properly regulate and the Daily Mail for its ill-conceived populist campaigns”

(The comments on the blog article are particularly amusing to read)

All in all, an entertaining week. Let’s hope this triggers the Governmant into finally giving the Parking Cowboys the kick up the backside they need.