This article talks about a clamped motorist who turned the tables on the over-zealous clamper who put no less than three clamps on his car. Somehow detaching the clamps, he drove off, then texted the clamper saying it would cost him $150 to get the clamps back.
The motorist was charged by the police, but discharged by the court. Even the police prosecutor and judge said that three clamps on one car was over the top.
But this raises a larger issue of the point of clamping. Let's say that a car is occupying a parking spot illegally. Towing the car away frees up that spot for others to use (hopefully legally). But clamping a car has the exact opposite effect: the car cannot be moved without removing the clamps. This ties up the parking space even longer, as the driver has to contact the clamper, wait for them to return to the car, hand over the money (if they can even get the cash), then wait while the clamp is removed.
Clamps are entirely a mechanism for generating revenue.
Peter Tohu (the motorist in this story) is my Hero of the Week!
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