Here goes, I wasnt going to go on about this but its been a week and Im still p1$$ed off.
Last week saw the return of Doctor Who to BBC1. Great stuff, fantastic, brilliant. A joyous event to my son and I.
So, last November was the shows 50th anniversary special and we watched it at the cinema because it was a one off event, even though the show was on tv. BBC decide to have this series first show as a special and also give it a cinema screening because we have a new Doctor etc. The choice is to watch it at home or shell out for the extortionate vue cinema. Now my son really wanted to go, despite a few misgivings because it was on tv for free (Licence Fee aside) I thought why not, you dont see your favorite show (Only Fools And Horses aside) on the big screen once in a lifetime, let alone twice in a year and it'll be a nice thing to do on a Saturday night. Bit frustrated feeling the Beeb are mugging us off a bit, but never mind, as long as they dont make it a habit.
The cinema and show was great, thats not my gripe.
We left our house in plenty of time, we even could have walked, we got near town and found an exceptionally high volume of traffic, b0ll0ck$ I thought. A severe lack of parking spaces, nothing anywhere, seafront blocked off. Also though, side roads where you can usually park are coned off.
Why?Too late now to go back home then walk.
There are cars parked all up Garfield Road, empty spaces also, but its all double yellows and loading. There is no clear information whether you can park there after a certain time or not, so I thought bettter leave it, will probably get a ticket here, they all might. o:)
Why not use a car park you ask, well no change is my reply. How many times have you gone out, needed to park but had no change, loads probably. These car parks and roadside pay machines really p1$$ me off, they want your money, but dont make it easy. The car park in Torquay at fleetwalk is great, you get a token, park up, pay before you leave, you have a chance to get change if needed and you pay for the time you are actually there, they should all be like that. Also, by now, why arent all car park or pay machines in general capable of taking payment by card, it would be so much better. Hang on, thats too forward thinking for Torbay isnt it.
T0$$er$!
"Sweating now, palpitations, panic, times getting on, dont want to disappoint the lad, gonna miss the start at this rate, musnt disappoint the lad, still dont know why town is this busy. Eventually tried Adelphi Road, which is usually full. Loads of spaces, jackpot. Hang on, too good to be true. This part of the road says permit holders, how longs it been like this? BUGGER!
Wait, other cars are parked here, no permits on them. Oh look another sign, Pay And Display and Permits 8am-6pm. Ahhh, thats alright then, quick, run then boy, lets get to the cinema."
2 hours later - Back to the car, guess what? A b@$t@rd, F**king parking ticket!
At 20:15, what time do these $h1t head traffic wardens sodding work til on a Saturday night for f**ks sake? All I could think was some sad, interfering old crone rung up the parking services and called them out because of the zone I was in. It was virtually empty for Christs sake,why the bloody hell do they need permits for night time if its not going to be full, there was hardly a car left on the road, in the day time yes, I can understand that. But also, why for f**ks sake, why 2 contrasting signs so close together, why isnt it at least clear. I didnt do it on purpose, I wasnt just being an ignorant, arrogant d1ck by ignoring the rules and flounting the law, I genuinely thought it was okay.
The thing I was so goody 2 shoes about earlier and tried so hard and purposefully to avoid, being the good law abiding citizen that I am has actually sodding well happened hasnt it.
Victor Meldrew moment ensues - " I dont f**king believe it!
So after much kicking off, moaning, swearing, raging, I went home and checked out the Heralds website to see what had been going on in town,
F**KING FIREWORKS AGAIN! For about the 10th time this summer, what the bloody hells wrong with them,
we used to have one big display in the summer, BLOODY ONE. All we hear is how tight things are, council funds, cuts, council tax, blah, blah, blah.
T0$$er$!
But, why, why, why were a few roads where people usually park safely - they are out of the way and no health and safety issue, why were they coned off?
Was it purposely to restrict the amount of parking, knowing the amount of people there would be needing a space, especially tourists and visitors thus possibly confusing them into parking somewhere they shouldnt, thus gleefully giving them a parking ticket and fleecing them of a £ 35-£70 fine. Now I realise why the parking services were working so late, rubbing their bloody hands.
T0$$er$!
So call me stupid, say Im a cock for watching Doctor Who and paying to see it at the cinema, or Im a lazy fat b@$t@rd and I should have walked, tell me I should have left home sooner and Im a moron because I should have been aware of events on in my own town which may affect my plans, you could even inform me I should know parking signs and regulations better. :Oops:
WHATEVER! Its just, I cant help feeling really aggrieved and p!$$ed off that the parking situation in town, the pay and display machines, the parking signs and fining was $h1t, bordering on bloody highway robbery, the disorganisation of it all and its like a dictatorship. The whole over the top fireworks thing is b0ll0ck$ and the health and safety gone mad that goes with it.
So, what was a nice Saturday night out , Doctor Who at the cinema, Capaldis proper debut (12), father and son time with the buhy was ruined by all this $h1t, and the worst part is - a bloody 75 minute tv programme which would have cost nothing to watch in the comfort of my own home, has cost me over £50 to bloody watch!
Yeah, go on, laugh it up you b@$t@rd$, laugh it up!