Madam, - Last week, on our way to Herbert Park, my colleague and I came across two clampers at their merry work. They were preparing to clamp a car which was slightly over its parking space and intruding on double yellow lines close to the park entrance. It was not blocking the entrance and it had a disabled driver's sticker - as we pointed out to the two men. But it made no difference - they simply repeated a prepared mantra about illegal parking. On her way back my colleague noticed the elderly driver, who was clearly distressed.
I accept there have to be parking regulations but I do not want to live in an Ireland where any minor breach of regulations is penalised blindly and uncaringly. This private clamping company makes its money through punishing people and so has a vested interest in maximising the number of offenders. I didn't vote for this system. Did anyone?
I think future generations may have the same scorn for some of our present regulations as we have for the past excesses of the Catholic Church. Is there no place for civic kindness any more? - Yours, etc,
MÁIRÍDE WOODS, Del Val Avenue, Sutton, Dublin 13.