Why Did London Police Blow Up a Tourist's Car and Issue a Parking Ticket?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the incident where a tourist's car was blown up by anti-terrorist police in London after it broke down near significant landmarks, and the subsequent issuance of a parking ticket. Participants explore themes of police response, public safety, and the implications of parking regulations in a high-security area.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express disbelief at the tourist's decision to leave a broken-down car unattended while sightseeing, questioning the rationale behind such actions.
  • Concerns are raised about whether the tourist's name, race, and religion influenced the police's decision to blow up the car, with some arguing that these factors should not be relevant.
  • Others suggest that the police acted appropriately given the location of the car near Parliament, emphasizing the importance of public safety in high-risk areas.
  • Participants debate the fairness of issuing a parking ticket in this context, with some defending the enforcement of parking regulations while others criticize the police's handling of the situation.
  • There are remarks about the general harshness of London's parking environment and the challenges faced by drivers in the city.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the appropriateness of the police's actions or the tourist's behavior. Multiple competing views remain regarding the implications of the incident and the factors influencing the police response.

Contextual Notes

Participants express various assumptions about the motivations and responsibilities of both the tourist and the police, highlighting the complexities of urban parking regulations and security measures.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals concerned with urban safety, law enforcement practices, and the implications of parking regulations in high-security areas.

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...by anti-terrorist police and then given a parking ticket.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18447470

A London tourist had his car blown up by anti-terrorist officers after it broke down - and he was also given a parking ticket.

Nima Hosseini Razi, 32, said his Ford Mondeo had broken down in early hours of Wednesday close to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

He said he had left a note on the car to say: "This car is broke. Please do not fine me," before going sightseeing.

But when he returned hours later, "the boot was blown off".

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We can confirm there was a suspect vehicle at Storey's Gate at 10.20am on Wednesday and a controlled explosion took place... the incident was subsequently deemed as non-suspicious."

Westminster Conservative Councillor Daniel Astaire said: "On this occasion the driver was parked in a very dangerous place, on yellow lines, so police instructed our parking attendant to issue the driver with a ticket."

'Extremely arrogant'
Mr Razi, who is studying for an MBA at the University of Wales, said he had left a note on his car explaining: "Dear Sir or Madam, this car is broken. I am just waiting for the AA to arrive. Please do not fine! Thank you, yours sincerely."

He said he had gone off to visit some of London's sights, including Buckingham Palace, but when he returned to the car "the windows were smashed in pieces. I was completely shocked".

"Police wanted to remove the car. They covered the car with some of my stuff left in it.

"On the window, they had fined me."

He added: "The police's actions were extremely arrogant and unprofessional.

"They treated me like a terrorist. They were never interested in listening to my real story."

Scotland Yard has not responded to Mr Razi's comments.
 
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If someone is arrogant here it is Mr. Razi.

I find it hard to believe someone can be that naive at 32.
 
Well I have parked in London once, twice actually and I know for sure that there are issues with that. Never in the field of human conflict have so many owed so many parking fines to so few. It's a real mafia.
 
Could his name, race and religion have quickened the decision?
 
He was likely casing the district to see if a car bomb would work there.

Nobody breaks down and "goes sightseeing." They get their car properly towed to a service station.
 
This is brilliant.
 
Maui said:
Could his name, race and religion have quickened the decision?

You mean name, race and religion of the car, or the owner that abandoned the car and was nowhere to be seen?
 
He went sightseeing for hours instead of waiting for the tow truck? :rolleyes:
 
Maui said:
Could his name, race and religion have quickened the decision?
Since when are race and religion on a car title? Is there something that you know that the rest of us don't?
 
  • #10
Evo said:
He went sightseeing for hours instead of waiting for the tow truck? :rolleyes:

Exactly.
 
  • #11
London's quite a harsh place for cars thanks to there being so many of them in a densely populated city that wasn't really designed for them. So I don't have much sympathy for people who get fines unless there is a good reason for them to object.

But leaving a car parked near parliament in a clearly marked area is moronic. It's as bad as leaving your bag unattended in an airport and then being annoyed that it was destroyed.
 
  • #12
Here is the London parking story that would explain my previous post.

Note that I won the court case
 
  • #13
This doesn't seem like a PWA related topic.

Borek said:
You mean name, race and religion of the car, or the owner that abandoned the car and was nowhere to be seen?

Shouldn't you be able to tell the owner's name from license plate?
 
  • #14
rootX said:
This doesn't seem like a PWA related topic.



Shouldn't you be able to tell the owner's name from license plate?

No. You can only tell what entity the car is registered to. Could be a Jane Doe, Hertz Car Rental Inc., etc.
 
  • #15
Antiphon said:
No. You can only tell what entity the car is registered to. Could be a Jane Doe, Hertz Car Rental Inc., etc.
Or a Jimmy Snyder. For this reason, if for no other, I will not abandon my disabled car near Parliament in London and expect the windshield wipers to work as well as they used to.
 
  • #16
Hey! Mr. Razi wasn't a total moron... at least he didn't leave a baby in a broken down Ford in front of Parliament.
 

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