A PARKING PUZZLE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 123, 27 May 1930, Page 11

A PARKING PUZZLE

FIRE PLUGS AND .WHITE LINES

(By Teleflraph.) (Special to "The Eveninfl Post.")

PALMERSTON N., This Day.

Recently when the Pahnerston North Fire Brigade was called to Buppress a fire, it found that a car had been parked over a fire plug and the firemen -were obliged to make a hurried removal of gear to the next nearest plug. This caused delay, and the subsequent appearance of the ofiending car' owner in. tlip Court. Since then a look-out has been kept for cars parked over plugs,, with the result that several car owners were before the, Gourt yesterday. Senior Sergeant Whitehouse stated that 'the prosecutions had been brought at the. request of. the fire brigade more as a warning. Mr. M. Abraham, who appeared for one of the defendants, contended that motorists were invited to park over plugs by the borough authorities, who had. drawn white lines on the road in between which cars were supposed to park. In several instances the fire plugs were iv between these lines. . . . ■ , • Senior Sergeant Whitehouse stated that the plugs, were definitely marked and in any case.the lines were drawn to show the angle at which cars were to park, npt where. . ' Mr. Abraham referred to the regulations which, he contended, gave motorists authority to park anywhere that "stands" were allocated. Senior Sergeant: "But you can't park over a fire plug." His Worship: "I hope it doesn't say that." His Worship perused the: regulations iv an endeavour to elucidate the position. He thought the only places that could be called "stands" under the regulations were the recognised permanent areas between" ther coloured lights. A ''stand'1 was something different from mere author ity to park say for 20 minutes. Mr. M'Leavey, who appear for. another defendant, thought differently—that the 20 minutes areas were just limited "stands." His Worship: "You have a right to park anywhere apart from regulations, and in certain places there is a time limit." However, it might be' that on some of the. permanent areas there ..were fire \plugs. The "20 minutes'^ was only a limitation of the common law right to use the street. Perhaps the only safe way would be to draw a line around the fire plugs and mark it "no parking." Mr. M'Leavey said that the present lines, were very deceptive, and constituted a trap. ~ "I expect wo will have a deputation from the fire brigade to have the regulatiou altered. I think it should be altered or the borough should cut out a piece of the paiking area and put down a few more white lines. Perhaps a line three feet away on each side would do unless the brigade wants a full twelve feet to work iv," he added. Mr. J. A. Grant pointed out that there were so many fire plugs in RangitikeJ street that if they were cut out there would jbe -no parking area left. His Worship then ruled that the "stands" referred to must be permanent ones, and convicted and ordered to pay uosts, Morris A. Black, Queerie IS. . G Phillips, Mervyn A, Keeling, and •A. Mackrass. . They had parked over plugs on the 20 minutes areas. Charges against too others who had left | cars in "permanent" parks, wore dismissed.