VCS East Midlands airport signs thread

[FTMDave]

In a fortnight's time I have a flight into East Midlands Airport in the morning.

 

I'll be on my tod, with very little baggage and essentially nothing to do all day.

 

So I thought to put what little baggage I'll have on a trolley and then go a-wandering to take as many photos as possible and take as many notes as possible about Simple Simon's signs.

 

With being on foot I won't be able to take snaps of what motorists see when entering the airport complex.  However, there are free buses which link the airport to the further car parks so i might as well go there too and see what there is.

 

With luck I might be able to photograph the spy car creep who delights in photographing car drivers.  I bet they won't like taking some of their own medicine!  Does anyone know if VCS spy cars have any markings? 

 

Any tips on what to do would be well appreciated!

[lookinforinfo]

I thought they were now supposed to wear some sort of livery indicating who they were working for. I know that will have to happen when the new Parking Code of practice comes into force though I think that at least on of either BPA or IPC already have it included in their Codes of Practice.

Perhaps if you can stand near a zebra crossing where there is No Stopping  it might reveal the spies............

[Nicky Boy]

Pic from their website looks like a liveried camera van?

VCS Van.pdf

[FTMDave]

Thanks to you both.  I will bear all this in mind.

[FTMDave]

Yes! VCS's bod threatening to call the police on me. Hilarious morning. More later

[Nicky Boy]

How "threatening" was the bod?

 

IPC COP extract

27.1 Operators must ensure that all their operatives, servants or agents always maintain a professional standard of behaviour when carrying out their duties and comply with the rule of law at all times.

[FTMDave]

She didn't swear or raise her voice, but after speeding off she returned to lie about having been to the police, and indeed stopped in a no-stopping area to do so which I told her was forbidden. 

 

I'm on the bus from EMA to Nottingham at the moment but will enjoy reporting back to you all this evening. 

[honeybee13]

I can't wait, Dave. 

 

HB

[Nicky Boy]

How unprofessional

 

Looking forward to a full report...

[dx100uk]

good work.. told ya they'd call the police how funny...

 

dx

 

[lookinforinfo]

I think you'll find that police,traffic wardens and the fleecers  can park in such areas that we lesser human beings cannot but I am sure it would have ruffled her feathers.

[FTMDave]

Well, firstly I had a look at signage.  In the PDF below, for every sign there is firstly how it looks from a distance, and then close up.

 

The part of Viscount Road that runs from the departures terminal up to the first roundabout going towards the medium and long-stay car parks.  Driving towards the airport there is single sign, placed next to a much larger sign.  No mention of VCS on it.  There are the double red lines everywhere.

 

Driving away from the airport the single sign is ludicrously on the other side of the road!  Still no mention of VCS.

 

There is also a bus stop there.  I know nothing about art or communication, but I would have put an image of a parked car with a red cross over it.  Simple Simon has gone for a big pic of a bus.  There is a tiny mention of VCS in the smallest of small print.

 

Now from that point away from the airport to long stay car park 1.  I counted 7 signs facing the driver, 3 signs not, then at certain point the bus went up a bus only part away from the main road but there seemed to be a lot more signs with virtually all facing the driver.  In this section it would be difficult to say you hadn't seen the signs.

 

From long stay car park 1 to the airport I counted 6 signs facing the driver, 14 not.  To give Simon his due, a lot of the 14 signs were at the entrance to businesses to discourage anyone from parking there.

 

So it's not a case of Simon carp, CAG great.  It some parts of the airport the signage is acceptable.  In some parts not.

 

I'm jumping ahead of time here, but when getting the coach later towards Nottingham there were lots of signs in what would be the entrance to the whole airport complex.  Mind you, at this point you can't stop, turn round and reject the "no stopping" prohibition.  Anyway, I digress, back to the order of events.

 

I was about to wander off for a well-deserved lunch but I remembered LFI's comment about a zebra crossing.  Well there isn't one, but there is a BP garage a couple of minutes' walk from arrivals where it's obvious there might be pick ups or drop offs.  There are no signs at either entrance, although there is a tiny one when leaving the garage.  At this point I noticed an air hostess waiting to be picked up, so decided to wait a few minutes.  Boy, were VCS not to disappoint.  More in part 2 ...

VCS signs EMA.pdf

[FTMDave]

Within seconds the spy car appeared from behind the BP garage.

 

dx said to walk round the car filming it, but actually only three photos were needed.  VCS's bod rolled down the window and the following conversation ensued.

 

Her - Why are you taking photos of me sir?

Me - That's what you do.

Her - I wasn't taking photos of you sir.

Me - I'm doing work for people who are in legal dispute with the company you work for.

Her - I want your name and address.

Me - You won't be getting it, you're not a police officer.

Her - I'm doing my job.

Me -. I'm doing work for people who are in legal dispute with the company you work for.

 

I'm pretty rubbish with mobiles but at this point it clicked with me I should be filming this, so lifted up the phone to do so and she put the accelerator on.

 

Her - I'm getting the police.

Me - I'll wait here.

 

At this point I saw the air hostess being picked up and also a young man being collected by his partner.  I would have warned them had I not been distracted by talking to VCS's bod.  The only hope is that I put her off from taking photos of them.

 

You'll all be unsurprised to know that 15 meat wagons did not come roaring round the corner to drag me off to the nick.  After 10 minutes I got bored and started to walk towards the airport, but after a couple of minutes she did drive up and stop next to me.

 

Her - They are aware of it now.

Me - You've stopped!  This is no-stopping area.

 

At this point the accelerator was on again and she disappeared into the short stay car park while waving her arm out of the window at me.

 

Any suggestions for a follow up would be welcome.

 

However, the police won't be bothered about a 10-second parking offence which I can't prove.

 

VCS would judge themselves although it would be fun to complain to them.

 

Perhaps the airport authorities are a better bet.  However, I wouldn't really want to cause this woman any bother, she's just a small cog in Simple Simon's organisation.  But comments welcome.

 

A fun morning!

VCS spy car EMA.pdf

[dx100uk]

easiest thing to do is stand infront filming her obscuring the cars number plate she is after.

there is absolutely nothing anyone can do, you are entitled to be there and are tbh in the same boat as her, she can do exactly the same as your film, but cant stop you and neither can any authority. you can film in public what the eye can see as she is, .    

 

dx

[Nicky Boy]

Because you can obviously stop your vehicle there, it looks like the garage forecourt is an ideal drop off and pick up point.

[dx100uk]

@FTMDave

 

now this guys a bit frontal and of course purposefully exacts a reaction else the grifting does not make money

but his understanding of the laws and the simple phrasing of it is correct to the letter of the law if you ignore the downright confrontational aspect.

 

the simple phrases are what you can use

 

PJ Audits - YouTube

[FTMDave]

Do we have an e-mail address for EMA or for the company that really runs EMA?  All I've found is the carpy web form.

 

It's to send this to (any comments welcome) -

 

 

Dear Sirs,

on Friday 21 April for legal reasons I took three photographs in quick succession of the "Road Safety Unit" car run by Vehicle Control Services Ltd.

VCS of course are the company you employ to manage the "No Stopping" area of the airport which they do by taking photographs of motorists.  They are by far & away the most litigious of the private parking companies.

The reaction of the driver was to speed away after shouting "I'm getting the police" and she later returned and followed me up the road that leads from the BP garage towards arrivals before pulling over, stopping and repeating the same story about the police being "aware" of me.

The matter of the police is a minor one as her story was obviously complete nonsense.  It is not illegal to take photographs.  No complaint to the police had been made.  To complain to the police about photographs being taken makes as much sense as complaining to the police that last Friday was wet and windy.

Much more important is the following.  Motorists who stop in the entrances of local businesses or at the BP garage are being inconsiderate, but they are not endangering anyone.  The VCS driver pulled over, on an open road, deep within the No-Stopping area, and without indicating, which was a danger to other drivers.  This is a criminal offence under the Road Traffic Acts and the airport bye-laws.

You must be aware of the reputation of VCS who regularly start court claims they have no hope of winning as an attempt to intimidate motorists who are frightened of the court process into paying.  They lose 80% of defended court cases which shows that motorists who pay are paying money they do not owe - and anyone who stands up to them like me gets followed, accused of crimes I haven't committed, and more importantly, road users are put in danger.

I realise the driver involved is a small cog in VCS's machine and I do not really want anything negative to happen to her.

However, I would appreciate it if you would explain whether you find it acceptable that the company you employ breaks the law and puts other motorists in danger -. and what you are going to do about it.

I attach copies of the initial photos of the vehicle in question.

Best regards,

XXXXX 

[lookinforinfo]

The CEO of East Midlands airport is Steve Griffiths but I cannot find and email addy for him. That airport is part of the Manchester airport group, the Managing Director  of which is Ian Costigan. [email protected]

[FTMDave]

Thanks LFI!

[Nicky Boy]

If you're on linkedin, you could contact him...

 

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/stevegriffiths1

[FTMDave]

Mail sent to Ian Costigan with a request that it be forwarded to Steve Griffiths if I have e-mailed the wrong person.

 

The subject title is "East Midlands Airport - Vehicle Control Services - dangerous driving".

[FTMDave]

Yesterday, having received no reply from Ian Costigan or his team I tried to contact EMA through their web form several times with two different browsers and it didn't work. A message sent on FB asking for an e-mail address was met with a refusal.

 

However, I got this e-mail this morning from someone who had been forwarded the e-mail to Ian Costigan -

 

Dear Mr XXXXX,

By way of introduction, my name is Edward and I am the Customer Feedback Manager for East Midlands Airport. I have been forwarded your email to my colleague Ian and asked to look into your comments. 

 

For your records, our correspondence has been given reference XXXXXX.

 

VCS are a third party company, and so I have forwarded your comments to them for their investigation. Once I am in receipt of their findings I will be able to provide a more detailed response. 

 

Thank you for your patience.

 

Kind regards,

 

Edward
Customer Feedback Team

 

to which I have just replied -

 

Dear Edward,

many thanks for your reply.

I was hoping to get in touch with someone from the airport, as I doubt very much that if Vehicle Control Services investigate themselves regarding an incident of dangerous driving carried out by someone at Vehicle Control Services that they will conclude that they were in the wrong.

What happened is this.  There was a disagreement between myself and the Vehicle Control Services driver, although this was civil with no swearing, raising of voice or threats made by either party.  I could go into more detail if you wish.

However, the important thing is that, while I was walking from the BP garage towards arrivals, the driver followed me, and stopped the vehicle by the side of the road without indicating, deep into the no-stopping area, thus creating a serious hazard for other road users, in order to pretend to have reported me to the police for some made-up "offence".  When I pointed out that she had stopped in a no-stopping area and took out my phone to take a photograph, she sped off into the Short Stay 1 car park

Drivers who ignore the no-stopping area and park in the entrances of local businesses or the BP garage are being inconsiderate, but they are not actually endangering other road users.  VCS's driver was.  The matter is a criminal offence under various road traffic laws as well as the airport's own bye-laws.

The incident happened around 13:00, certainly between 12:48 and 13:15.

I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Best regards,
                          XXXXX

 

Obviously nothing will happen, but if some pin-pricking and irritation can be caused to Simple Simon's outfit, why not?

Edited May 5, 2023 by FTMDave
Personal details showing

[dx100uk]

id expand it in the next email...

 

why is it you even allow the VCS Spy Car to act as traffic police on YOUR LAND?? the roads are subject to TRO's and are a public highway, and such laws and your byelaws cannot be enforced by a private parking company claiming no stopping as the reason for their 'FINES'. this is totally illegal and nothing but extortion is it not? 

 

please specify EXACTLY what legal authority VCS has from YOU the owners of the airport and the writers and enforcers of YOUR byelaws to to operate upon your behalf and enforce traffic offence on a PUBLIC HIGHWAY.?

 

or words to that effect....

 

dx

 

[brassnecked]

DX suggesttion is good  could also include that had that been a taxi driver stopping an invoice would be sent by VCS so you have the oxymoron where VCS stopping in breach of what they invoice other drivers for,

[Nicky Boy]

Also, let's hope that EMA haven't passed on any of your personal info to the fleecers when passing on your comments to them "for investigation".

 

Did you actually get a pic of her stopped in the no stopping zone, or was she too quick?