Argus Letters re Parking in Coldean

[portlock seagull]

The original letter says cars are parked illegally, if that Is the case, then the police/council can do something about it, simple. They do everywhere else in Brighton, and bloody quickly too, so why not tow, clamp and fine all these so called illegally parked cars, the message would soon get out. The residents can't have one rule for them and another for football fans/weekday workers/shoppers/tourists until such time as resident permits are introduced, I assume certain criteria has to be met for that, perhaps they should concentrate on getting that sorted, just like other areas in Brighton have.

And that's the issue. If fairness is introduced then it's going to hurt locals more than visitors. A lot of double standards in evidence regarding this situation.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

There are a number of missed tricks around the transport.

Firstly the vouchers. Any scheme which is seen as optional and non enforced will see those who do adhere, feeling let down when others don't.

I do support mandatory vouchers. It is possible to not penalise pedestrians and cyclists. By allowing those within a certain radius to be exempt and exchanging a travel voucher for a food/drink item or a programme for cyclists.

They could have billed a certain level for car parking and reduced with vouchers handed back.

And if people choose to drive and then park and walk then the cost of their voucher can be seen as offsetting the cost of monitoring coldean.

The issue now being seen in the argus is one of perception over reality. We know that matchday parking isn't the bug issue. We know most residents don't want a light shone on it. The current albion led consultation will help dispel some incorrect perceptions and allow the residents to choose what they want.

I agree with most of this. Personally I do not see a need to, in effect, refund cyclists as the £1 will fund provisions for them ie parking space, racks, security to monitor bikes etc. This could be enhanced/improved though.

The only people who will genuinely loose out will be walkers. Maybe something can be done to compensate this passenger group but I do not see how it is workable. Maybe they might reflect on how fortunate they are to live so close to such a wonderful stadium and not seek a £1 pay back (joke). On a related topic though I have mentioned before that indirectly we all pay for/subsidise areas of the match day operation which we do not use. I am happy for this as it enhances the experience for everyone. If we only paid for what we use it could get complicated not to mention costly for children and OAPs as some supporters may not want to subsidise the ticket discounts for these two supports groups.

 

[portlock seagull]

Hmm. Not in favour of the public transport levy included in the ticket price whether you use it or not, though on balance there's more reason to do so than at Withdean when I felt it really did discriminate against people who couldn't or didn't use it. Just needs to be thought through re: those who have paid for parking at the stadium, disabled, walkers and cyclists etc.

 

[Notters]

[MENTION=409]Herr Tubthumper[/MENTION], I can't agree with it being impossible for southern to check people's vouchers. Whenever I get the train to the Amex there's a group of them just standing there looking into space. Even if they only checked a few tickets people would soon know that they needed a voucher.

 

[Spiros]

But it's not true is it? Every single road? That must be tens of thousands of cars. And you're giving his letter credence by suggesting that it's true.

My point is that Coldean has a lot of bad parking all the time. I've never parked there for the football. Admittedly I don't drive round Coldean much but on the few occasions I've been there - and I'll say again NOT when there has been any football on - the parking has to an extent been as described by the letter - OK not 'every single road' but quite a few of them. Close to driveways, half on verges, some roads must be tight if not inaccessible for a fire engine.

I would not be surprised if the police were to do a check on illegal parking at the next home game that most of those getting tickets live in Coldean.

 

[Bozza]

In fact, whenever there is a football match or other bigger events at the Amex, every single road in Coldean is filled with vehicles – parked on pedestrian walkways, blocking drives, blocking views in junctions, blocking ways for emergency vehicles like ambulances or fire brigade.

Seriously - what non-football 'bigger events' have there been at the Amex so far that have caused people to park en masse in Coldean?

 

[Bozza]

[MENTION=409]Herr Tubthumper[/MENTION], I can't agree with it being impossible for southern to check people's vouchers. Whenever I get the train to the Amex there's a group of them just standing there looking into space. Even if they only checked a few tickets people would soon know that they needed a voucher.

I really don't think a physical check of each and every fan turning up by train at Falmer is practical at all. If literally every fan has their voucher to hand then it kinda works but as soon as you have 10, 15 or 20 "I've lost it", or "I've forgotten it" or "what voucher?"s getting off a train at the same time then the whole thing immediately breaks down as you have hundreds of people anxious to get through the station and round to the stadium and you need some way of processing those without vouchers who are, already, at the front of a big squash to get out of the station.

In an ideal world this works. In our real world it simply wouldn't - it would be carnage.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

[MENTION=409]Herr Tubthumper[/MENTION], I can't agree with it being impossible for southern to check people's vouchers. Whenever I get the train to the Amex there's a group of them just standing there looking into space. Even if they only checked a few tickets people would soon know that they needed a voucher.

I originally held this view as well, I even argued it vociferously on this site. But having seen the volumes of passengers which use Brighton and Falmer I now feel it is unworkable, as [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] has explained.

 

[ROSM]

I really don't think a physical check of each and every fan turning up by train at Falmer is practical at all. If literally every fan has their voucher to hand then it kinda works but as soon as you have 10, 15 or 20 "I've lost it", or "I've forgotten it" or "what voucher?"s getting off a train at the same time then the whole thing immediately breaks down as you have hundreds of people anxious to get through the station and round to the stadium and you need some way of processing those without vouchers who are, already, at the front of a big squash to get out of the station.

In an ideal world this works. In our real world it simply wouldn't - it would be carnage.

And that is why a mandatory scheme works. No need to check. Just divide up the income on a pro rata basis. The majority are happy

 

[portlock seagull]

I really don't think a physical check of each and every fan turning up by train at Falmer is practical at all. If literally every fan has their voucher to hand then it kinda works but as soon as you have 10, 15 or 20 "I've lost it", or "I've forgotten it" or "what voucher?"s getting off a train at the same time then the whole thing immediately breaks down as you have hundreds of people anxious to get through the station and round to the stadium and you need some way of processing those without vouchers who are, already, at the front of a big squash to get out of the station.

In an ideal world this works. In our real world it simply wouldn't - it would be carnage.

This. Checks need to be downstream e.g. at Brighton station, Lewes and so forth. I buy my tickets even though I've never had one checked so I can understand once word got out how people would be tempted not to. Do I want a criminal record though for the sake of a few quid? With my reputation to uphold? Actually....might improve my CV come to think of it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I also think the club should include the ticket transfer technology with is available to PSLs and 1901ers in the smartcards. If next season you had free transport plus the ability to easily transfer an unused ticket to another fan all for £1 extra I'm certain most would be happy with this.

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

Cant believe the debate, out of 22500 people, how many actually walk to the Amex. Not many more than 300 I would guess, with most coming from Moulescoombe/Coldean

 

[Weststander]

oh dear, twice a month for approximately 4 hours there are CARS parked in the ROAD..............


Has the cabin crew MENTOR who complained, ever tried to park ANYWHERE in Brighton?

Agreed.
On c.25 occasions a year (we live near Withdean Stadium), the spare spaces in our road would fill with fans cars for about 3 hours. (Ignoring the blue signs).

This presented no problem to us or our neighbours.

A few anti-football (or anti-anything) types whinged, predictably. But they were very much a noisy minority, and the complaining waned over the years.

 

[Bozza]

Cant believe the debate, out of 22500 people, how many actually walk to the Amex. Not many more than 300 I would guess, with most coming from Moulescoombe/Coldean

Let's not forget precious types such as [MENTION=38]Beach Hut[/MENTION] who has a rail season ticket to speed him to London each and every day, so why should he have to pay again?*

(* - let's gloss over the fact that when going to Falmer he's not actually en route to London and he's probably rarely, if ever, chosen to travel to London via Falmer/Lewes either)

 

[Notters]

I really don't think a physical check of each and every fan turning up by train at Falmer is practical at all. If literally every fan has their voucher to hand then it kinda works but as soon as you have 10, 15 or 20 "I've lost it", or "I've forgotten it" or "what voucher?"s getting off a train at the same time then the whole thing immediately breaks down as you have hundreds of people anxious to get through the station and round to the stadium and you need some way of processing those without vouchers who are, already, at the front of a big squash to get out of the station.

In an ideal world this works. In our real world it simply wouldn't - it would be carnage.

Don't think there's any need to check them at Falmer, just at departing stations. If they say they've lost it, or "what voucher" they can go and buy a ticket. Who expects to use a train without paying? They could always stick a sign up: "all customers must have a valid ticket or pre-paid travel voucher"

 

[Notters]

Cant believe the debate, out of 22500 people, how many actually walk to the Amex. Not many more than 300 I would guess, with most coming from Moulescoombe/Coldean

Surely more than that? I live in central Brighton and walk to 50% of matches.

 

[Bozza]

Don't think there's any need to check them at Falmer, just at departing stations. If they say they've lost it, or "what voucher" they can go and buy a ticket. Who expects to use a train without paying? They could always stick a sign up: "all customers must have a valid ticket or pre-paid travel voucher"

They can't be checked at departing stations - there are so many of them, with a lot being unmanned and/or very distant. I've started my rail travel in Yatton in sleepy Somersetshire for example.

 

[Simster]

The voucher needs to be a compulsory purchase along with a ticket, which can be reclaimed if you live within a mile of the stadium or can prove you arrived by bike.

I couldn't believe they ditched it this season. Ridiculous decision.

 

[Gwylan]

Cant believe the debate, out of 22500 people, how many actually walk to the Amex. Not many more than 300 I would guess, with most coming from Moulescoombe/Coldean

It's much, much more than that. There must be about 300 people in Coldean alone and people are going to walk in from Moulsecoomb and Bevendean too. There'll be some supporters walking from further afield too - I used to walk to the Goldstone and I lived in Moulsecoomb.

I've just been out to get the paper and in the short walk to the Coldean paper-shop I noticed one car double-parked and another parked across a junction. Coldean residents really won't be happy if the area starts getting patrolled by traffic wardens.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Agreed.
On c.25 occasions a year (we live near Withdean Stadium), the spare spaces in our road would fill with fans cars for about 3 hours. (Ignoring the blue signs).

This presented no problem to us or our neighbours.

A few anti-football (or anti-anything) types whinged, predictably. But they were very much a noisy minority, and the complaining waned over the years.

It's ironic really. Withdean had an absolute shedload of nearby street parking on wide roads that could easily take it. How we could do with that now. And no, I'm not suggesting we go back there...

As far as Coldean is concerned, I hope the club realise the issue is solely with BAD parking (which would be a fair gripe from the residents, but in my considerable experience this season is very limited). I have also seen a couple of occasions where people carriers parked on both sides of narrow roads make it very tight for the local buses. However, To ban ALL parking would in my view be a big mistake, and would ultimately harm the club and its fans very badly.