‘Jobsworth’ parking warden blocks road then fines driver who couldn’t get past. Credit: @EssexJuggler / Twitter
A fiery parking warden has been caught purposely blocking the road with his van, only to then fine a driver trying to get past.
Richard Austin was driving along a narrow road in the English county of Essex when he witnessed a traffic warden park in the middle of the road, blocking a line of traffic.
But instead of moving his car, the warden was caught on camera climbing out of his van and slapping a parking fine on the windscreen of a VW Golf, a car that was trying to get past the warden's van.
Austin compared the incident to "two fat men trying to get down an alleyway".
"I was watching in disbelief. At first, I thought 'why has the car got its headlights on?' but then I realised it was his hazards and he was giving out a parking ticket, he told Metro.
"The Golf has reversed a bit and I'm behind him and he tries to squeeze through the gap but there's not enough room, so there he stayed.
"Next thing, the parking warden comes over and gives him a ticket for being stationary too long."
A 'jobsworth' traffic warden stopped a driver in the middle of the road and gave him a ticket to show him 'who is in control', a witness has claimed. Photo / @EssexJuggler / Twitter
The 45-second clip shows the warden's van stopped a few feet away from the Golf, where the driver is filming, flashing its hazard lights.
The camera then spins round to focus on the passenger door window where the parking attendant is seen writing on a yellow ticket.
He then leans over and slaps the fine on the Golf's dashboard while the driver laughs at the absurdity of the decision.
The warden then wanders away and the driver says: '[He's] blocking the street.
"Cars behind me are trying to get through, and he's just writing me a ticket."
The camera focuses on the parking attendant who leans over and plonks the fine on the Golf's dashboard while the driver laughs at the absurdity of the decision. Photo / @EssexJuggler / Twitter
Following the incident, onlooker Austin then approached the warden himself asking what the issue was.
According to Austin, the warden said he didn't like the way he drove towards him on the road.
But after Austin reminded the warden he wasn't a policeman, the warden turned around and said: "No, I control these roads."
"It was the most bizarre conversation I've ever had with a man. The guy is taking control of the highway himself. He's a local jobsworth."
A spokesperson from South Essex Parking Partnership confirmed they are aware of the incident and are investigating.
Shoppers at the 20 Sel Peacock Drive retail complex were having their cars clamped after being parked in a 120-minute park after only half an hour, despite shopping at the complex.
A Herald employee fell victim to the rogue parking warden after he clamped a journalist's car - despite the fact a cameraman from the same vehicle had legitimately purchased items from a store within the complex.
When our reporter confronted the warden after he wrongly clamped the journalist's car, he brushed her aside before saying "I'm not breaking the law, I'm just trying to do my job."
"It's not illegal [what we're doing]," he said.
Numerous victims came forward to the Herald claiming they had been wrongly clamped.
