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Devonshire Road- vehicle damage
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annsquire66


Posts: 105
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #1
29-02-2008 03:11 PM

Sorry, I need to vent my frustration!Angry
I live at the FH end just off of the main road and have noticed an alarming increase in 'hit & runs' on parked cars by ignorant drivers.
I always fold my wing mirror in and park as close to the curb as possible but that was not enough to stop some moron hitting it 2 weekends ago while I slept. The damage included scraping most of my drivers door and puncturing my tyre- the cost of repairs equals my excess (?250) so not even worth fixing through the insurance. More annoyingly, it will take 3 days to respray which is hugely inconvenient as I care for someone who does not live on a direct public transport route and use the car for essential daily visits/trips out/ their shopping etc.
Opposite my house at 5pm yesterday, a Parceline lorry drove at speed into the road and tore a chunk off of the side of the car parked there. He didn't stop despite the racket he must have heard as the whole light unit ripped off, and the 3 others who were watching with me in disbelief managed to get only half the registration number of his truck. Two of us left our contact numbers as witnesses- heartening to see there are other people around still willing to do the right thing but I cannot understand how people can have such complete disregard for other people's property. The damage was so bad that the driver had to enter the car by the passenger door to enable him to drive home!
I do have a genuine need for a car (before the anti-car brigade tell me to get on my bike, the wheelchair won't fit!) but will never buy a newish one as long as I live where I do- not worth the grief.
Has anyone else had experience of this cavalier behaviour or do I just expect too much from the human race? Unsure

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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #2
29-02-2008 03:24 PM

I do symphasise. I too live in Devonshire ( the Park Lane of South London ) . I had a car up to recently. I always parked at bottom of Ewelme Rd as much safer and never had any problem in 22 years. However I do appreciate you are a long way from ER and need to park outside your property.
Not sure what you can do. Un less someone witnesses the incident and takes details , but if in the early hours unlikely.
Sorry cannot be more helpful but hope you have no more problems

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annsquire66


Posts: 105
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #3
29-02-2008 03:41 PM

brian wrote:
I do symphasise. I too live in Devonshire ( the Park Lane of South London ) . I had a car up to recently. I always parked at bottom of Ewelme Rd as much safer and never had any problem in 22 years. However I do appreciate you are a long way from ER and need to park outside your property.
Not sure what you can do. Un less someone witnesses the incident and takes details , but if in the early hours unlikely.
Sorry cannot be more helpful but hope you have no more problems


I frequently have to park in or as far as Ewelme Road, especially since they put the restrictions in Davids Road- that's another (sore) subject entirely Angry I may have to start another thread!!!

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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #4
29-02-2008 04:01 PM

Hello Ann
Sorry to bring bad news but I am sure the parking restrictions will gradually spread into Devonshire Rd.
After all good revenue for our Council

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #5
29-02-2008 04:03 PM

If you are a wheelchair user, surely you can get the council to put a disabled space in front of your house?

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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #6
29-02-2008 04:05 PM

Yes I agree but I think Ann was not saying she could not get a space but the fact her car has been damaged often

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annsquire66


Posts: 105
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #7
29-02-2008 04:57 PM

brian wrote:
Hello Ann
Sorry to bring bad news but I am sure the parking restrictions will gradually spread into Devonshire Rd.
After all good revenue for our Council


If only! I asked the council about it as long as 10 years ago. We were asked to vote on the recent proposals which covered up to the old sorting office (no. 60ish) and were told that the majority of responses rejected controlled parking in Devonshire Road. I have struggled with this statement as everyone that I spoke to about it in our road wanted it. The same thing happened in reverse in Davids road according to a friend who lives there.

BTW it is not me that uses the wheelchair, it's someone I care for. I have the option of getting a Motability financed new car to transport him but the thought of parking a brand new vehicle anywhere near my house brings me out in goosebumps Ohmy

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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #8
01-03-2008 10:55 AM

Ann
Most people at the very end of the road seem to have paved over gardens ( not a good idea ), this also restricts the spaces available for others such as you.
I did not realise council had canvassed opinions at your end of the road. If result was for resident parking etc surely the council would not have advised otherwise as they have everything to gain from restrictions.
Do you and other neighbours realise if restrictions imposed then all spaces would be marked out and you will lose about 40% of current parking space. Also you and your guests will be charged.
Good Luck anyway
PS I suggest you do your own canvass and give all the results with names etc to The Council

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davetwo


Posts: 3
Joined: Oct 2006
Post: #9
03-03-2008 01:52 PM

Not wishing to hijack this thread TOO much. But don't be tempted to park even further onto the pavement to avoid the other cars. Sadly if you try to walk the HOP length of Devonshire Road, your way is all too frequently completely blocked by cars on the pavement. Which is probably illegal and definitely selfish.

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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #10
03-03-2008 02:37 PM

Yes Ann.
Whilst I have every concern for your problems I believe parking on the pavement is wrong.
Handicapped and blind people have enough problems. Please do not park on the pavement.
Also parking on pavements is the main reasons for the state of our pavements.

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #11
03-03-2008 02:48 PM

Baby buggies too... Shocking the damage they can cause to a car's paintwork as you drag them past (not that I'm suggesting anything, you understand....)

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annsquire66


Posts: 105
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #12
04-03-2008 09:52 AM

brian wrote:
Yes Ann.
Whilst I have every concern for your problems I believe parking on the pavement is wrong.
Handicapped and blind people have enough problems. Please do not park on the pavement.
Also parking on pavements is the main reasons for the state of our pavements.


Thanks for your views. I would gladly have paid to be able to regularly park outside my own home; principles don't carry 6 bags of shopping and a small child in a pushchair 200 yards down the road in the rain...
Yes, there are many dropped kerbs but it's par for the course when so many properties have been converted into several flats often meaning 4+ vehicles per building.

As for parking on the pavement-never unless specifed by the appropriate road markings. I am one of the wheelchair pushers of the world so I appreciate more than most what inconsiderate parking can do!

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annsquire66


Posts: 105
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #13
12-03-2008 02:52 PM

Hi all,
further to my original rant... I watched another moron remove a wing mirror (with his own) from a car parked outside my house on Saturday. He was very considerate and removed it completely, even left it to roll underneath the car. Again no attempt to stop but this time someone got a complete numberplate which they left for the unfortunate owner.
My neighbour tells me she has spent several hundred pounds recently having the dents and scrapes removed from her car door but has had another two added since... Clearly there are many decent citizens around but it still makes my blood boil Cursing

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NewForester


Posts: 379
Joined: Feb 2008
Post: #14
13-03-2008 11:55 AM

brian wrote:
I did not realise council had canvassed opinions at your end of the road. If result was for resident parking etc surely the council would not have advised otherwise as they have everything to gain from restrictions.


This end of Devonshire Rd was included in the original proposals for the David's Rd CPZ, but I'm guessing that the majority of residents did not want restricted parking as it was not included in the final implementation.

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annsquire66


Posts: 105
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #15
13-11-2009 11:16 PM

Ironically, it's Friday 13th and I unfortunately need to revive this post.
Some clown has walloped into the back of my car which was parked just before the Old Sorting Office. The car was shunted forward so the rear bumper/wheel arch is severely damaged and to add insult to injury, the driver has left me his FALSE contact number Cursing
I know there is more damage but need to wait until it is light to inspect properly.
It happened sometime between 5pm and 11pm today.
I don't suppose there are any witnesses to this...

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #16
14-11-2009 12:35 PM

Vent away, Ann, its why this site exists! The 'old' campaign needs to be revived, I think, ie the one which some of us kicked off a few years ago which tried to look at all the roads in the HOR/Dev Road area inc Manor Mount, Ewelme, Benson and Tyson to reach a better solution and to reduce speeding and indeed traffic volume. The Devonshire Road 'issue' was an integral part of this, ie the number of cars turning right into Dev Road as a rat run and there not being adequate width for cars to pass safely as well as be parked on each side. The argument was put forward to try and prevent cars turning off the sth circ into Dev Road for that very reason- car damage and significant congestion, all for little gain on time, but the Council did not take this on quoting resistance from TFL and the cost of consultation. However the fact remains that this road is too narrow for the current traffic load and like Ann's experience, I have witnessed in passing many such accidents and slicing off of wing mirrors etc. Fortunately we had a KA for many years so have had a fairly easy ride but now with a bigger car its almost impossible to get past so we often just skip the Dev Rd turning and go via HOR- slightly longer in distance but not necessarily any slower.

Not sure whether Shlz400s comment on baby buggies is a serious one, but it is a problem to get past with a buggy when some inconsiderate person as parked half on the pavement, however I can't really blame them for doing this given the situation.

You may want to contact the Council again to see if they have changed their position but I suspect that any solution might be more likely to reduce parking on one side of the road rather than to take steps to reduce the traffic volume.

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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #17
14-11-2009 04:18 PM

I very much symphasise with the people who have had their cars driven in to my people who have not the decency to stop and leave details.
I do hovever strongly object to parking on the pavement ( unless the council has clearly marked that this is permissable.

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Newbie


Posts: 40
Joined: Apr 2008
Post: #18
17-11-2009 03:13 PM

I too sympathise - I had my car written off last year after some Hit and Run driver completely smashed up my car last year which was parked up half on the pavement on a residential road in Balham. The road I was parked on even had speed bumps so god knows how they managed to smack it at such high speed.

I think this is one of the major drawbacks of living in London and seems to happen in most places, not just Devonshire Road.

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daveyyates


Posts: 8
Joined: Dec 2007
Post: #19
17-11-2009 05:39 PM

I would welcome a residents' parking zone in Devonshire Road.

My car was one of five broken into just outside the old Post Office, and over ?1,000 worth of goods, foolishly left in the boot, were stolen.

I have written to the council several times about this, but was told that a survey of residents in Devonshire Road indicated the majority were against residents' parking.

If you live at the Forest Hill end of Devonshire Road you have virtually no hope of parking outside your house between 8.30am and 5.00pm because people leave their cars there before taking the train into London.

If a parking zone raises revenue from residents and others using it, then surely that is to our benefit.

In addition to car crime, the area where Devonshire Road meets Tyson Road is a blackspot for muggings and other antisocial behaviour, as miscreants realise the area is poorly lit with no CCTV.

Perhaps revenue raised from a residents' parking zone could be used to remedy this and make Devonshire Road a safer place for both people and cars.

I have this morning written to the following parties to make this point, and if you agree perhaps you would consider doing the same: parking@lewisham.gov.uk (parking dept, Lewisham council); steve.bullock@lewisham.gov.uk (Sir Steve Bullock, leader of Lewisham council); jimdowd.newlabour@care4free.net (MP Jim Dowd).

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #20
17-11-2009 07:07 PM

A respark zone would only push the problem elsewhere, then another set of residents would find they had nowhere to park, so they would also demand a respark zone, and so on. Ok, so there's loads of empty spaces outside your house, so you're all right Jack!

But the driving commuters don't all suddenly get on their bicycles and pedal to work. It just keeps driving the problems onto someone else's doorstep.

Some people do rely very much on being able to drive and park near their work / transport connection to work e.g working parents - there just simply isn't time between dropping off children to do the necessary bus catching, walking or whatever. And then there's picking up, when you're train is delayed or whatever - after school care do get very stroppy if you are late!

When I'm on school run duty, half and hour's walk is the nearest I can park to my work in Brixton because of all the parking restrictions. I have to leave work no later than 4:15 to collect my children by 5:30. Thank goodness for flexitime and a self-employed partner! However, some people might be forced to cut their working hours, go part time or whatever, so reducing household income - most unwelcome in the current economic climate.

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