June 30: Perils of pavement parking

CARS that are parked irresponsibly on pavements can cause a potentially dangerous obstruction for pedestrians as it can force them onto the road and into the path of vehicles.

Newly-released research by YouGov has shown that three quarters (74 per cent) of people are affected by vehicles parked on the pavement. Some groups – including people living with sight loss, older people or those with buggies – are at greater risk. Meanwhile 91 per cent of respondents living with sight loss who responded to a Guide Dogs survey said that parked cars on the pavement regularly obstruct them.

I am urging the public to ensure they don’t park on the pavement.

For instance, I live on a main road, with children. The nursery is only approx. 300 yards up the road, but I have to at some point most days pull my kids on to the road around cars.

I fear if drivers keep doing it there will be more accidents, because there is no law there to stop them, they will park however they like without consideration to other people.

From: John Watson, Leyburn.

THE insurance on my car is due next month. Recently I have been inundated with companies wanting to give me a quote and those that I have tried have been more than double what I am paying now.

My son suggested that I should try a comparison website which I did, and I was surprised how much I could save. The one I have decided to go for, a very reputable company, have quoted me nearly £100 less with one or two minor additions.

I am beginning to wonder how much some companies are ripping off people who are not as familiar with the exercise as probably some of us are.

From: Hugh Rogers, Messingham Road, Ashby.

I HAVE nothing against good old Chris Evans (Jayne Dowle, The Yorkshire Post, June 22). He is an inoffensive BBC stalwart (and I don’t mean that pejoratively). Quite a number of viewers will watch his programme. However, without Clarkson, Hammond and May, it will not be Top Gear any more.

The BBC in its usual arrogance thinks that viewers don’t care and will watch anything, but they are wrong. One of the reasons the old programme appealed to such large numbers of viewers, of all ages and both sexes, was that it was irreverent, right-wing and non-PC, qualities which Clarkson in particular exhibited to the great delight of everyone.

Everyone, that is except the softy-leftie BBC which seized on a trivial fracas between Clarkson and a producer to get rid of someone who not only did not fit the BBC mould but demonstrably didn’t care about being such a square peg in the BBC’s round hole. That’s why viewers, including me, loved him and why I will never watch another so-called Top Gear again. I don’t suppose the BBC cares, but I thought they would like to know why their viewing figures will be going down by one.

Under siege by migrants

From: Phil Hanson, Baildon, Shipley.

THE country, via the EU, is under a massive pressure from illegal immigrants as we all know (Bill Carmichael, The Yorkshire Post, June 26). Alas many if not most want to land in the EU with the sole aim of ending up here.

We simply cannot remain in the EU because as sure as anything, the committee of bureaucrats running the EU for their own ideals see this as something we should passively accept.

Well, Italy, Germany and the rest accepting settlers will simply enable these migrants to gain a passport to settle in the EU, which means UK to them. If Britain’s politicians cannot see this, they are either blind, stupid or on a hidden agenda. For my money we are under a bigger threat as a nation now than in the world wars, and have our hands tied to stop this invasion.

I think we should draft in the Armed Forces to intercept the freeloaders.

Litter hotline is needed

From: GA Smith, Boston Spa.

I SOMETIMES see drivers abandoning litter in country lanes (Tom Richmond, The Yorkshire Post, June 20), and although I would not wish to challenge them myself, I could certainly get the registration number and even take a photograph with my mobile (and then, probably, hop it pretty damn quick if they see me).

But where should I report it? I’m sure the police have other things to do. So, would it be possible for local councils to publicise a dedicated phone line or email address for the instant reporting of such incidents?

Perhaps parish councils could include these contact details in their magazines, as should those notice boards in country lanes warning against the dropping of litter?

Preaching on climate

From: Peter Rickaby, West Park, Selby, North Yorkshire.

SO to disagree with the Archbishop of Canterbury’s views on climate change you become a sinner.

Just who does he think he is? With a church leader like that, it explains why tens of thousands of empty pews gather dust on weekends.