Reading many of the articles above and in particular the article titled – criminal racquet in disguise. I would first of all like to congratulate the gentleman for sharing his experience on loading outside a hotel in Hove.

Parking charges have become a far too common and an increasingly a frustrating issue for residents, local businesses and indeed tourists. Through my time in Brighton I have also watched the detrimental impact of parking charge increases, extensions of zoned pay and display and permit areas, trigger happy parking wardens and more….it simply has to stop!

I urge all readers to share your stories and speak up against the rising parking charges, inconsiderate and frankly disgusting behaviour of local traffic wardens and the revenue raising, profit making parking authorities ruining this much loved city.

As a local business and a passionate resident of Brighton and Hove I have therefore begun a parking and transport facebook page which I hope you will find of interest. Please join and share your experiences on issues regarding parking and transport in Brighton and Hove.

I do hope through this and other avenues we can change the way the way parking and transport issues are handled and indeed make this a more enjoyable and welcoming city.

Jeremy
Brighton resident of Kemptown

Sue, I can completely empathise with you as a part-time cyclist myself, and one who has in the past suffered a broken toe as a result of the actions of a Brighton taxi driver. I just can’t quite work out why so few of them actually know their way around the city; on several occasions we’ve had to intervene in the driver’s efforts to navigate, and more than once we’ve actually been asked directions by a taxi driver – which wouldn’t perhaps be such a bad thing if the driver concerned wasn’t driving the taxi we’re actually in.
I think the “anarchist air” of which you speak definitely exists within Brighton but it’s more a sense of individualism which surpasses that of people in other towns. However walking out in front of cars, buses and cycles is more a case of abdication of personal responsibility and is perhaps more symptomatic of a general lack of respect for others which is blighting everything in this country at the moment, from the services provided by local Councils to the way in which people drive.
I love your suggestion re. Boris. I completely agree about blaming the owner rather than the animal. Sadly I also agree about Brighton & Hove being a less pleasant place to live than it used to be. As a true Brightonian by birth, I’ve seen over forty years of Brighton history first hand, and I don’t like much of what I see. The Council is largely responsible – for planning problems which have affected everything from architecture to road traffic congestion – and indeed for the poor standard of our schools and services, which will never do much good for social cohesion. I shall only increase my pressure on this inefficient, corrupt, self-serving, expensive and unhelpful Big Brother until hopefully, one day, its misdemeanours are compensated, its apparatus dismantled, and its services taken over by an entity which actually serves the people of Brighton rather than treating them as an endless, uncomplaining money pot.

I’ve noticed that there is something of an anarchist air in Brighton. People seem to do what they want, then blame somebody else when it goes wrong. There was a bus driver in the Argus this week, asking people not to walk out in front of buses. They’ll ignore him of course, if they walk out in front of buses, they won’t be afraid of mere cyclists. And they are not. I could go on, but I won’t.

There’s also something of an animal problem here. A huge unfettered black dog called ‘Boris’ reared up and hauled me off my bike by my leg on the undercliffe prom at Rotters, last week. Fearing it would go for my throat as I lay supine under the the remains of my front wheel, I kicked it in the mouth. It backed off, not so the owner, who threatened to break my legs. I did point out the council notice on the promenade about dogs being kept on leads, but to no avail. Note to self: avoid men with Broadmoor haircuts, no front teeth, and huge dogs. It’s difficult enough dodging the faeces on the undercliffe prom, but I’ll try harder. ‘Boris’ if your owner is reading this, please have him humanly destroyed. I’ll pay. Thank you.

The sea air is nice here. Years ago I lived up the coast a bit, and would cycle to jolly old Rotters, over the cliffs to Telscombe to watch the Marina being built. Brighton was quite pleasant then, quiet, amiable, safe, and clean. Today, even Private Eye refers to the place as ‘Skid Row-on-Sea. It’s time to leave, I think. Here in Hove, there are problems with young men in black BMW saloons cruising around at midnight selling ‘stimulants’. It’s a bit creepy and I don’t go out much after dark now, after I had my bag snatched.

Then there’s the farce over the West Pier. What other town would leave five thousand tons of fire-ravaged steel in the bay to repel tourists? Although the pier wasn’t much wanted in 1975 when it was declared unsafe and closed down. No-one could be bothered to fix it. How very Brightonian!

Brighton is a very odd place now. No country for old folk, I think.

Keep up the good work.