Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Nimby's

It's amazing the things that get peoples backs up and the excuses they make to justify their calls for a ban or removal of what they consider to be an eyesore, even if it's perfectly legal...

Telegraph.
Residents in a quiet village are embroiled in an extraordinary neighbourhood row after a military enthusiast bought a £10,000 tank and parked it outside his home.
The huge green tanklike crane, designed to carry out battlefield repairs, has been sitting in a lay-by since new owner Nicholas Kravchenko drove it there last week.
Residents living in the normally tranquil area of Wolvercote, near Oxford, Oxon, have branded the machine an ''eyesore''.
Police have now been called in to settle the "neighbourhood dispute" amid claims the £10,000 tank was intimidating locals.
Ok it's not the sort of thing you expect to find parked outside a semi in Wolvercote, but it is perfectly legal and as for intimidating, pull the other one, it's not like it's bristling with arms and takes the occasional pot shot at VW Polo's.
Even fits in the parking bay.
Council chiefs have already admitted that the vehicle is roadworthy and taxed. So quite frankly the residents don't have a leg to stand on, doesn't stop them having a moan though.
Paul Harvey, who lives three doors away from Mr Kravchenko, said: ''The whole situation is unbelievable.
''There's a limited number of spaces on the street and this tank is taking up a number of them.
''It's so incredibly anti-social.''
Wonder what he'd make of anyone parking a twin cab or delivery truck there?
Another neighbour Debbie Tyson, who lives opposite the tank, added: ''I have to look at that thing every morning.
And? It's a vehicle, there's a lot worse looking things on the road I can assure you, my neighbours sons customised escort for one.
Another woman, who did not want to be named, feared her neighbour would leave it there permanently.
''It's an eyesore and is upsetting and scares the little kids," she said.
"One toddler asked her mum if we were in a war. It's not right."
The kid was curious, I doubt she'll be scarred for life assuming she was traumatised at all.
War veteran David Bedford, 85, added: ''It's heartbreaking living where I do.
'I have to look at his cars every time I leave my house and it's really getting me down.
''I don't know what to do any more.''
Move? Yes that's a bit heartless of me, but quite frankly although it's an unusual thing to find in a parking bay it's not illegal, it's not particularly an eyesore and it isn't harming anyone. There's a guy I know in Plumstead has an ex American Army personnel carrier, it's parked on the street, nobody complains and he's not particularly worried about anyone not driving a truck backing into it either. What it is, is that these residents don't like Mr Kravchenko's hobby and are using this vehicle as an excuse to try and get him to conform or go away.
So long as he's not breaking the law they don't have a leg to stand on, so they go national looking for sympathy, well they aren't getting it here. I wouldn't like my neighbour to have one, but, I wouldn't go whinging to the press if he did.

11 annotations:

Anonymous said...

My own neighbour DID have an FV432 parked on his drive. Did I care? No. None of my business but as I have an interest in AFV's he was kind enough to let me take a few photos and measurements. Really these people would prefer some of the "problem families" from Wythenshawe to move next to them. THEN you'd know all about "anti-social"!
Taxed, MOT'd, insured and totally legal. Tough. It could be VERY much worse.

manfromthefuture said...

I go past that vehicle in plumstead on my way to wickes there. the road is fairly narrow and it's one of those places you're going to have the mirrors of an ordinary car smashed on a weekly basis. i always think - how cool is that when i go past!

WitteringsfromWitney said...

Tanks for that hilarious post QM - doesn't seem to have hit my local newspaper and I'm only about 15 mins (by car - not tank) from Wolvercote.

English Pensioner said...

I knew someone who has a steam traction engine parked outside, I must admit if I'd a choice I would prefer that.
But I would love to go shopping at Tescos in that machine!

Mark Wadsworth said...

Agreed. if it's road legal and taxed that is the end of it.

"So quite frankly the residents don't have a leg to stand on"

If he ran them over with it, they wouldn't have any legs to stand on.

microdave said...

Wait till there's some more Global Warming, and HE can still get to the shops!

With that crane he could make a mint recovering cars from ditches....

Anonymous said...

"I wouldn't like my neighbour to have one, but, I wouldn't go *whinging* to the press if he did."

Extended tanks if this newly discovered virtue includes tolerance of contrary opinion.

MTG

Quiet_Man said...

Look up the term libertarian, you'll find that's where I'm coming from. I'll tolerate contrary opinion save where it inflicts its opinion on my rights and others. In other words don't call for a ban on something that's perfectly legal simply because you don't like it.

Anonymous said...

"Look up the term libertarian...."

The same as having the misfortune of you for a neighbour yet declining to use my remote control in the garden so that I could satisfy myself you had watched at least one educational programme?

MTG

Quiet_Man said...

Oh my, for someone so educated yourself you understand human nature so poorly. Still it's not my job to educate you in the ways of freedom and tolerance merely to inform you of how intolerant people are though you seem to be doing a very good job yourself by example.

Arsonista said...

Is it road legal - YES.

Cool. Gissa go then, mister.