We all knew that it was going to happen – the only question was – “how soon?”
Boston Borough Council has asked for “more sensible and considerate car parking” after last week’s first craft market in the newly refurbished Market Place.
The reason?
People can’t work out where they should park.
Apparently, this is the latest in an epidemic of parking disobedience besetting the town.
According to the council: “In recent months there has been an increasing trend in parking on double yellow lines, in loading bays, on bends and in defiance of signs clearly stating that parking is not permitted.
“Buses have had to be diverted to avoid blockages caused by bad parking and drivers have had difficulty in making deliveries.”
As usual, the council has responded with its steamroller, iron first in the iron glove approach, and started handing out parking tickets with abandon.
“… drivers have found their unwillingness to use a permitted parking area very expensive,” gloats the borough website. “They have faced a £60 fine for a single offence - reduced to £30 if they pay up within seven days.
“Drivers continue to park their cars anywhere in the Market Place, in clear defiance of new signage which states the newly-marked bays only should be used. Those who have purchased a car parking ticket and then parked outside the marked bays do not buy themselves immunity from a fine.”
Not for the first time, the sort of problems described could have been avoided had the council given matters  a little more thought.
The first time it rained, was also the first time someone realised that the barely-visible lighter coloured stone setts became all but invisible.
The solution – send in a man with a paint brush to spoil the look of the place from the outset.
The “new signage” being so clearly defied, is the random placing of signs which read “new layout please park in marked bays only.”
Why hasn’t someone thought of sujpplying a few more signs to show just where these marked bays are?
Ian Martin, Boston Borough Council's economic development manager, is quoted as saying that there are 3,500 spaces in Boston where drivers can legally park.
So how about a few signs showing drivers where the nearest of these are?
Councillor Derek Richmond, portfolio holder for car parks, tell us Lincolnshire County Council is set to take over responsibility for on-street car parking in Boston from the police.
"Any perceived honeymoon period will soon be over," he said. "On-street parking will be enforced. We are sounding this reminder now so that motorists still have a little time to adopt better practice and get used to the idea that stricter car parking enforcement will be coming to Boston."
Not for a while yet though, Councillor Richmond.
Lincolnshire County Council submitted its application to take over parking enforcement at Easter and – like Alcoholics Anonymous - the Department for Transport require that a 12-step process must be completed before Parliament grants an authority civil parking enforcement powers.
LCC’s Executive Member for Highways and Transportation, Councillor William Webb, said: “It takes at least 20 weeks for the DfT to process the application, so we expect to be able to introduce CPE in the autumn.”
That does indeed create a “honeymoon period” -  during part of which a thoughtful  and considerate local council could devise a polite and well-structured advisory campaign to explain to motorists  what changes have been made to parking, where the spaces now are, and where the nearest alternative parking might be found.
Surely something like that is preferable to doling out tickets galore along with snarky, holier than thou comments.
Finally, we can’t end today’s blog without commenting on last week’s first craft market.
It looked fine – depending on where you were standing.
Within the semi-circle of stalls it was friendly and welcoming.
But from anywhere else it looked as though the men from BT had camped in for the long haul, and thus, an area well worth avoiding.
A little more thought about presentation might help, wethinks.

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