25 November 2005
DailyRecord
By Mark Mcgivern
Workers protected from irate drivers
PARKING ticket staff have been given bullet-proof screens to protect them from angry motorists.
The armoured glass has been installed at offices where drivers pay fines handed out by wardens.
An
Aberdeen Council insider said yesterday: "The office deals with a lot of unhappy people.
"The police wouldn't allow it to open until bulletproof glass was put in place to protect staff.
"None of the workers has ever been threatened with guns but some of the motorists do get pretty steamed up. We didn't want to take any chances."
The glass is designed to withstand any kind of aggressive attack from motorists furious at having to pay fines of up to £90.
The council's 36 wardens report around 40 incidents of verbal or physical abuse to police each month. And motorists' anger can spill over into the office, where workers chase up unpaid fines.
AA Motoring Trust spokesman Neil Greig said: "It seems a rather extreme measure.
"I know there is a small minority of drivers who may react aggressively when faced with a parking fine. But I don't think bulletproof glass is going to help defuse the situation."
A council spokesman said: "The glass is there to protect staff, but it is more of a precautionary measure.
"We have never had any incidents in our parking office of customers threatening staff with either guns or knives
