Too many Foxton minis (Lounged)

[mouse]

On Monday I had nine of the Foxtons 'no we're not cute' minis parked in basically my third of Crawthew Grove, ie from Lordship Lane upto the bend with Frogley. Coming back from teaching all day and with two young children in tow this, as you can imagine, did not please me. Of course after finding a place to park (apologies to all those in Worlingham Road!) I dragged my children along to speak to the manager who of course wasn't there. A senior negotiator ( wow, in with the big guys now) assured me that he'd talk to the 'team'. I did suggest that maybe his guys were now old enough to cross a road occasionally by themselves and that they should alternate roads they park on plus if there's a couple of cars parked in one road to go elsewhere. You can guess where this is going....... tonight there were eight cars; having had a variable number parked throughout the week.................. GRRRRR!

I did phone, too cold, wet and windy to drag my children round there again..........the Manager was out. Apparently head office will call................ I'll let you know x

[SimonM]

You have all my sympathy - that is really dreadful.

I do wonder what, if anything, the Council Planning Department asked Foxton's about their proposals for parking their cars when they first put in their planning permission? Really this branch is just too big for the area, no matter how glad we may be they ahve taken over a previously unused and unlovely site. The other estate agents on/around LL may also be irritaing with their cars, but at least they only have about three per office.

SimonM

[SeanMacGabhann]

Why is 9 extra minis "too many" new cars for the area? Has everyone who is buying a flat in the area pledged to not use a car or something?

Let's say Foxton's didn't exist and the site was, oh I don't know, a cinema. Or another bar. Or a supermarket. Or anything else

How many extra cars do you think would exist just around those roads in the next 6 months. A lot more. Hundreds more. There will be hundreds more anyway.... so these 9 wee cars?? Not that big a deal

I can't help feel that if they weren't branded cars there wouldn't be so much hoo-hah. And I pretty much loathe Foxton's myself

Next thing you know, people will be complaining about petrol being ?1 a litre... oh wait....

Some people NEED a car. A small minority. If everyone else who didn't need one didn't use them all the time there would be a hell of a lot more room for those who do. If you don't need one, but like using them then fair enough. But guess what - so does EVERY OTHER PERSON AROUND YOU. So complaining isn't really going to help

[mouse]

Gee, thanks for that!

[tiddles]

mouse I am so with you on this. Have had this twice lately when trying to park near LL before shooting off somewhere else (hence no bike) and I too have driven round and round, passing 9 minis. Yes the fact they are branded does make them flippin obvious. The foxtons office itself is a horror (I do like modern architecture but there's something of the wideboy geezer about them - that ruddy big screen showing sky all day......)

so yes, very annoying, and I rather suspect that the planning dept never even thought about that. The residents in the streets behind have my sympathies.

[woodie]

how many standard rockets would you have to stick on a foxtons mini to send it to the sky? Foxtons corner of the street is vulgar as hell. they should be ashamed. lucky the minis arent outside my house..for them . a few discrete keyings and they'll stop parking there. If you stop and watch the telly, you see them selling some real tack. One of the sites advertised looked like a jail last week. was the block on the corner bottom of i think stuart road. completely out of place in their listings.

[SeanMacGabhann]

mouse - sorry if that was a bit harsh. I meant to say something at least about struggling home from work on a dark, dank evening with kids in tow and offer some sympathy - honest!

But my general point still stands. Society as a whole, and individuals who I love dearly, still haven't grasped that the reason for so many cars and lack of parking and cost of petrol etc isn't because of a dodgy new neighbour, the new family in the street or a largeish new estate agents - it's everyone's dependance on cars. And I stress again that some people do need cars so I'm not having a go at you for driving (honest - was that one sugar or two for your tea) but that MOST people just like having cars and don't need them, taking up all the space that could be available to others

Foxton's are a very visible manifestation of car culture but their fault, it ain't

[Keef]

I feel for you mouse, but have to admit I'm basically with Sean. The estate agent cars are very annoying, but if they weren't there, someone else would just take your space because there are too many cars.

Annoying or not, they're not actually doing anything wrong by parking on a public street.

They are scum though ;-)

[mouse]

I totally understand what you are saying about society etc and generally in agreement (and thanks for coming back on that one x)...........two sugars for me, obviously fair trade and imported 'nicely' from South America!!

[SeanMacGabhann]

Sometimes a cup of Russian Caravan is just the thing, mouse, but usually English Breakfast (string) with a smidge of milk and one sugar - laaahvly ;-)

(oops we are now off topic and will be banished to The Lounge - so...)

Now that you have the had the cup of tea and calmed down (kids bathed and washed?) on a more practical, and non Foxton's if we can help it, note what do we think the car situation will be in 5-10 years time? (sorry mouse, open question, not aimed at you)

Apart from scaring the drokk out of me (but then I have just finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy and am in that sort of mood) I am almost intrigued how far society will go over the cliff before, Wile E Coyote like, going "gulp"

[SimonM]

>>Annoying or not, they're not actually doing anything wrong by parking on a public street.<<

They may not be doing anything illegal but I certainly think they are behaving selfishly and inconsiderately and cynically and anti-socially and, in short, "wrong" from practically every perspective other than the very narrow, legalistic one.

Blaming all this on excessive genuflection to "car culture" is, I think, glib and simplistic. Foxton's taking over nearby residential streets as their private car parks is more to do with bullying and/or arrogance I think...

[mouse]

I was wondering if others had the same problem and if anyone else had actually spoken to Foxtons? I think they are being very unfair.

[Keef]

SimonM Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> They may not be doing anything illegal but I certainly think they are behaving selfishly and inconsiderately and cynically and anti-socially and, in short, "wrong" from practically every perspective other than the very

narrow, legalistic one.

Okay okay, so I chose a bad word with "wrong", sorry. I agree they're gits, but what can you do?

[Mark]

Just gonna slip this one in as I don't want to start another Foxtons thread:

I know of someone who's got a Foxton's for sale sign outside their property which is fair enough but she didn't like the fact that they're advertising their 0% commission on it. She wrote a letter to Foxtons saying there would be a ?20 a day advertising charge on the 0% sign and hey presto, there's no longer a 0% sign on the For Sale board. Good work although I expect she would rather the ?20 a day.

Sorry, can't really comment on the Mini's apart from it's put me right of Minis which used to be cool but every time I see one now I think of an estage agent which is a shame as the Mini Clubman had a lot of potential. Oh, and at least Foxtons aren't driving Hummers.

[lozzyloz]

I once looked at buying a property in that part of ED but the parking situation put me right off and that was before Foxtons. And if it's not a Foxy mini its Luddite VW or simply shoppers or people commuting. I've done it myself and often felt a tinge of guilt because if you've got children like Mouse it's a 'mare. Even where I am now there are several homes that own at least 3 cars and no driveway. Perhaps the answer is ResPark with a limit on business permits. However, I suspect that even residents suffering would prefer not to go down this route.

[elsie tea]

At least shoppers move their cars so spaces become available. Foxtons cars seem to be there all day every day and parking in Crawthew has become a complete nightmare (more apologies to Worlingham). I can see the day when the children are screaming in the car and, whoops, I just lose control and scrape the whole lot of them. But, back to real life...

[MadWorld74]

So...

I've had a few glasses of red and have come 2nd in the FHT quizz! Yes, friends, we came second in the FHT quizz. Sorry to repeat myself but I aint never come near the winning line in any pub quizz before. The questions were heavily based on WW2, and I happen to be a bit of an expert on that front.

Now that I am happy and have that off my preverbial chest, I would like to say that Foxtons are doing their jobs. They earn a living. And that is all.

The fact that their minis are all over the streets; like the vomit outside a Victorian Gin Palace, is neither here nor there.

They're here, someone let them in.

I will silently give Foxtons the 'freeze'......

What else can we do?

[monica]

Do you know why the foxtons cars are in the same position all day long? A neighbour has been observing the parking methods of foxtons which explains a lot.When 1 mini is leaving another always seems to arrive and takes the parking space,this has been going on since they have arrived. As stated earlier they can park where they like its a public area,and i have no doubt in time residential parking will come in,unfortunately. issuing a limited amount of business parking permits is not going to help the parking problem. One solution would be is demolishing 1 area of lordship lane and installing ncp.and i know just the spot>:D

[SeanMacGabhann]

elsie: if Foxtons's cars were there all day, would any houses/flats be sold by them??? No. So we can assume that like "shoppers" (moral superiority implied) that those cars get moved all day too

Simon, I love your posts but the statement:

How do their actions constitute selfish, inconsiderate, cynical, anti-social and "wrong" compared to any almost other driver???

you glibly dismiss "car culture" but don't, in any way whatsoever, back up your statement. Tell me, how does the over-abundance of cars on the suburban street contribute positively to our lives?

[Muttley]

One difference between a shopper's car and a Foxtons car is that a shopper's car might visit for an hour and then disappear, to be replaced by a different shopper, whereas the same Foxton cars keep coming back every hour, every day. So one might say that Foxtons cars are 'greedy' visitors, whereas shoppers share their spaces with others.

What if Foxtons had instead been a different business employing the same number of people? Wouldn't it have brought in just as many employee cars to the area? I think the answer is no - I reckon many of the employees would have travelled by public transport rather than parked. Why? Because in most jobs you get to the office at 9am and don't leave until 5pm (say). Estate agents are unusual as retailers in that staff use the office as a base and then make lots of trips out in the car during the day.

Sean said:

> if Foxtons's cars were there all day, would

> any houses/flats be sold by them???

As an aside, has Foxtons actually sold any houses/flats? I ask because East Dulwich is filled with Foxtons signs saying 'SALE' but I've yet to see one that said 'SOLD' or even 'UNDER OFFER'. You'd think if they had sold any, they'd be making a lot of noise about it.

[seanmlow]

When I mentioned this to the baffoon that showed me some (inappropriate) houses, he just laughed.

'Are you aware of what a carbon footprint is?' I said. He looked puzzled.

[kford]

1 property - 1 car = OK

1 property - 9 cars - chaos.

Can't they share a car or two, or walk?

[davidm]

its ok they have started parking in matham grove now, only 6 cars .perhaps we could suggest they could buy some rickshaws

[Deep pocket]

Let's face it, too many Foxtons.

[snorky]

Point of reference

Minis have super duper run flat tires

Tirewall damages- such a a stab / puncture etc - cannot be repaired

The whole tyre needs to be replaced - at ?150 a corner for these sexy tires, it doesnt take long to add up a hefty bill.

This could be viewed by some as win win situation - the lcoal quickfit - whio are a decent lot BTW - get business & foxtons get hit where it hurts.

I am in no way suggesting that anyone should take matter like this into their own hands. I woul;d never do that, but unlike the shoppers and local residents who may park in the area, foxtons do not respect you or have any interest in anything other than money.

sometimes taking direct action may have a greater effect that the usual typical British methiod of written complaints.

just a thought.