It is a well-known phenomenon in the 21st century that you only ever see police officers in pairs, just occasionally in threes. I dare say the poor darlings are fearful of being mugged out on their own. Parking wardens, on the other hand, tend to operate solo, the better to sneak around pouncing on the motorist when he or she least expects it.
I suppose they must feel the need sometimes to get together to boast about their ticketing prowess, however, and here are no fewer than five — look at their legs — congregated in Broad Street.
The picture was taken by reader George Taylor, of Long Compton, in Warwickshire. It seems that art criticism rather than boasting was the purpose of the get-together, for he writes: “I spotted this group . . . outside Blackwells Music Shop a few days after the Gormley statue was erected on the Art Bookshop opposite. Every so often they glanced at the statue as if engaged in a discussion of its merits, or otherwise.
“I suppose whilst they were debating the artwork they were at least, not plaguing motorists?”
Mr Taylor asks: “I wonder if any of your readers know if there is a collective noun for a number of parking wardens gathered together in a single place?”
I wonder. too.
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