Concearning Thetford doggers

15 Jun 2008

Norfolk doggers may recently have noticed little green notices popping up in the main trio of car parks that comprise the Thetford forest perving sector confused

: . These notices avail visitors that as from Saturday 21st of June, a charging system will be implicated :? . No ticket machines will be necessary, as payment can be made via mobile phone at any time up to midnight on the day in question. These notices suggest that we will have to give the particular car parks identification number , vehicle registration details and debit or credit card information. Failure to pay will result in a ten pound surcharge being levied :cry: .
The current boards look temporary in nature, but I assume some more robust versions will be erected in due course. My question is this. How does the system work? I’ve trawled through the forestry website as advertised on the sign, but I’m woefully inept at navigating through such things. Is this a national scheme, or is it in part a measure to kerb our local activities? Will the system rely on forestry commission wardens simply phoning through registration numbers of parked vehicles to ascertain whether or not the owner has paid or is it more technical than that? After all, such a “patrol” system would be so hit and miss as to make taking the gamble an attractive option, and would probably have next to no impact on our nocturnal activities :twisted: .
Can anyone shed any light on the impact this scheme is likely to have, if any at all? I.e. has this charging option been introduced in any car parks used by doggers elsewhere in the country?

15 Jun 2008

Its an interesting development, the first point that comes to my mind is that if you dont own a credit or debit card, it seems your not going to be able to pay.
The enforcement is really the issue though, people will have to weight up either paying, or not paying and possibly getting a fine, and a letter home saying you owe such and such for being at a certain dogging site at 11pm at night....
If this is enforced when it comes in, I can see people parking very near to 2 of the 3 locations, and walking across to the car parks in question, this is possible at 2 out of the 3 sites, the sign sates that Beyond this point parking charges apply, now down one location theres a long road which you can park along at various points,and walk down, beyond the point where you would have to pay..., same with the other location, I can see people parking across the road and walking over.
How will it effect dogging in general? both singles and couples, again theres no getting around that IF you dont pay, which also requires you to give the car reg and no doubt will be kept in some database along with the time etc, AND you get caught, then your going to get a fine and a letter home most likely. Okay for the single guys and couples, but the guys with partners at home......... they are going to be the people hardest hit by this.
Again this is all just speculation right now, time will tell what happens.

15 Jun 2008

From the sound of the tech system it may even be the foreboding sign of number plate recognition cams on the entrances - whatever the charge im sure its worth it to see Mrs Dirtys bum :-)

16 Jun 2008

I suppose it could be kosher. But it sounds (and I've listened to the service on 0844) like a scam to get peoples card numbers.
I've emailed the fc.
ANPR on all the gates ?
Outlay V Income ?

Note from the verrus site it says that the parking attendant would have a handheld device to scan the numbers to see if payment has been made. At 2mb that person would have to a bit thick to wander around with a torch trying to get peoples vehicle reg.......one way to lose your virginity I s'pose.
I reckon nights must be free (!)

16 Jun 2008

I have found this press release on the forestry commission website

I know it refers to other locations but it does say East Anglia is included in the pilot scheme.
It also says that one can buy a season ticket (£24) at one location so that would solve the problem of them knowing how often one is there.
I cant see them sending staff out to take reg numbers in the evenings and there appears to be no electricity supply at the locations to run anpr cameras so I cant see how they'll police it.
Finally a 'thank you' to the polite young man early yesterday evening, hope you enjoyed the show

16 Jun 2008

Thanks for the links, thoughts and clarifications guys :P . Hello Mr G and Mrs Silky, I trust you are both well? wink

This is a bad state of affairs. What with the kiddy racers unlikely to fork out on a ticket, the police unable to move doggers on unless they issue full refunds, and the fellas rooted to one car park instead of orbiting the circuit relentlessly, I’m going to have fuck all to write about! lol

As Andrew says, D Day is fast approaching and the changes brought about by this latest development in our regional peving pastime will be made clear to us in due course. The downside of course, is that if those four car parks are lost to us, it only gives us 245,000 acres of woodland to play in! confused

J’s concerns that a torch wielding attendant may receive more than he bargained for are real enough :wink: . On being told by an obviously dominant gay in that particular venue that my boot lace was undone and I should bend down to tie it lest I have an accident, my thoughts were as many of your’s would be :idea: . Being only slightly less cynical than JTS :lol: , I assumed falling for the ploy would see me debagged and impaled on eight inches of blue vein before I could enquire as to whether it was the left or right lace that was in question?. Giving my burly admirer one of those “I’m not THAT fucking naive matey” looks cool

, I turned to walk away, stumbled on a flailing bootlace, ended up with my face in the ferns, my trousers around my ankles and an eight inch cock up me arse! :shock:
On another occasion I was grasped by the throat by the sort of guy you don’t wish to upset. He suggested we were to play a game, and gave me the option of “mummies and daddies” or “doctors and nurses” :? . Thinking mummies and daddies might be the lesser of two evils given the lack of potential for surgical exploration I stuttered my preference for the parental option. “Now, do you want to be mummy, or do you want to be daddy?” he growled. “I’ll be Daddy” I spat with resentment, now resigned to my fate :cry: . At which, he dragged me into the undergrowth and demanded “Well kneel down and suck mummy’s cock!” The TWAT! redface

Its what we locals refer to as “a rum owd place” :lol:
Anyway, I’ve got more on my plate right now than parking fines and “deliverance” style car park antics rolleyes

. Germany have just kicked off and Mrs Dirty has reverted to type :roll: . Oh fuck me. We’re 13 minutes into the game and the ref has issued a yellow card. He’s raised his hand in the time honoured tradition and the dozy mare has only gone and “saluted” back. Its going to be a rough night. :twisted:

16 Jun 2008

Excellent your last post there dirty, your comments made me laugh, reminded me of allo allo !

16 Jun 2008

right i have emailed the foresty on how will we pay if we dont have a credit/debit card, also asking how this will be policed and by whom. so watch this space smile

16 Jun 2008

God where will it all end? and the price of fuel to get there !!
The said web-page states.
"Parking at the majority of the Forestry Commission’s car parks, where visitor facilities are not provided, will remain free of charge."
As I remember it, NO visitor facilities exist in the car parks at mentioned sites, even the toilets were closed years ago near the wooden thingy, or are they going to install showers and a johney machine to add to the non-existant facilities. rolleyes

17 Jun 2008

Dear John,
This is not a scam.
We are starting a trial on 20 June in three areas of the country to see if pay by mobile phone parking is something that people will find more convenient and safer. We also hope it will raise honesty rates and that we may be able to use this system in other car parks without a lot of intrusive machinery that can be vandalised.
Remember this is payment to use the car parks, access to the forests and woodlands is, and will remain, free. Money raised from parking charges is used locally to improve the visitor facilities.
Regards,
Stuart
Stuart Burgess
Senior Press Officer
Forestry Commission England

17 Jun 2008

This system already operates in the city in Westminster. If you don't pay within a few minutes you are issued with a fine which is sent in the post. Details are gathered by number plate recognition cameras which log your time of arrival and departure. So you can't get away with paying for 10 minutes and staying for an hour (or two).
So don't neccesarily believe it is a scam. It could be, but I think it is more likely to be genuine.

18 Jun 2008

The scheme is mentioned on the BBC news (east).
To operate in seven carparks in the area.
No mobile ?
Pay when you get home !

21 Jun 2008

Well, as far as I can see the facilities that are being provided to make a car park one where the forestry commission charge are:- a surface to park a car on and enough air for the engine to run to get in there and park up and maybe to start and drive out on leaving.
On any site which has more facilities for example toilets the charge is doubled.
I have been told that the toilets near the wooden thingy have reopened hence the higher charge there or maybe it's for the joy of looking at the thingy!
Having passed some of the sites this morning there was a distinct absence of all the cars parked up using the forest for walking,dog exercising and other such activities and a corresponding increase in cars abandoned at the side of roads and in gateways!
Makes one wonder what the idea of the car parks was in the first place!

21 Jun 2008

Quote by Snertsmate
Well, as far as I can see the facilities that are being provided to make a car park one where the forestry commission charge are:- a surface to park a car on and enough air for the engine to run to get in there and park up and maybe to start and drive out on leaving.
On any site which has more facilities for example toilets the charge is doubled.
I have been told that the toilets near the wooden thingy have reopened hence the higher charge there or maybe it's for the joy of looking at the thingy!
Having passed some of the sites this morning there was a distinct absence of all the cars parked up using the forest for walking,dog exercising and other such activities and a corresponding increase in cars abandoned at the side of roads and in gateways!
Makes one wonder what the idea of the car parks was in the first place!

Will be going past the sites later around midnight tonight so will be interesting to see what difference the scheme has made then, none at all I imagine biggrin

30 Jun 2008

All the signs at three locations have gone - anyone know what's going on confused

30 Jun 2008

Signs have gone from two of the 3 locations, removed by most likely doggers/kids not officially removed by the forrestry comission. The scheme is still in place.
Worst thing they could do is to remove the signs, its only going to make things worse, after all they are not going to put a stop to the trial just because people have got rid of the signs, if anything they will take other more fool-proof measures instead....
Incidentaly its had a big effect on the amount of people out, especially the single guys, last week was the worst anybody has seen it in Thetford since the dawn of time. Weekend was slightly more busier, but boy are things looking bleak down there right now.

30 Jun 2008

So.
The signs have been nicked.
How is anyone going to know of the charges, unless they are posted ?
No signs, no charge.
Maybe there is a bit of panic here ?
The wife will get to know the "out for a beer with the lads" is really "shagging a queer in the woods" ? (no homophobia, just perverse (erted) humour)
And what sort of "parking attendant (meter maid, hopefully) is going to be wandering about in the dark tagging reg numbers ?

30 Jun 2008

The signs going missing isnt going to make them say Ok we will forget about the idea, it will make them think about taking other measures instead. Yes as it stands right now theres no signs with infomation at 2 of the sites, well there is at one, but its currently laying on the ground, actually the wind blew it off, sounds like a terrible excuse I know but it really did, I watched it happen Friday night.
Yes late at night its hard to imagine a warden coming round checking the reg numbers, early evening and during daylight hours is a bigger worry for them though. I have yet to see any forrestry person out at night.

1 Jul 2008

The Private Parking Company (PPC) must make the terms clear to the user of the car park. Therefore they are obliged to place ample and appropriate signage about the car park to make those persons using the facilities aware of the terms. The signs must be clear and unambiguous and it cannot be obscured, faded, covered up or in any way difficult or impossible to read and understand. Often times those terms will include a provision that if you over stay you will be penalised to the tune of £50, £70 or whatever. They may also include a clause on clamping (I will not be dealing with the issue of clamping in this article). These signs are usually displayed at the pay stations (for pay and display) and for other car parks at the entrance and at intervals about the land. If the car park is improperly signed then immediately the PPC will be in difficulty. Thus when the driver parks the vehicle in the car park and pays or otherwise he accepts by way of his actions and a contract is formed between he and the owner of the land.

Therefore should you receive an INVOICE from a PPC as the keeper of a vehicle and you do not know who was driving, I suggest you tell them this and tell them not to contact you again. You are under no obligation whatsoever to provide any information to the PPC. Refuse to do so.

1 Jul 2008

You are right of course JT I never realised there was more than one entrance as we have never been to Thetford ( although tried to find it when we went to Norfolk,and gave up at the second pub we encountered)
Hope you are well also Mr D and Mrs D ...........I am sure the parking situation will improve as it appears the cost of fuel will mean almost all dogging will be taking place by bicycle in the coming months.
xx

1 Jul 2008

Quote by Silk and Big G
You are right of course JT I never realised there was more than one entrance as we have never been to Thetford ( although tried to find it when we went to Norfolk,and gave up at the second pub we encountered)
Hope you are well also Mr D and Mrs D ...........I am sure the parking situation will improve as it appears the cost of fuel will mean almost all dogging will be taking place by bicycle in the coming months.
xx

Yes Mr G (and Silk), I am reasonably well....since it is summer I haven't had hypothermia for several months, although I have got soaked a few times (the things doggs have to do to get a decent show...why do couples insist on shagging in the rain ?)
I already carry one (a bike) (2-wheel-type) in the back.
It means I can park somewhere a bit safer than the thief-infested car parks we have now (!!) and cycle-in. Less of an announcement....just in case I lose the car I have a sat-nav to locate it..(!)..again.
Never been to Thetford ?
Well, you've missed the fun....never a dull moment...even if it means jumping out of the way (fast) when the "posse" is in full cry, and speeds out of the place to another where the action is.

2 Jul 2008

Yeah you may be right mate. We would like to have another bash at Holkham beach this summer (assuming we can find a hurricane proof tent after the last attempt)maybe we will try and find thetford then
Peace
G

3 Jul 2008

Right..Sorry we've been neglecting this thread, but for the last three days i've been up to my neck in Dextron 111 auto transmission fluid :cry: lol

Its a long story, but then most of mine tend to be redface

Thetford signs. Yep, last Sunday afternoon we took a drive around the sites to assess the situation, and as Andrew says, most of the signs have now gone confused

:lol:
They were stuck into the ground on bits of 2"x2" timber, and the signs themselves were rather flimsy. They were never going to last long :lol: The scheme is a four month trial, so I imagine the plan was to erect something more substantial after that time.
As JTS points out however, given that the whole parking charge issue hinges on ringing the phone number and quoting the car park reference number , without signs, it ain't gonna work :lol:
Back to Andrew..As he says, the forest rangers aren't ever likely to be seen trawling the car parks at night and so our dogging activities weren't neccessarily going to be hampered. Having said that, there was always going to be the fear factor :lol: And judging by some of the strapping lasses in these here rural parts, returning home to see a spouse weilding a parking notice in one hand and a rolling pin in the other was always going to be a sobering 've not seen terror until you've looked upon a dogger's face bathed in the glow of a mobile phone sporting the words "her indoors" upon it's vibrating screen :sticky: :lol:
Then there was the issue of the call cost itself :shock: I recently was informed that although the parking charge was £1:00 per day , the call itself was a premium rate? That COULD be bollocks of course :lol: , but regardless of that, it would appear that each individual car park had a seperate charge applied, which would cost the local doggs £5:00 a session :lol: Naturally, we ourselves would only frequent the "select" car parks, looking upon the £1:00 venues as a kinda dogging steerage. :lol:
This is what we've seen so far..Doggers are now less inclined than ever to park up on the premiss a moving vehicle is harder to fine :lol: Driving past the main arena the other night you could have mistaken it as a banger racing event :lol: Needless to say, the local "free" sites had experienced a sudden upsurge in activity :lol:
We ourselves were out recently to meet Mrs Dirty's occassional girlfriend in some scarcely dogged car park when we were subjected to a Police raid :shock: :lol: A copper approached us and it was clear to me that he was going to stick his head through the window. I had the presence of mind to wind it down just in time else there would have been glass everywhere rolleyes

My key was then obviously in the ignition, and in the mayhem Mrs Dirty spilled her Becks in the footwell :? The copper then asked "have we been drinking sir?" to which I nearly replied "well if we have, I don't recall you getting your round in". He then removed me from the car and instructed me to stand well clear pointing to my illuminated dash board :shock: I knew Mrs D had been supping some strange concoctions, but I didn't think we were in any imminent danger of being caught in an explosion :?
He then asked me to confirm I was the driver of the vehicle :? To which I replied "no, its an automatic and i've just come out for the ride" :twisted: Anyway, the guys were okay and I soon turned the conversation away from raves and onto dogging which had the effect of getting them all a bit horny :? I did however ask for my stop and search record as suggested by JTS and I now have a long yellow souvenier of the night's events :P
Silk n G. Such a shame about the timing of your last visit. It'll be beautifull on the coast today. They'll be filming the 3rd installment of "Kingdom" there as from this month, so you may want to be suspicious of suited solicitors walking amongst the dunes :lol:

6 Jul 2008

Hahaha! Your post reminds me of an ancient Lenny Henry sketch Mr D " Well its an automatik officer........but I have to be here" lol "Have you anything to say sir?" " yeah fuck me did you see the way I took that last corner guy !?"
I myself have refrained from requesting my S&S records on paper for fear of negative effects on the rain forrest due to the amount of paper involved, We are currently working on the Holkham situation and trying to establish a series of days when we both have time off for the jaunt. As for Kingdom, well that sounds like a fabulous scenario - surely there could be little less erotic than the prospect of an intellectual dogger and a more stimulating initial conversation than the normal " do you get down ere much? We dont get many couples here" - I am sure it would be quite a refreshing change to have Mr Fry expound his thesis on the effects of Oscar Wilde on the modern sexual psyche whilst watchin Silky give me a BJ - unlikely though since Steven has more than once expressed he prefers a good cup of tea and that sex is a pointless messy business.
We will post if we are going and when, and perhaps some of our fav posters here might join us to make for a more stunning background shot in some of the opening sequences :-)
Peace