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Outside where I once worked, I got fed up with the ice cream van idling the diesel engine outside my window, so I complained to the local council by email. Why

Outside where I once worked, I got fed up with the ice cream van idling the diesel engine outside my window, so I complained to the local council by email. Why wasn't the driver using the power socket in the lamp post that was there for the purpose? Ten minutes later, police appeared and arrested the driver. The council wrote back and said the driver was trading illegally, and had been warned before. (My colleagues made jokes about this for months.)

oneoff786 5y ago
You got a 10 minute response by in person police to an email to local council?!
- elsonrodriguez 5y ago
  If the person had been a repeat offender this is totally plausible. I once mentioned a builder to someone on a local council and she went on a small rant and gave me her number in case a certain behavior was repeated.
NullPrefix 5y ago
Instead of talking to the driver you emailed your local council?
- spoonjim 5y ago
  It’s much better this way. The cost borne to the driver was very high and now he will probably not do this ever again, instead of needing to be told.
- xahrepap 5y ago
  You know, I remember many times on my neighborhood’s Facebook post age people saying things like “thanks whomever reported my barking dog. I had no idea it was a problem now I owe $500. Why didn’t you just tell me?!” or whatever. So I was like, oh yeah I’ll just be a cool neighbor. I texted several of my neighbors once. Completely polite and to the point “hey, there are dogs barking all day lately. Can you double check yours isn’t one? It’s really disruptive. Thanks!” One of them passive aggressively never spoke to me again until they moved. The other texted me back berating me. How dare I even suggest their perfect dog… I will call the cops anonymously from now on.
  - gedy 5y ago
    I think that might be a special situation as people are super sensitive about their dogs.
seanmcdirmid 5y ago
> The council wrote back and said the driver was trading illegally, and had been warned before. This is the reason ice cream trucks in my area only take cash. I haven’t seen a legitimately licensed ice cream truck in many years.

oneoff786 5y ago

You got a 10 minute response by in person police to an email to local council?!

elsonrodriguez 5y ago
If the person had been a repeat offender this is totally plausible. I once mentioned a builder to someone on a local council and she went on a small rant and gave me her number in case a certain behavior was repeated.

NullPrefix 5y ago

Instead of talking to the driver you emailed your local council?

spoonjim 5y ago
It’s much better this way. The cost borne to the driver was very high and now he will probably not do this ever again, instead of needing to be told.
xahrepap 5y ago
You know, I remember many times on my neighborhood’s Facebook post age people saying things like “thanks whomever reported my barking dog. I had no idea it was a problem now I owe $500. Why didn’t you just tell me?!” or whatever. So I was like, oh yeah I’ll just be a cool neighbor. I texted several of my neighbors once. Completely polite and to the point “hey, there are dogs barking all day lately. Can you double check yours isn’t one? It’s really disruptive. Thanks!” One of them passive aggressively never spoke to me again until they moved. The other texted me back berating me. How dare I even suggest their perfect dog… I will call the cops anonymously from now on.
- gedy 5y ago
  I think that might be a special situation as people are super sensitive about their dogs.

seanmcdirmid 5y ago

> The council wrote back and said the driver was trading illegally, and had been warned before. This is the reason ice cream trucks in my area only take cash. I haven’t seen a legitimately licensed ice cream truck in many years.