Parking attendants reveal surging threats and violence
Parking attendants have revealed surging abuse, threats and violence on the streets of Dundee.
The frontline workers have called for greater safeguards claiming the level of verbal and physical abuse has dramatically escalated over the last year.
They spoke out as their union, GMB Scotland, urged Dundee City Council to recognise the physical and psychological toll on staff working to keep roads clear and traffic moving.
One experienced parking attendant described how abuse and assaults have become a daily part of his job and are getting more frequent.
He said: “It’s absolutely every day now. If you’re lucky it’s just verbal and if you’re not it’s physical.
“I’ve been punched, pushed, rugby-tackled, kicked and spat on.
“A woman in her 50s just lost it last week and just lashed out, slapping me. I hadn’t even given her a ticket, just pointed out she was parked illegally.
“We get it from everyone. Drivers, passengers, children, people outside pubs, folk doing their shopping. There’s a lot of anger out there and people think it’s okay to take it out on us.
“It’s definitely getting worse. I don’t know why but it’s constant.
“Maybe lockdown had something to do with it? It’s like people have forgotten the normal rules.
“It’s like someone took the leash off and you can say anything to anyone and it doesn’t matter. Shouting and bawling at total strangers in the street, people just trying to do their job.”
One of his colleagues confirmed the abuse is getting worse and revealed it took a toll on his mental health.
He said: “We get used to it to an extent but just because we carry on working despite people screaming abuse at us doesn’t mean it’s nothing.
“It’s constant stress and anxiety and it grinds you down. The job is demanding anyway but having to cope with this stuff on top of that is just gruelling.
“They’ll shout all sort at you. ‘Hope you get cancer.’ ‘Hope your kids get cancer.’ ‘I’m going to kill you.’ ‘I’m going to kill your family.’
“A lot of it is racist or sexist. ‘Go back to where you came from’ and all that. It’s grim.”
The verbal threats and physical violence suffered by the parking enforcement team has been detailed during a job evaluation process that, GMB Scotland claims, has dragged on too long while failing to reflect the abuse being endured.
Vicki Leonard, GMB Scotland organiser at Dundee City Council, said the local authority has refused to properly recognise the role, responsibilities and risks faced by the parking attendants.
She a catalogue of abuse and violence has been detailed by members including one incident when an attendant was hit by a car after the driver was given a ticket. Another suffered a sexual assault.
New working guidelines intended to protect attendants now ensure attendants work more closely together in case of trouble but they can still be up to three streets apart.
Leonard said: “It is hard to imagine any other council worker being expected to endure the aggression and threatening behavour, parking attendants endure every day.
“It is clearly unacceptable, takes a huge toll on their physical and mental wellbeing but is still not being acknowledged by council managers.
“Our members in parking enforcement do not have the same powers as police, for example, when faced with hostility and aggression from members of the public.
“The council cannot be held responsible for the unacceptable behaviour of the pubic but it can properly recognise the pressures of what is a hugely difficult and demanding job.”
Leonard said the job evaluation has gone on too long and failed to recognise the attendants’ responsibilities and expertise.
She said: “Our members in parking have one of the most stressful, technical and demanding jobs.
“It is a frontline service often involving fraught exchanges with the public and demands a very high level of professional knowledge and personal skills.
“We would urge the council to urgently address our members’ concerns.”
ENDS
20 October 2025
Parking attendants reveal surge in threats and violence
Parking attendants have revealed a surge in abuse, threats and violence on the streets of Dundee.
The frontline workers have called for greater safeguards claiming the level of verbal and physical abuse has dramatically escalated over the last year.
They spoke out as their union, GMB Scotland, urged Dundee City Council to recognise the physical and psychological toll on staff working to keep roads clear and traffic moving.
One experienced parking attendant described how abuse and assaults have become a daily part of his job and are getting more frequent.
He said: “It’s absolutely every day now. If you’re lucky it’s just verbal and if you’re not it’s physical.
“I’ve been punched, pushed, rugby-tackled, kicked and spat on.
“A woman in her 50s just lost it last week and just lashed out, slapping me. I hadn’t even given her a ticket, just pointed out she was parked illegally.
“We get it from everyone. Drivers, passengers, children, people outside pubs, folk doing their shopping. There’s a lot of anger out there and people think it’s okay to take it out on us.
“It’s definitely getting worse. I don’t know why but it’s constant.
“Maybe lockdown had something to do with it? It’s like people have forgotten the normal rules.
“It’s like someone took the leash off and you can say anything to anyone and it doesn’t matter. Shouting and bawling at total strangers in the street, people just trying to do their job.”
One of his colleagues confirmed the abuse is getting worse and revealed it took a toll on his mental health.
He said: “We get used to it to an extent but just because we carry on working despite people screaming abuse at us doesn’t mean it’s nothing.
“It’s constant stress and anxiety and it grinds you down. The job is demanding anyway but having to cope this stuff on top of that is just gruelling.
“They’ll shout all sort at you. ‘Hope you get cancer.’ ‘Hope your kids get cancer.’ ‘I’m going to kill you.’ ‘I’m going to kill your family.’
“A lot of it is racist or sexist. ‘Go back to where you came from’ and all that. It’s grim.”
The verbal threats and physical violence suffered by the parking enforcement team has been detailed during a job evaluation process that, GMB Scotland claims, has gone on too long while failing to reflect the abuse being endured.
Vicki Leonard, GMB Scotland organiser at Dundee City Council, said the council has refused to properly recognise the role and responsibilities of the parking attendants.
She a catalogue of abuse and violence has been detailed by members including one incident when an attendant was hit by a car after the driver was given a ticket. Another suffered a sexual assault.
New working guidelines intended to protect attendants now ensure attendants work more closely together in case of trouble but they can still be up to three streets apart.
Leonard said: “It is hard to imagine any other council worker being expected to endure the aggression and threatening behavour, parking attendants endure every day.
“It is clearly unacceptable, takes a huge toll on their physical and mental wellbeing but is still not being acknowledged by council managers.
“Our members in parking enforcement do not have the same powers as police, for example, when faced with hostility and aggression from members of the public.
“The council cannot be held responsible for the unacceptable behaviour of the pubic but it can properly recognise the pressures of what is a hugely difficult and demanding job.”
Leonard said the job evaluation has gone on too long and failed to recognise the attendants’ responsibilities and expertise.
Leonard said: “Our members in parking have one of the most stressful, technical and demanding jobs.
“It is a frontline service often involving fraught exchanges with the public and demands a very high level of professional knowledge and personal skills.
“We would urge the council to urgently address our members’ concerns.”
ENDS
