Illegally parked car blown up by London police
Being penalized by the state for parking illegally is all part of the game when it comes to motoring in the big city. Be it a hefty parking ticket, having one’s car whisked away by a tow truck or suffering the indignities of the Denver Boot, there are myriad ways the authorities can punish those who park unlawfully… including, it would appear, blowing up an offending vehicle.
Just ask Michael Raphel, 28.
Raphel illegally parked his Honda Civic Type R on double yellow lines less than half a klick away from the British prime minister’s 10 Downing Street residence in London.
Metropolitan Police reviewed CCTV footage that showed Raphel somewhat suspiciously running away from his illegally-parked vehicle. Fearing the Honda might contain a bomb, the cops decided to play it safe. Which is to say, in the words of SCTV’s Billy Sol Hurock and Big Jim McBob, they “blowed up” Raphel’s Honda “real good.”
Alas, it turns out Raphel isn’t a card-carrying member of Al-Qaeda after all. Rather, he’s a businessman from Headington, Oxford who was visiting London to celebrate a friend’s birthday.
But when the parking scofflaw returned to where he had left his car, the sight that greeted him was the smoldering remains of his Civic – as well as a bevy of anti-terrorism Bobbies.
“They [cops] explained that because I was seen running from the car and because of the [Remembrance Day] parades the next day, it had heightened their suspicions,” Raphel told The Times. “The driver and passenger windows had been blown out and the bonnet and boot had come open with the force.”
Raphel, who owns a men’s clothing store, says he plans to seek compensation from the police as well as an apology.
“We have laughed about it a bit now but I’m a bit gutted to be honest,” he says. “The car was registered to me – I’m sure there are ways they [police] could have contacted me if they had really tried to.”
Alas, Raphel may have his work cut out for him in terms of receiving compensation. A spokesperson for confused.com (a U.K. insurance website) says it’s unlikely Raphel will take delivery of any payout given his car was illegally parked upon detonation.
NOTE * How the insurance company found a loop hole to get out of paying this guy lmao
