When I heard that a machinery wielding superhero called Wheel Clamp Man was helping out motorists in Perth I thought that the world had gone mad. All I can remember from my visit to the sleepy Scottish city is the lilting accent and some jolly nice scones.
It turns out that the action is happening in Perth in Australia, though. That’s all right then.
It seems from the picture that the chap dresses up with a fake moustache, although it could also be real, I suppose. I work beside a guy with a very similar piece of facial hair. He also wears a hard hat and some sort of cape. Wheel Clamp Man that is, not my work colleague.
An Insane Profit
The cost for getting a wheel clamp removed in Perth is $135, which apparently is just under £90. He said in a newspaper interview that he is “helping people out”. He went on to state that the amount of money made by clamping firms is “insane” and that it goes straight into their pockets instead of helping make the streets safer. He asks for a donation after freeing up a car and this reportedly goes to homeless people in the city.
The other side of the coin is that the Aussie Police have called him, gulp, “a menace” and said that they will deal with him.
The man himself wouldn’t give out his name but said that he was inspired by the UK’s Angle grinder Man; he of the blue leotard if you can recall. He also confirmed that the experience of being clamped led him to change into a rather bizarre looking superhero. The same thing happened to me once but I have to confess the idea of waging a one man war against clamping firms never came into my head.
What do you reckon, is Wheel Clamp Man a brave and wondrous fighter for the common motorist or a publicity seeking loony who should be locked up?