In the fall of ’88 I had an experience similar to Alec Guinness‘s, as described below by Peter Ustinov. It happened in either Cork or Limerick, and it involved an Irish policeman and a parking infraction.
I was standing near our rental car when a friendly uniformed cop approached and asked if the car was mine. Yes, I said. “Well, I’m only askin’ because it’s parked in a red zone”, the cop said in a gentle Irish brogue, “and you might wanna think about movin’ it before too long, as you’ll probably get a parking ticket if you don’t.” I thanked him and promptly parked the rental elsewhere…no sweat. It was easily the most pleasant encounter with a parking cop in my entire life.