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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my local council are absolutely heartless?

145 replies

Esmediamond · 25/08/2010 13:38

I am regular, have name changed.

Have a ds (7) with Austism, he is diagnosed etc.

I usually drive him to school, park outside and drop off and am in and out before 9.00 am when charging for parking starts.

One day last term he had a huge meltdown as I dropped him off, there is no way I could have left him. I had to stay with him to calm him down, no-one else can do it when he is like this. Eventually managed to calm him and left, got out to my car at around 9.20 am to find a parking ticket on the car. Fair enough I thought, I will appeal it. Later that day another parent told me that they had spoken to the Parking Attendant and said the Mother who owns that car is inside with her disabled child, please don't ticket the car, he did anyway.

So I appealed the local council explaining this with a supporting letter from school. The reply comes back today, the answer is no and not only that but instead of the original £60 it is now £120 as the appeal did not reach them within two weeks of the penalty notice.

I am gutted, I am on my own with dc so this is a massive dent in my finances.

How can they sleep at nights I will never know.

OP posts:
FranSanDisco · 25/08/2010 14:01

You need to apply to go to a tribunal and argue your point with a person rather than a 'system'. Would you be able to do that? My dh has had tickets overturned this way as the adjudicator can see sense in the argument. They may reduce the fee is nothing else. Good luck.

GnocchiGnocchiWhosThere · 25/08/2010 14:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JaneS · 25/08/2010 14:03

'I am thinking about that actually. I don't mind shelling out when I am at fault but this just could not be helped.'

I'm sorry, but you are at fault.

It is crap they don't give you a badge, but that has to be a separate issue. Of course you couldn't leave your son, but if your son was NT and had fallen over and was bleeding everywhere, the situation would be the same and you'd get the ticket. And you'd feel crap, but that's how it goes.

What's wrong isn't this particular ticket and the situation that caused you to get it, it's the fact you don't get a badge given your son is autistic.

Original poster
Esmediamond · 25/08/2010 14:04

Rules are Rules? As the saying goes, there is an exception to every rule and I do feel this is one of them. I don't mean to be rude with anyone who thinks IABU I did post in AIBU after all, but I do wonder how many of you have disabled children and understand what it is like to be called in to school to support your child sometimes up to 6 times a week, to never be able to go more than a couple of miles from home when he is at school because you need to be available. And also to get to pay sometimes up to £5 everytime you have to do it.

OP posts:
PawMum · 25/08/2010 14:05

I got one for the same reason and they let me off, so yes I do think they are being a bit heartless

Rocky12 · 25/08/2010 14:05

This might sound really really harsh but if you cannot get a disability badge then the answer is not to park in places where you are likely to get a ticket.

My son was nearly run over by a mother who was backing out of a space in a part of the school she shouldnt have been in. I had to bang on her car to stop her. She was on the phone and said she was sorry, she didnt see him but she was trying to get an urgent doctors appointment! That's OK then!!

We all have reasons why we need to be treated differently to others occasionally. When I went into labour my DH thought he could break the speed limits driving me to the hospital and it would be allowed. In fact he was quite looking forward to it! Luckily I wanted him to drive very slowly so he never proved his point.

AMumInScotland · 25/08/2010 14:07

You're very unlikely to be able to get a blue badge for autism - it's not just the local council being awkward.

Higher rate DLA mobility component / registered blind / war pension mobility supplement can all get them automatically, but other than that it has to be a physical disability which makes walking very difficult or impossible, or a disability in both arms which makes it hard to use parking meters.

"People with a behavioural or psychological disorder will not normally qualify unless their impairment causes very considerable difficulty in walking all the time."

Can you talk to the school about using their carpark when this happens?

Original poster
Esmediamond · 25/08/2010 14:08

Rocky your examples are utterly irrelevant to my situation.

I am allowed to park outside the school but I am supposed to pay for it.

OP posts:
EdgarAllenPop · 25/08/2010 14:08

challenge the time. if the timepiece used is just the traffic officers watch, i do not believe that is legally admissable.

Original poster
Esmediamond · 25/08/2010 14:09

Yes AMuminScotland I have already arranged that, the school car park I mean.

OP posts:
BuzzingNoise · 25/08/2010 14:11

sorry, but if you don't qualify for a blue badge then I don't see why you should be let off the fine. I'm sure looking after your child is hard work, but such is life.
Someone suggested asking to use the staff car park. That sounds like a good idea.

JaneS · 25/08/2010 14:11

Emse, it is utterly shit and I do see that. But I think you're wasting the energy on the small injustice when there's a bigger one out there.

Original poster
Esmediamond · 25/08/2010 14:13

So there you go, I can't get a badge and yet my ds's disability can cost me anywhere up to £20.00 a week. If he has a meltdown, which anyone with an autistic child will know how bad this can be I have to leave him to tear outside to put a ticket on the car.

OP posts:
Original poster
Esmediamond · 25/08/2010 14:15

BuzzingNoise, "Such if life"? you are all heart.

OP posts:
Original poster
Esmediamond · 25/08/2010 14:15

is not if.

OP posts:
Rocky12 · 25/08/2010 14:17

Looking after all children has its challenges, working full time, keeping a marriage going, looking after elderly parents, losing your job, getting into debt. Those are all hard things to deal with.

Sadly if you cannot get a blue badge then you will either need to park before the charging occurs, walk to the school (if possible) or get into the school car park in someway.

You indicate that the school is suppportive so it is likely that they will let you park in their staff car park. Problem solved.

There is really no point in getting angry with me...

Original poster
Esmediamond · 25/08/2010 14:17

Yes using the staff car park is an idea but it is minute, enough room for about 10 cars. So could not be a regular thing

OP posts:
BalloonSlayer · 25/08/2010 14:17

Find out the name of the Council Director in charge of the parking division and write to him/her

You should be able to find out that information in a couple of phone calls.

Or you could email the Director. Council employees email addresses are usually [email protected]

It might help if you included some of the following words:

Emergency
Council tax payer
Disability discrimination
Powers of discretion
Local newspaper

Original poster
Esmediamond · 25/08/2010 14:18

I am not angry with you. I just didn't understand your examples in relation to this. I didn't really see what they added to the thread.

OP posts:
Original poster
Esmediamond · 25/08/2010 14:20

BalloonSlayer THANK YOU! Helped me to focus my mind. Will find out that info right now.

OP posts:
FranSanDisco · 25/08/2010 14:20

I think if you have an option to pay for parking after 9 am then you should have done this. I thought it was restricted parking during school start and finish as at dcs school and one cannot choose to pay, or not, you simply can't park. I do understand your frustration but the warden was simply doing his job.

highlandspringerdog · 25/08/2010 14:22

YANBU at all in any way. wankers.

You should most certainly go for the local paper idea. Also write to your local councillor, sometimes they can be really helpful. £120 is a lot of money for anyone and they should have a lot more consideration. Rules are rules yes, but the reason they are enforced by humans rather than robots is so that they can be adjusted slightly sometimes to allow for situations like this. Some moron in an office somewhere doesn't have the balls to let you off. I'd go for letter to councillor first, and if you get no where with that, local paper, and then even national paper - daily mail would suck this up like it was a chocolate milkshake! I hate the daily mail, but on issues like this, it has its uses!

Good luck - and I really feel for you. You did what any good parent would have done and you should not be punished for it.

Original poster
Esmediamond · 25/08/2010 14:25

Again, I understand that the warden was doing his job, I don't think you will find any criticism of him by me in this thread. It is the fact that after appeal and under the circumstances I am still having to pay. I understand rules are rules and all that but I think it is morally wrong under these circumstances.

Someone mentioned earlier about an NT child injuring themselves and needing help. What would everyone think then? Say your child fell in the playground and injured themselves and you were ticketed and still made to pay it (and it was doubled!). Would you think that was acceptable?

OP posts:
Original poster
Esmediamond · 25/08/2010 14:27

Ah yes the DM highland they would love it wouldn't they? Especially accompanied by me and ds looking suitably woeful Grin.

OP posts:
highlandspringerdog · 25/08/2010 14:27

IT is not acceptable! Of course it is not acceptable! I have not read the whole thread but I cannot believe anyone thinks this is ok. Rules are not set in stone. We don't have to all unthinkingly comply with everything all of the time without ever questioning anything!

And I agree re the warden - poor fella just trying to keep his job in hard times no doubt - not his fault.