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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not understand traffic warden hatred?

88 replies

jaggythistle · 19/12/2010 22:05

Please tell me if I am being unreasonable to think that it is as simple as this : if you don't park where you're not supposed to, you won't get a ticket?

I haven't had one in 12 years of driving based on this theory, am I just lucky not to live or regularly visit a 'difficult' area?

I often hear people ranting about tickets, but excluding obvious mistakes in handing out the ticket, are they just daft to have not read the parking regulations for where they parked?

This has often crossed my mind and now I have somewhere to get an answer Xmas Grin

OP posts:
earwicga · 19/12/2010 22:06

YANBU. I've never had a parking ticket and tbh that is largely to do with luck. If I had been given a ticket for parking where I shouldn't then I would suck it up.

I'd love to be a traffic warden :)

RockinRobinBird · 19/12/2010 22:09

Traffic wardens don't only give tickets to people illegally parked though. I think it's the instances where they give a ticket to someone who is putting their money into the ticket machine at that time that piss people off. I am always hearing people on the radio with stories like that.

IneedacleanerIamalazyslattern · 19/12/2010 22:10

YANBU I often say the same thing.
I know there are traffic wardens out there that enjoy waiting beside a parking meter and slapping a ticket on the second it runs out but if you were back at your car on time it wouldnt happen.
Like earwicga said if that was me I would suck it up as I shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 19/12/2010 22:10

I agree to a point, but I think it's the swiftness by which they ticket you that gets people annoyed. I know in Edinburgh for example that they purposely hang about the Sick Kids hospital area, knowing that parents are often held up at appointments etc, and ticket a car the minute that it goes out of its time.

The ones who park on double lines blocking traffic deserve no sympathy, but there are certainly occasions where they can be over-zealous, and I'm not sure I like the idea of commission based work, depending on how many tickets they issue. Certainly doesn't excuse the abuse though.

shirleyhyypia · 19/12/2010 22:13

same for speeding tickets!!

angel1976 · 19/12/2010 22:13

Hmmmm... I kinda agree with you to an extent but sometimes the traffic wardens can be completely over-zealous.

I once parked in a notorious car park where the wardens are known to 'haunt'. I put in what I thought was enough time for a meal. I went to a nearby restaurant for a birthday meal with my best friend and her family. When bill was being paid, I was itching to run off as I knew my time was almost up but since BF's husband was paying for the meal, I thought it was rude to run off... Ran off the first opportunity I could without being rude and was 4 minutes over and the traffic warden was giving me a ticket. FGS, he was obviously waiting and that annoyed me.

There was also a time when my friend's husband parked with his mum in the car (who said she would watch the car) to run a quick errand. Mum (old, in her 70s) fell asleep and the traffic warden ticketed the car. Honestly, does it hurt for him/her to knock on the window to ask her to move the car if possible before giving the ticket? I guess it's the meanness that annoys everyone about traffic wardens.

IneedacleanerIamalazyslattern · 19/12/2010 22:14

I was going to mention the ones in Edinburgh actually they have such a bad name.
I have never had a parking ticket in Edinburgh either. I am over cautious with time on meters and stuff though rather pay and extra few pounds and not need it than end up with a more expensive ticket.
I have heard a lot of stories about Edinburgh though.

BeerTricksPotter · 19/12/2010 22:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bringmesomeFIGGYpudding · 19/12/2010 22:14

Oooh, well its the fuckers that give you one when you haven't done anything wrong that get me!

eg.

  1. I got sent a ticket through the post that was never given to me, I had a witness with me and there was no ticket on the car, there was however a traffic warden walking TOWARDS me and I was a couple of minutes over the allotted time (however this is all based on what time the clock in the car/on the parking meter and my watch of which there were minutes in variations). I appealed that one and they told me that I had REFUSED the ticket, I appealed again with a witness statement and they had to drop it.
  1. the fucker who ticketed AND then clamped my car in central london because I put money in the wrong meter (you know the silly ones that you put your money in and it counts down to your time running out...) I put well over the amount of time I needed into it as was having a wedding dress fitting... came out and found clamped car. The signage was very very obscure - on this one road the meters were behind the car bay, then a break for residents parking, then the meters were in front of the car bay. My meter was covered by a delivery truck at the time but had been to this road before and parked with no problem. I got a ticket (due to a small error on my part BUT easily made as you can imagine), so did the resident with a permit parked in a residents permit bay behind me. (in parking wardens eyes the meter he should have paid for which infact he ticketed me for not paying iyswim - confusing I know). Appealed and got that one back too, especially as had witnesses to me shoving £10 in the meter and said witnesses challenged the warden on my behalf whilst I was obliviously being pinned into me frock!

So what was the question again? Why do people complain? I don't know but have given you 2 examples of how it can go wrong via ambiguity (which I think they like to run with in the hope people won't complain!)

shirleyhyypia · 19/12/2010 22:16

plus i just spotted on someones facebook "ffs - warning, police will stop anyone with snow on their roof and issue an on the spot fine. its in the highway code apparently"

Hmm
hester · 19/12/2010 22:17

I'm not a driver so probably not qualified to comment. I'm sure there are many legitimate grievances against traffic wardens. But it also seems to me that they come in for a lot of bullying, because hating them is socially legitimised. in London - where most traffic wardens are poor, relatively recent immigrants, often lacking in English language skills - you often hear them being subjected to the most horrific abuse.

Original poster
jaggythistle · 19/12/2010 22:17

That's why I said apart from obvious mistakes in giving a ticket bringmesome Wink

I guess overzealous 'hoverers' do give them all a bad name.

OP posts:
earwicga · 19/12/2010 22:18

Aye, shirleyhyypia. I did get a speeding ticket, and I was extremely pissed off (36 in a road I thought was 40, but in fact had changed to 30). But it was only the one, and I have always double checked the speed I should be driving at since then so it worked.

bringmesomeFIGGYpudding · 19/12/2010 22:19

Oh and what about private traffic wardens - did you not listen to Jezza Vine on radio 2 last week - a poor woman got a £940 ticket due to being parked in a working mens club when she wasn't authorised for her fathers funeral. Justification Nil, not saying she should be able to park there and not that those at funerals should be exempt blada blada but a ticket that is effectively holding a car to ransom is just unjustifiable.

Incidentally, even though the police became involved in this case there was nothing illegal that had occured Hmm.

Original poster
jaggythistle · 19/12/2010 22:19

My next door neighbour nearly crashed the other week, due to snow sliding off his roof down his windscreen (while on a dual carriageway Shock).

Apparently you could get points for a carelessness type offence, not a specific snow on roof one.

OP posts:
earwicga · 19/12/2010 22:19

When was that thing about snow on roofs of car put into highway code? I don't remember reading it many many years ago, and I first found about it this year on Mumsnet.

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 19/12/2010 22:19

If they are on commission, who can blame them for hovering though? Thank god we don't have the private clampers up here that you lot have dahhhn sarf - that would really annoy me

shirleyhyypia · 19/12/2010 22:21

dont know, i dont drive, lol. just quoting :)

FunkySnowSkeleton · 19/12/2010 22:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
jaggythistle · 19/12/2010 22:22

Yeah, the private clampers/ticketers sound like a right shower of shite. :(

OP posts:
hatesponge · 19/12/2010 22:26

Our local parking wardens have to photograph your car when they ticket you as 'evidence'. I know several people who have returned to their cars with 2-3 minutes max of a ticket expiring, or parking restriction coming into force, to find a ticket (which would take a good few minutes minimum to produce what with taking photo as well) already in place and traffic warden nowhere in sight...hence the warden had clearly been waiting for the ticket to run out in the hope no-one returned in time, and stuck it on the car the very second they were able to.

what really annoys me is giving tickets to disabled people for not displaying their badges clearly - especially when in many cases the vehicle will be adapted and therefore quite clear the driver/passenger is disabled. I have a disabled friend who has appealed hers (successfully) in the past.

I'd be happier if they focused on cars which are dangerously parked/abandoned but that wouldn't make enough money.....

bringmesomeFIGGYpudding · 19/12/2010 22:26

jiggy Blush didn't read it properly - but still I think it is because of those errors and defo in london being bonus related that these things happen.

however parking :
double yellow lines (holding up the traffic!)
single yellow line during peak times
handicapped spots
blatant over staying on a meter
zig zag lines
in front of someones driveway
residents parking WITHOUT a paid permit

all deserve to be screwed over by parking wardens Wink

with regards to london traffic wardens, I do feel sorry for them on occasions but the one who ticketed me (which then got rejected further on in the process) had made mistakes due to the fact that he didn't understand what was being said to him. The first example though I WHOLLY believe was acting on a bonus system and had my car details and sent them on because he hadn't filled his quota. Cynical old bat me!

Original poster
jaggythistle · 19/12/2010 22:30

My DH will certainly hoping I am a jiggythistle... Xmas Grin sorry it made me giggle a wee bit to myself.

OP posts:
bringmesomeFIGGYpudding · 19/12/2010 22:31

Actually, a pet hate of mine is snow on the top of a car. We have a big hill near us now and I have always been really really rude about other people not clearing snow (in Jan/feb when we had loads!!!), then this year first sign of snow and not much on my car I didn't clear it, had the heating on in the car to clear windscreen and heat car for dc's, got to the hill and semi melted snow went on the windscreen 2cm was enough to make me have to stop and clear it. It was so heavy and non moving. Reinforced my pet hate to me, that that little amount of snow could cause so much of a problem. I think I am a prat for not clearing it on an empty road, other people are even more prattish though. Should be instant points on your license.

bringmesomeFIGGYpudding · 19/12/2010 22:32

jaggy Blush Xmas Grin, go change your name woman!