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Original poster

To think the new outrageous 'pay by phone' parking shiz will obliterate the high street?

104 replies

Proudnscary · 18/12/2011 07:34

In one of London suburbs near me they've installed these pay by phone parking systems. So you cannot pay for parking unless you have your mobile on you. There are no other options.

I had no idea til I got there so was standing in the pissing rain with 2 dc trying to work out who to text and what. Got two fucking texts back telling me I'd done it wrong and to log on and register with a Phoneparking website!!! FFS!!

I also noticed that there were several parking spaces free when usually there are none. So I googled it when I got home and the local shopkeepers are absolutely desperate - takings are down 40% since they installed these stupid things and hiked the prices. This isn't even a particularly affluent area!! There shouldn't be parking fees anyway, it's notbloody central London.

What about older people without phones or who are even less phone literate than me?

Isn't this illegal, that this is the only method of payment?

Doesn't the council realise this is driving people away from small businesses and into the supermarkets or shopping centres, even more than before??

So angry, am I BU, missing something??

OP posts:
Whatmeworry · 20/12/2011 08:06

I suspect parking charges are one of the few means local councils have to raise money, and they are too stupid to be capable of seeing the connection between high parking tax = less people = fewer businesses = less business tax = higher parking tax =....

What they really need to do is tax parking in the superstores by levying a higher business rate, those stores are in effect massively subsidised .

ObviouslyLovesTinsel · 20/12/2011 08:11

But it's illegal to use parking funds to raise money!

Whatmeworry · 20/12/2011 09:30

But it's illegal to use parking funds to raise money!

Eh? If its illegal why do they do it?

Proudnscaryvirginmary · 20/12/2011 10:15

Yes, can you clarify ObviouslyLoves?

Trois - well, yes the wardens themselves are only doing their jobs but again the greedy/stupid council pepes are creaming off yet more money.

Jajas · 20/12/2011 10:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ObviouslyLovesTinsel · 20/12/2011 10:46

Basically there was a High court ruling against Camden which meant that profits could only be raised if they were incidental to a real need to manage traffic /parking. link.
But this is being attempted more and more by other councils/organisations.

AriesWithBellsOn · 20/12/2011 10:51

"Illegal to use parking funds to raise money"????? Someone ought to tell Cornwall Council. Parking revenue is a massive source of income for them, so much so that they will not HEAR of reducing it for the good of the high street. Towns, particularly peripheral towns, are used as cash cows. They spend it mainly on buying new chairs and bottled water for councillors at County Hall

SardineQueen · 20/12/2011 11:00

OP

YANBU

Massive flaws in the system and everyone is up in arms

My SOLUTION to your understandable ire:

Go to Brent X

Smile
ObviouslyLovesTinsel · 20/12/2011 11:01

They can't just say "right, we need some money because we invested in Iceland and it went tits up, let's make every road in the borough a paid parking zone". They should have to be able to demonstrate a need for such measures.
I'm not defending charges - don't shoot the messenger!

SardineQueen · 20/12/2011 11:01

(Assuming that I have correctly guessed where you are, obviously!)

Proudnscaryvirginmary · 20/12/2011 11:04

No I'm not shooting messenger Obviously, I'm just asking you as I'm not sure what the rules and regs are Xmas Smile

Sardine - what makes you think I live near Brent Cross...Grin. But seriously that's my whole point - if I do that or shop only at Waitrose or Sainsbury's I am helping to destroy the small businesses so I want to stand up and be counted and support local shopts.

SardineQueen · 20/12/2011 11:09

Oh I didn't realise you'd namechanged, so I haven't read all your posts!

Walking to the high street is great if people are in walking distance.
But there comes a point when enough is enough and not taking the easy option just isn't worth it. Mind you, I've always gone to Brent X, even before all of this.

What is great is that just the other way -> there is Hertfordshire and on the high street nearish to us you can get a ticket from the machine for free parking for 30 mins and then no return. So people can pop to the local shops in a sensible manner. That is much better IMO.

Proudnscaryvirginmary · 20/12/2011 11:11

Sorry about mid thread name change - I'm a bit late with my Christmas name this year. Real life and fuming over pay by phone parking has got in the way!

NotJustForClassic · 20/12/2011 11:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SardineQueen · 20/12/2011 11:20

Try this on for size
I pulled out of my drive the other day and DD announced she needed a wee
Rushed her in leaving car outside house and when I came back there was a ticket. Observation time = 0 mins
Wrote them a letter asking for leniency which I expected them to tell me to stick up my arse, which is what they did

But get this

In the letter back declining my appeal they informed me that "Permit holders pay each year for their resident parking permit and therefore expect us to enforce the restrictions in order that they may benefit from the improved parking amenity that such enforcement provides."

To which I flew into a rage and asked DH to tell me if they were taking the fucking piss.

a. Loads of people don't want restricted parking on their roads, they are simply a revenue generator for the council
b. I do not want it vigorously enforced right outside my own front door while I pop in for 2 mins for my preschooler to do a wee

FFS

SardineQueen · 20/12/2011 11:22

I am a permit holder BTW and had pointed this out and given them the number in my letter.

NotJustForClassic · 20/12/2011 11:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Whatmeworry · 20/12/2011 11:23

Rushed her in leaving car outside house and when I came back there was a ticket. Observation time = 0 mins. Wrote them a letter asking for leniency which I expected them to tell me to stick up my arse, which is what they did

Fight it, write to your MP - I had a similar thing which i got quashed.

SardineQueen · 20/12/2011 11:24

I had a quick look online and there is no minimum observation time for these.

BTW the website you linked is for California! I wish!!!!

SardineQueen · 20/12/2011 11:24

Too late I've paid it now.

SardineQueen · 20/12/2011 11:32

But thanks for sharing my rage!

NotJustForClassic · 20/12/2011 11:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Proudnscaryvirginmary · 20/12/2011 12:08

I share your rage too!

Bit off topic: I remember about 5 years ago I parked on a yellow (so totally my fault - holding my hands up), nipped out for 5 mins, came back to find a warden writing out a ticket. I got in my car, sped off before he could put the ticket on. Then I got the £60 fine through the post, so I rang up and admitted exactly what I'd done and said if there was no ticket actually on my car, it's not legal, so there was nothing they could do. They had a pic of my car and a copy of the ticket but no pic of the ticket on the car so they couldn't do me and I got off. Hee hee.

AlexTasha · 20/12/2011 13:35

Dont even get me started, I paid on one of those things the other day and they got me to say my registration number over the phone to an automated service, got text confirmation etc. Then got a bloody ticket cos they hadnt recorded my registration correctly!! I could have screamed. Now they are saying it is my fault as I should have spoken clearer and I have to pay a £60 fine as well as paying £4 for parking. I HATE HATE HATE them.

Whatmeworry · 20/12/2011 13:51

I could have screamed. Now they are saying it is my fault as I should have spoken clearer and I have to pay a £60 fine as well as paying £4 for parking. I HATE HATE HATE them

Time to start blowing them up.....