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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think i can challenge this?

19 replies

manicinsomniac · 01/07/2014 23:24

Tonight I parked in a carpark which is free after 6.30pm. I paid up until 6.26pm. I returned at 10.15pm to a parking ticket.

Yes, I was 'unlawfully parked' - for 4 minutes!

I'm not usually the confrontational type but I really feel like emailing the address to challenge the ticket with a polite version of 'are you fucking serious'?!

Worth a shot? Or am being completely unreasonable and should just accept that I was illegally parked and should pay up, regardless of how long it was for?

OP posts:
lougle · 01/07/2014 23:26

They might let you off but you knew the rules and right you'd get away with paying less. You didn't.

LaurieFairyCake · 01/07/2014 23:27

Council or retail park?

pigsDOfly · 01/07/2014 23:28

You can try, but I was given a parking ticket when I was 3 minutes over due and had a disabled badge displaying in the car windscreen.

I appealed it - the disabled person was weeks away from dying and I had to attend to him and got delayed.

Still had to pay it though.

Smelsa · 01/07/2014 23:28

Ah see that's why they send their minions around that time. I bet they make a mint on people who figure a couple of minutes free won't matter. I wish I owned a car park.

Tangerinefairy · 01/07/2014 23:32

Crikey, that is unbelievably stingey and pathetic of them. I hope you can appeal it.

steff13 · 01/07/2014 23:38

I wish I owned a car park.

I've always said that. Actually, I've always said I wish I owned a parking garage, but same difference. :) It seems like it would be a very easy and lucrative business.

I don't know what it takes to appeal tickets there - here, you have to go to court, and wait for your case to be called, etc., only to have a judge say "6:30 means 6:30, not 6:26." I'd probably just pay it. Why were you paid up until 6:26, anyway? Why not just pay up until 6:30?

Smelsa · 01/07/2014 23:40

Money if people park there and pay. Money if they park there and don't. Win win! Grin

STOPwiththehahaheheloling · 01/07/2014 23:43

I'll bet they make the most of their money off people trying to 'wing it' for the last few minutes. If they give in to you they would be setting a precedent for anyone else who decide to not pay for the last few minutes. I think, you knew you werent paying the right amount, you took the risk, it didnt fall in your favour, suck it up and pay.

Original poster
manicinsomniac · 01/07/2014 23:43

laurie - council, unfortunately.

pigs that's outrageous of them! I was 3 hours late back to the car when my dad died and they didn't make me pay - were lovely actually.

staff - because I arrived at 5.56 and only had 70p in change. It costs a pound an hour but I guess it only registers full half hours. I didn't even give it a second thought!

OP posts:
Original poster
manicinsomniac · 01/07/2014 23:46

If I had thought about it I would have sat in the car for 4 minutes then paid for half an hour. Same amount of illegal parking but that would have been fine!

OP posts:
WanderingAway · 02/07/2014 07:33

I think you should just pay it & pay properly next time. You could have waited a few minutes before paying then you would have been covered.

teeththief · 02/07/2014 07:40

Hmm I think YABU although agree it's mean and car park owners are bastards. The cut off is 6.30, if they allowed you off the extra 4 minutes what is to stop the next person saying "well it was only 5/6/7 minutes"

lougle · 02/07/2014 08:10

I successfully appealed a parking ticket a couple of months ago. I used the telephone payment system and it had all my details logged from a previous session. No problem. When we got back to the car there was a ticket. I'd forgotten to change the car to my DH's registration, so we'd paid to park my car on our driveway and hadn't paid to park DH's car in the car park.

They wrote off the fine as they could see that I had paid for the time in question, but said if it happens again the fine will stand.

TortoiseUpATreeAgain · 02/07/2014 08:11

Buying a ticket that expires a few minutes before the start of free parking is like putting a big flashing neon sign on your car. They know when they first check the ticket that the chances are you'll try overstating into the free parking period, so they'll make a point of coming back to catch you out. As others have said, better plan is always to wait it out at the start so that your ticket will cover you to the end of paid parking.

londonrach · 02/07/2014 08:25

Tbh I dint think you stand a chance as for four minutes you did park illegally and they always check car parks just before the time ends for this reason. (Do think its petty as it is only 4 minutes...). Might be worth a letter but suspect its a none starter. Good luck.

Joysmum · 02/07/2014 09:00

You took a risk to save the money on 1/2hrs parking instead of paying for the hour, you lost.

How many others try to save on 1/2hrs parking as you do every day/week/month.

Chocotrekkie · 02/07/2014 09:09

A guy I know is a parking attendant - he has to issue a certain number of tickets in a week.

If he wandered round at say 5 o'clock and seen your ticket was up at 6.26 and it was free parking after 6:30 you can bet that he would be back at your car for 6:27 to issue the ticket. It's almost a guaranteed ticket off his target for him.

Is it right - who knows but that's how he is judged - if he doesn't consistantly issue enough tickets in a week then he will lose his job.

Original poster
manicinsomniac · 02/07/2014 10:49

Fair enough I'll suck it up. I suppose I've probably got away with it enough times to add up to the ticket.

Might send an email on the off chance first though!

OP posts:
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