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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To hate this heartless traffic warden

62 replies

Edenviolet · 25/05/2015 13:41

Took a friends disabled dd out for the morning as they needed a break desperately. Went through everything including use of blue badge and we were told use timer bit for single or double lines for up to three hours but in a disabled space just the badge is fine....

Went out (was an ordeal getting ready/organised/out etc) but we did it and planned to pick up some paints etc to do some art later. We had seen a space thought great and parked, put bb in, all good we thought.

We were about an hour and returned to a parking ticket???? We double checked yes bb in, yes it's def a bb space and couldn't work out what we had done till we walked right down the road and saw a sign about the size of a a4 sheet saying max stay three hours. We are going to just pay it as I suppose we were in the wrong but it really was a tiny sign Sad

I think the traffic warden is heartless, it's bank holiday, we had a valid bb in the car and it's obvious there was stuff in the car you can see through the window that would lead you to assume it was a child that was unwell. I'm so bloody pissed off. I know they are doing their job but it has really upset me.

OP posts:
MmeMorrible · 25/05/2015 13:44

Don't get what you did wrong if you were there for 1 hour and max stay is 3 hours?

I would write a factual letter to the relevant council with picture of signage and photocopy of blue badge. They will probably cancel the ticket.

GreenAugustLion · 25/05/2015 13:45

Yabu.

They have a job to do, and may be subject to checks/reviews etc. Personally, I wouldn't put my job at risk because you didn't notice a sign.

McKayz · 25/05/2015 13:45

I have no idea what you have done wrong if you were an hour and it says max stay 3 hours?

TelephoneIgnoringMachine · 25/05/2015 13:45

I would contact the council etc to ask why you have the ticket. How clear was it that the 3 hours limit applied to the BB space.

Original poster
Edenviolet · 25/05/2015 13:46

We didn't put the timer part in to show when we arrived. We didn't see the sigh though and had been told for disabled bay it's just the ticket for however long but for lines its timer too for up to three hours

OP posts:
Theycallmemellowjello · 25/05/2015 13:46

Sorry, yabu. Traffic wardens are there to enforce the rules, which you broke. If you think that the sign wasn't sufficient to alert you of the three hour limit then it would be reasonable to dispute the fine on that basis. But that's nothing to do with the individual warden.

Original poster
Edenviolet · 25/05/2015 13:47

The sign was tiny and much further up the road. Tbh we were just so pleased to see a space

OP posts:
TelephoneIgnoringMachine · 25/05/2015 13:47

McKayz - I would assume they have presumed she has overstayed the 3 hours. CCTV should be able to prove it though, or can the warden verify that they had checked at 2 times more than 3 hours apart. It may say on the ticket, what the reason was.

GreenAugustLion · 25/05/2015 13:48

Neither of which was the traffic wardens fault.

Theycallmemellowjello · 25/05/2015 13:48

Sorry I misread the op - it does seem that a mistake has been made - yes as pp say dispute the fine on that basis.

Original poster
Edenviolet · 25/05/2015 13:49

The sign was def too small and not near enough to all of the spaces, but when we found it it did clearly say by holders max three hours stay. We had only been thee about an hour but have zero way of proving that unfortunately.

Looks like we will just have to pay it and keep quiet to df as she will be upset and we wanted to reduce their stress not add to it

OP posts:
Original poster
Edenviolet · 25/05/2015 13:50

Ticket said parking in disabled space with blue badge not in prescribed manner

OP posts:
TheFairyCaravan · 25/05/2015 13:51

YABU it wasn't the traffic warden's fault at all. The person at fault here is your friend. The vast majority of on-road disabled spaces have a 3 hour time limit and you need to use your clock, she should have told you that.

GreenAugustLion · 25/05/2015 13:52

Well why not dispute it with the council, saying it was an oversight, as pp's have suggested.

No need to be a martyr and throw your hands up in the air just because you haven't had posts agreeing that the TW was a big heartless bastard for doing their job Hmm

Theycallmemellowjello · 25/05/2015 13:54

I'm a bit confused - why does it matter if you didn't see the sign if you were obeying it inadvertently anyway? If you did not do anything wrong I don't think you should pay up immediately - write a clear, factual letter about when you arrived and when you left (leaving out stuff about disabled child and not seeing sign as as far as I can tell these are irrelevant). If you have evidence about any appointment you had you can send a copy of that to corroborate the rough time you would have arrived. They might waive the fine or they might insist you pay, but if it was a mistake on their part there's no point paying without disputing it.

Original poster
Edenviolet · 25/05/2015 13:57

It wasn't an appointment but I have a couple of receipts from shops with the time on and I'd assume there was cctv which could prove timings?

I just feel really annoyed

OP posts:
PtolemysNeedle · 25/05/2015 13:58

Who told you that you didn't have to use the timer? Or who was it that told your friend? I know you don't want to upset her, but telling her might prevent her from making the same mistake again.

It's worth disputing. YABU to think that it should make any difference that there was a blue badge and disability equipment in the car.

claraschu · 25/05/2015 13:59

Write in to the right people. Explain the whole situation, including the fact that this was a friend's child, so you are not used to dealing with the regulations. If you write a good, clear letter with pictures, they might be understanding. I certainly hope so!

soverylucky · 25/05/2015 13:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AuntyMag10 · 25/05/2015 14:00

If TW look into a car and make assumptions about what the items were then I'm sure people wouldn't be too happy about that. I think you can prove your case quiet easily, no need to 'hate' anyone over this.

ilovesooty · 25/05/2015 14:01

Sorry but it sounds as though you didn't follow the procedure that was in force. I think there's little point in disputing it because most appeal processes state that ignorance of the procedures doesn't constitute grounds for appeal.
It's upsetting for you but the traffic wardens are there to do their job and will be in trouble if they don't follow that they are employed to do so I think YABU to blame the individual traffic warden here.

Original poster
Edenviolet · 25/05/2015 14:01

Df told us timer is for when it's lines and it's then up to three hours it in disabled spaces just the badge is needed

I think I just thought the stuff in car etc would make a difference is me realising how much is needed and how difficult it is as I'm not used to it all so am probably ultra aware of it today whereas the traffic warden may not have even noticed it its just I have it all on my mind.

OP posts:
museumum · 25/05/2015 14:06

The TW has to issue the ticket but your council might accept that it was the first time you were using the bb and made a genuine error. I was let off the first time I tried to pay by mobile as the voice recognition get my license one digit wring and I fidnt know how to double check.
My council has an email in the website you can send your appeal to.

WorraLiberty · 25/05/2015 14:06

Sorry this happened to you but I think your friend gave you bad advice.

She probably should have told you to just use the timer no matter where you're parked, just to be on the safe side.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing though.

MrsDeVere · 25/05/2015 14:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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