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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
bigbumtheory · 25/05/2015 21:25

Appeal and take a photo of where the car was and the sign, they may let you off.

Drivingnovice · 25/05/2015 21:31

What Rightsideofwrong said.....

ButterflyUpSoHigh · 25/05/2015 21:31

You were given bad advice. I have a badge for my Grandmother and you must always use the clock. You could try to appeal but the ticket was given correctly.

nothernexposure · 25/05/2015 21:35

Was this a private car park or a council run one? Makes a big difference to how easy it is to appeal (and how likely you are to win the appeal). The signs being miles away and difficult to read make it sound like a private car park, in which case the 'fine' is actually an invoice for payment which you can decline to pay. Have a look on MSE or Pepipoo sites for more advice on how to deal with it, or pm me if you want further info.

StupidBloodyKindle · 25/05/2015 21:54

Also always worth a try to appeal to someone. I got ticketed correctly by the council one time as there was a limit on parking at the leisure centre. Totally my fault but I wrote nonetheless, explaining I was not local, was showering and dressing someone else's child not realising I was against the clock, and my swimming tickets and they let me off.

WineIsMyMainVice · 25/05/2015 22:22

Yabu. It's not the traffic wardens fault that you parked wrongly. They just have a job to do - which is a very difficult one. I have worked in an environment employing traffic wardens and they get so much abuse on a daily basis, just for doing their job. It's awful what they have to put up with.

Dowser · 25/05/2015 23:01

Www.pepipoo.com

This is the best site for parking ticket advice.

The sign should be clearly visible. Can you go back and take a photo .

Dowser · 25/05/2015 23:03

Whoops..someone else has written about pepipoo.

We've got off two parking tickets thanks to their advice. One was for a relative.

IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou · 25/05/2015 23:12

I would give it a go anyway.

Whatever the rights or wrongs, you may still get lucky.

Personally, I'd rather the council didn't waste time and money (my money) because the OP cocked up.

Pay the fine & look at it as a learning experience....

blankgaze · 26/05/2015 00:30

See page 10 of this pdf file on how to use a BB and the timer.
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/206022/blue-badge-rights-responsibilities.pdf

"When you park on yellow lines or in other places where there is a time restriction you need to display the blue parking clock to show your time of arrival."

If you're going to be taking the disabled child out again, maybe print off that leaflet and have it with you so you'll know what to do in the future.

As for the proximity and easy visibility of the sign in relation to the use of the space you were in, by all means alert the Council or whoever owns the parking space and check with Pepipoo if it's lawful.

SoonToBeSix · 26/05/2015 00:38

You were given bad advice , I and the majority of people always use time just in case. Why wouldn't you , it only takes a few seconds to display both.

Edenviolet · 26/05/2015 12:06

After looking at photos taken by traffic warden it's clear the sign is very small and badly placed its facing across the road so is not visible as you approach the spaces (and why we didn't see it). We have challenged it after speaking to someone at the council who actually agreed with us and said they will decide within 15 days if we have to pay or not so fingers crossed

OP posts:
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