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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think the police and traffic warden were unreasonable

77 replies

brizzledrizzle · 03/02/2018 19:07

This morning I parked in a 1 hour parking zone, free for the first hour. I parked in between two cars and had enough space to get out. When I came back, 5 minutes before my time was up two other cars were parked either end of my car and so close that I'd have needed a tin opener to get out - I had about 2 inches at one end and 1 at the other.

The police station was over the road so I went to explain to them what the situation was, they could do nothing to help because 'the law isn't being broken' so I returned to my car. 15 minutes later I was over time and no sign of the owners of either car. Predictably the traffic warden came along, tapped on my window and said that I'd been there for over an hour. I explained the situation, pointed to the two cars and said that I'd asked at the police station for help.

15 minutes later, I was still there and the traffic warden returned, they were slightly apologetic but said that rules were rules and issued a ticket. I was fuming and tore a strip off the motorist when he returned to the car, apparently it was my fault because I chose to park there!

Is it worth appealing the ticket and should the police have done something? Was the traffic warden being a jobs worth who should be complained about?

OP posts:
Original poster
brizzledrizzle · 03/02/2018 19:46

@Nicknacky you can't pay for the parking - they are free spaces where you can stay for an hour and no longer so there is no option to pay.

OP posts:
honeysucklejasmine · 03/02/2018 19:47

Don't suppose we can see the photos? Number plates redacted, of course.

Irrelevant really. Traffic warden was a total jobsworth.

Nicknacky · 03/02/2018 19:48

Do you have photos without your reg number?

Original poster
brizzledrizzle · 03/02/2018 19:50

No, I'm not outing myself for your entertainment, sorry Grin

OP posts:
Nicknacky · 03/02/2018 19:55

Well it would be easier to understand if you were being unreasonable! No one will know if it's your car if the number plate can't be seen and background unidentifiable.

honeysucklejasmine · 03/02/2018 19:58

I don't think a picture of car bumpers is outing unless you reveal your number plate. Or are you posing, daily mail sad face and all, in them?

HoneyDragon · 03/02/2018 19:58

Use a scribble app to draw a square over your car at width of bonnet and bumper then you are incognito.

Original poster
brizzledrizzle · 03/02/2018 19:58

Ok. No photos but let's spell it out.

  1. I parked my car with enough space between my car and the one in front and the one behind
  1. I left the car.
  1. At some point the two cars left.
  1. Two CFs turned up
  1. 1 parked 2 inches from my bumper
  1. the other parked 1 inch from the back bumper
  1. I couldn't get my car out
  1. Jobsworth traffic warden gave me a ticket
OP posts:
Jaxhog · 03/02/2018 20:04

To the poster who says the Op should go back and forth to get out, take note that you have to be able to get INTO the car to do this!

If you took a photo/note of the cars who parked either side, then you should win an appeal. Or tell them you told the parking warden, so he also saw the situation and can be a witness. Ditto police.

ShapelyBingoWing · 03/02/2018 20:04

If the photos have your reg on, the other cars really can't have been very close, surely? Confused

honeysucklejasmine · 03/02/2018 20:06

Well actually I was more interested in the motorists claim that "well you shouldn't be parked there". I wondered if it was a series of individual bays, one long one, a lay by, etc. To try and understand exactly why entitled twat thought it was your fault for being parked there, and a traffic warden chose to give you a ticket under such ridiculous circumstances. I mean, they aren't stupid and it's definitely going to get cancelled, so why bother?

confusedlittleone · 03/02/2018 20:06

@Jaxhog the op was in her car...

Serialweightwatcher · 03/02/2018 20:06

That's really bad, especially when you told the warden you'd been to the police to help - definitely, definitely appeal it. What did he expect you to do? Stupid bugger

Jaxhog · 03/02/2018 20:07

Xpost! If it was parallel parking, not adjacent spaces, then that is slightly different. I would probably have just bought a ticket to cover me until I had finished writing a large and very sticky note to go onto both car windscreens.

If you have photos, definitely worth appealing.

italiancortado · 03/02/2018 20:09

would probably have just bought a ticket to cover me

You really can't read can you!

They were FREE spaces. Time limited.

LolitaLempicka · 03/02/2018 20:09

Surely the OP means those spaces where you can only park for an hour so couldn’t have paid for any more time.

italiancortado · 03/02/2018 20:10

OP I would absolutely appeal it

Woollypinksocks · 03/02/2018 20:13

You don't have to post the photos it just of course gives people an idea of how close the cars were. I know you an one inch but people have different special awareness.

If you can see the reg can it really be that close?

You can only appeal and hope for the best. Fingers crossed.

Fintress · 03/02/2018 20:14

That is the reason I absolutely hate parallel parking, it can be a bloody nightmare. People just don't give a shit. I've got a 360 camera now but even that would be pushing it with so little space left to manoeuvre.

HicDraconis · 04/02/2018 00:01

I’d appeal - with photos. Point out that you were back at your car in plenty of time (time stamped photos will help with that) and that you were physically unable to move your car.

However - ultimately, even if it wasn’t your fault (which it totally wasn’t) - if all 3 cars were legally parked then it is your responsibility. You’ll have to suck it up and pay the fine ticket if the appeal doesn’t work. Which is completely unfair.

WashingMatilda · 04/02/2018 00:34

It's absolutely not a police issue, unless the vehicles are causing an obstruction in the
road, and they're not being in any way unreasonable.

It is a parking warden issue and he was being VBU, and agree you should appeal.

Thistlebelle · 04/02/2018 00:37

Appeal the parking ticket with all the details but don’t complain about the traffic warden.

AnoiaUnstickMyDrawers · 04/02/2018 00:46

I thought it was an offence to block someone from accessing the public highway - would that not apply here then?

And to say you can get out of any space where cars aren't touching you is daft. A diagonal across a car is longer than front to back, it's perfectly possible to not have enough room to get out.

Failingat40 · 04/02/2018 00:53

Was it marked bays all one behind the other then?
If so I find it hard to believe these two cars were able to park so close to you without being ticketed themselves for parking out with their bay?

If it were me in this situation I'd have called the police on 101 and logged and incident and got an incident number which could later be quoted in the ticket dispute.
Then check to see if the twat car doors were locked- if not reach and and release the handbrake to allow car to be moved forwards/backwards.

AnnieAnoniMouse · 04/02/2018 01:09

Lots of people park like twats. It’s bloody annoying. Id appeal and keep appealing until they see sense.

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