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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

nancy75 · 04/02/2018 01:16

Why are people finding this so hard?one big bay, big enough for (by the sound of it) 3 cars. Cars park at front & back so close that op could not move, no option to buy a ticket as 1 hour free parking only. It’s not difficult & all info is already there!

safariboot · 04/02/2018 01:46

Appeal. Hopefully you've got photos, but if not chances are the parking officer took their own. Chances are the council will have someone they allow to use their brain cells.

The police could have helped move one of the cars, but I guess they felt they didn't have time. It's legal to move someone else's car a short distance but can be tricky to do without risking damage.

VelvetSpoon · 04/02/2018 01:55

I'm not sure why people are finding this so difficult to understand either.

The bay will be a certain length, probably 3 medium cars long. When OP parallel parked, there were 2 other similar size cars at the front and back of her. Enpugh space for her to park comfortably.

She goes to do whatever she needs to. When she returns, the cars either end have gone, and either been replaced by larger cars who need to park closer to fit into the bay. Or are still medium sized but the CFs have just parked right up against the OP rather than at the limits of the bay.

As for saying she could have got out, do you know how big 3 inches is? Smaller than your phone. That's the total space at both ends of the car. And unless your car moves sideways like a crab you simply can't get out of a space that tight!

WashingMatilda · 04/02/2018 03:36

The police could have helped move one of the cars,
And how, exactly, could they have done this?

Itishwhatitis · 04/02/2018 04:32

OK, here's a failproof method for gettting out of a tight parking space, taught to me by my dear old dad. With the wheels straight [in line with your car's body] edge forward as far as you can go towards the car in front. Stop. Turn the steering wheel full lock away from the highway you want to enter. Reverse your car slowly as far as you can go. Stop. Straighten the wheels and drive forward again. Stop. Full lock, reverse. Stop, straighten, forward etc. until you are able to move completely clear of the cars and enter the highway.

Even if you have to do this sequence dozens of times and you only have a few inches to move in, eventually you will be able to get out.

One of the most useful things my darling dad taught me.

RebootYourEngine · 04/02/2018 05:15

Cheeky fuckers the other drivers and the traffic warden.

I would appeal without even needing to ask.

InfiniteSheldon · 04/02/2018 07:06

I live in a town with horrendous parking and can park in any space six inches longer than my car and can get out of any space as can all my neighbours. I often have to help visitors get into and out of spaces the fact that warden ticketed you tells me it was probably you at fault. Wardens get in trouble for erroneous tickets they don't issue them for fun.

jarhead123 · 04/02/2018 07:09

Def appeal. What a twat!

HandMini · 04/02/2018 07:31

Itish- will be trying that one! Can you upload a video tutorial!

RunningOutOfCharge · 04/02/2018 07:36

Yabu for trashing the olive for a start

And yes, lots of turning etc and you would be out. You don't need someone to watch you..... what do you think bumpers are for?? Touching the other card during manoeuvre won't hurt them as you aren't going at speed!!!

StepAwayFromGoogle · 04/02/2018 08:10

I genuinely can't understand why a side view of cars parked end to end could be identifying? Surely you couldn't possibly see the reg if they were that close? My suspicion is that OP was just being over cautious and is afraid that we'll all say 'You could easily have got out of there'. I doubt very much there was an inch one end and two inches the other.

But, Yes, OP, appeal it. Although be prepared - I did this years ago and parked on our road in a space that people used all the time. No double or single yellows. And they TOWED my car. On inspection, it looked as though there were lines there once but they had been tarmacked over at some point - the double yellows ran out quite abruptly at that point. I appealed on the basis that there were no yellow lines on the road. Photos and everything. They rejected it and said I had to go to court. In the end I paid on the basis that I could not be bothered to take a day off work for the pleasure of schlepping to court and all the associated hassle. Apparently they reject a lot on that basis - because people can't be arsed with the process and just give up and pay.

BarbaraofSevillle · 04/02/2018 08:37

If the spare space at each end of the car was literally one/two inches, or even up to about a foot, I really can't see how the OP could have got out of the space without hitting one of the other cars, even if she did have someone to watch for her.

I would definitely appeal with photos. I would also have been very annoyed at being delayed due to the other two cars, what if the OP had needed to get somewhere else urgently?

BarbaraofSevillle · 04/02/2018 08:41

Well I've certainly had paint knocked off my bumpers by the careless parking of others. I know it is the norm in Spain to bump cars out of spaces, and even leave handbrakes off to facilitate this, but people in the UK are generally quite precious about the condition of their cars and would go mad at someone bumping a car out of a space and touching theirs.

I suppose the ideal situation for the OP would be for her to be driving a car that she cared not for the condition of and the twat cars to be big shiny posh ones and forced her way out of the space with a few satisfying scrapes .

LifeBeginsAtGin · 04/02/2018 09:09

Is this side by side parking so she can't open the door to get in, or parallel parking, cars parked in front and behind?

How competent is your driving? Could a reasonable driver be able to drive out? Is it really two inches?

Its unfair if you are UNABLE to drive away ie you have broken down

HoneyDragon · 04/02/2018 09:15

We reported out breakdown in a time limited space and put a note on and didn’t get ticketed.Parking attendant arrived when we were waiting for the tow truck and left us to it

Idontdowindows · 04/02/2018 09:19

Been there (measured it, it was LITERALLY an inch, it had to have been deliberate), done that, appealed the ticket!

Won :)

FingersCrossedHard · 04/02/2018 09:23

Although TW's are hated by many, I can't imagine that they actually give tickets when the car cannot possibly be moved.

Sorry op but I think the likelihood is that yabu and your 'three inches' is actually a lot more and the TW thought it could be moved.

georgeoutside · 04/02/2018 09:56

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

Ah good old Mumsnet

1 point for 'call 101 and log it' and a bonus 5 points for not reading the OP and completely missing the fact that the police had already refused to help!

Nickynackynoodle · 04/02/2018 10:03

Genuinely surprised that itish thinks that’s a driving hack rather than just knowing how to drive

SharronNeedles · 04/02/2018 10:27

Nicky I thought the same ...

FluffyWuffy100 · 04/02/2018 10:44

I’d have had a good go at getting out. Yes it would take about 100 manoeuvres but it’s not difficult. Like PP says I wouldn’t be too hung up on not touching the other cars. If you are moving super slowly a little bumper kiss at 0.0000001mph isn’t going to do any damage.

GabsAlot · 04/02/2018 13:09

this is why i rarely pp-always some arsehole who gets right up behind u with no consideraiton

appeal it with your photos op

Failingat40 · 04/02/2018 13:13

"1 point for 'call 101 and log it' and a bonus 5 points for not reading the OP and completely missing the fact that the police had already refused to help!"

Ok my turn, 10 points for twatish sarcasm whilst completely misunderstanding how the police log incidents.
Walking into a police station to report anything is as about as effective as a chocolate tea pot. They are notorious for slopey shoulders. If you want anything taken seriously you phone WHERE ALL CALLS ARE LOGGED. Two cars were causing an obstruction to op and as mad is it sounds,the call operator could have dispatched a unit to attend. At the least she would have had better evidence to dispute the ticket.

Nicknacky · 04/02/2018 13:19

failing I think it's you that misunderstands how it works.

Call handler "I'm sorry that's not a police matter. Thanks for calling".

Phoning the police doesn't mean you will have your call logged. They are certainly not going to despatch officers to it.

SilverySurfer · 04/02/2018 14:19

Itishwhatitis
OK, here's a failproof method for gettting out of a tight parking space, taught to me by my dear old dad. With the wheels straight [in line with your car's body] edge forward as far as you can go towards the car in front. Stop. Turn the steering wheel full lock away from the highway you want to enter. Reverse your car slowly as far as you can go. Stop. Straighten the wheels and drive forward again. Stop. Full lock, reverse. Stop, straighten, forward etc. until you are able to move completely clear of the cars and enter the highway.

Even if you have to do this sequence dozens of times and you only have a few inches to move in, eventually you will be able to get out.

^ This works - it got me out of many tight spots during the years I was driving. Give it a try next time OP.

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