To hope my colleague will split this parking fine?

[FASH84]

A couple of weeks ago I was away for work, we're often told it's fine not to drive, get trains, planes etc, but inevitably we end up having to go to locations difficult to reach from the hotels we are accommodated in, without driving, often multiple locations in a week. I tend to drive all of the time to get around this, this means I am often designated driver for colleagues to get to meetings, focus groups etc when we are out on location. I genuinely don't mind most of the time, but some colleagues are not quick at their work, so I end up offering a lot of support, doing more than my share to get the day finished, waiting around at the end of the day for them, when all I want to do is go back to the hotel, and have a bath (currently six months pregnant, and usually work 8-5:30/6, with no break). Lots are not like this and even if they have work to finish we will agree at the start of the day, a finishing time and if either of us has anything else to do we will finish off back at the hotel (we have laptops with access to almost all of the systems we need, other than in a couple of specific circumstances).
A few weeks ago same circumstances, we were accommodated in the city centre but had to travel to an office in a more suburban location three days that week. On the Monday we parked in a pay and display by the office (I paid) , we didn't have any extra change between us, so had to leave by the time on the ticket, both knew this from the start of the day. I reminded colleague half an hour before we needed to leave, she was still not ready on time. I went down to the car, and waited I thought this would be fine as I would see any traffic warden and could move, but as we left the car park exit (no barrier just camera) three minutes after the ticket expired, I've been issued a £60 fine, I appealed it but it was denied. I've text colleague just to say, remember x day, when we had to rush to leave because of the parking, I've been given a £60 fine, she hasn't replied. It's public sector and work will not pay under any circumstances.
Long rambling post sorry, but AIBU to expect her to pay half?

Half ! I'd ask her to pay all of it .

She won't, so I'd save yourself the stress of worrying about it.

Next time (well, if you offer her a lift again!), tell her what time you're leaving and if she wants a lift she is to be at the car by x time. If she's not there, leave her to it.

I'd have gone without her!

Well, if I were you I'd be asking her to pay it all. So YANBU at all.

But I wouldn't fumble and hint - I would come out and say, we were late leaving because of you; I stayed to do you a favour, reminded you and tried to get you to leave. It's not fair for me to have to pay when I was help you out by being your chauffeur.

And don't be so nice in general! If you're doing a favour then you get to call at least some of the shots... let them make their own way to focus groups until they start being a bit more respectful of your time.

Doesn’t look like she’s going to do the decent thing

She needs to pay 100% of it :(

She should pay the full amount and you should let your colleagues make their own way to and from these places in future.

I’d usually say ut’s The driver’s responsibility but in this case, yes she should pay half.

And next time, agree when you are leaving and say if she’s not ready you are going without her. She can get a taxi.

can't your work pay it? she was held up by work. I know my work would pay it and have in the past if it's for a valid reason, client meeting overunning etc

I would jot her an email with a request for half the fine.

I'm actually more worried you've said you work in public sector, are 6 months gone and don't get a break during the day.... WTAF is that all about? Plus the travelling on top. Has your boss done a expectant mother RA?

(Sorry... Misses point of thread....).

eeek sorry, missed the end of your op!!! seem to be doing that a lot recently.
yes she should pay half at least

I agree with PP that in circumstances she should pay all of it and I think you need to be up front and tell her you are expecting her to do this. If she won't then all I can suggest is that you refuse her lifts in future as it puts you out of pocket.

I'd be ok with half because I should've been more assertive, she's newer than I am to the job (only by a few months) and spent half the week thanking me for helping her, and apologising for being slow, so I don't want her to feel terrible as she was trying and got better by the end of the week. Mostly the people I work with are really accommodating, it's only really been her and one other that have caused me delays and the other I know well enough now to have said to him, I'm not being your driver anymore if you don't get a wiggle on. It's a difficult role to explain without being too outing, but essentially it's a national role, a smallish team with very paced projects for a couple of weeks at a time and you will be with a different combination of colleagues each time, often covering an area big enough to require Skype conferencing etc rather than face to face, so other than the few I started at the same time as, you don't get to know people that well. It's also a two year seconded role so there's a lot of turn over. I'm hoping she has just been busy, and hasn't seen my message, she's deployed this week and I'm mainly working at home. If I don't hear from her by tomorrow, I'll email her on work email and ask for her to contribute.

@MissusGeneHunt yep the week after my risk assessment I was left in a city I didn't know by myself for a week! I tend to carry porridge pots and fruit these days, maybe take an extra yogurt at breakfast so I can try and eat while working, but we have to interview a lot of staff, hold focus groups etc so it's not always possible

YABU for working without a break. I hope you are at least being paid for your breaks.

I wouldn't give colleagues a lift if I was waiting around for them making my day even longer.

Although with regards to the fine I would hope she would pay half as the three minutes you were over you were actually sat in the car waiting for her

@Sparklyfee I am paid a set salary plus per diems and expenses when away. We get weeks working from home, when we're actually expected to do little but check emails and submit our expense claims, so when you add it up over the year I'm not working over contract, we are allocated deployed hours , it's a bit complicated but we're not being screwed over pay wise, it's just very all or nothing. I'm off on mat leave from December and will go back to my substantive post after, so not long left!

@FASH84 all I can do is sympathise, it's not bloody right and IME the public sector's getting worse for ignoring the risks. Look after yourself and I hope all goes well...

She should pay all of it, stupid cow.

Stop being so nice and giving people lifts.

If they cant drive, and can not fit in with your timetable, they get public transport.

I think your first message was a little too subtle. You could have asked for the money in a friendly way,but without leaving it open.

'Bad news! Remember that day last week when we went to....and I gave you a lift and we were parked in X car park....do you remember that I was ready to leave and said the car park would be overtime, but you still weren't quite ready whilst I waited in the car park....well, we did go overtime and we have been ticketed. It's £60. I'd appreciate it if you'd pay half thanks. What a nuisance!'

As you haven't got a reply, you could simply send this message - and if she says something, say you'd assumed the message hadn't got through as you hadn't received a reply.

Don't ask IF she will pay half, but show you are expecting her to. A decent person would actually offer the full amount given the circumstances. And if she makes excuses say

'I'm a bit disappointed that you don't want to contribute to this fine, when we were late leaving because you weren't ready - don't you think it would be fair to contribute'

And if she doesn't pay, don't give any more lifts - it will hardly be a surprise, as long as you've made clear you expected her to pay....and if you do give lifts, say you will on the basis that she must be ready to leave so there aren't any more fines.

Make your elections clear in a friendly way, but be firm.

Bet you work for the Audit Commission!

Stop being nice!

Start being more selfish

No more rides for this lady!

Have you appealed through POPLA or just the car park?

I’d underpaid in a camera car park once - charge had gone up for 24 hrs from £4 to £4.50. It was obvious what I’d done, as the nextband down was £3 something.

I appealed to the car park, they basically said tough. I appealed to POPLA (a short paragraph), car park responded - 27 pages with loads of pictures of signs. I won - POPLA said they hadn’t provided evidence that showed long term users of the car park had been informed of price increases (amount was just a small sign of charges on machine).

As part of their defence, the car park stated they’d given a 10 minute grace period on the expiry of the ticket, so it sounded to me like they couldn’t just fine as soon as ticket expires. Of course, you do run the risk of it being £100 instead of £60 if you lose.

@serbska I don't but I'd imagine the set up and expectations are similar!

@Arion I haven't gone to popla yet, only got the appeal rejection yesterday, I'm trying to find the car park Ts and C's, to query a grace period, as I think most car parks have them. If they do I'll appeal again but I'm a bit wary due to the jump in fine if not successful