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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Its NOT a Disabled space..!!

20 replies

Bathsheba · 17/12/2008 11:43

I've just got an £85 parking ticket, for "parking in a disabled bay"...

It was NOT a disabled bay though...!!! Our retail park where Asda is has no P&C spaces, it has disabled spaces and WIDE spaces - these wide spaces have no symbol on them at all - not a disabled symbol or a P&C symbol - they have a diagonal yellow line through them and hatched areas either side (like a normal P&C or disabled space)

EVERYONE uses these in leui of P&C spaces - I parked in one this morning and have received a parking ticket for parking in a disabled bay.

I now have to write an appeal letter, and go down there when its quiet so I can take a picture of this space (with no disabled sign in it)...which is hassle that I really don't need at this time of year.

I'm so so so upset, I've never in my life parked in a disabled bay ever, not even for a second, and now I have it on my record that I'll be fined for that.

OP posts:

J2O · 17/12/2008 11:46

what aoad of messing about Can't the Asda do anything?

bollockbrainASSofBETHLEHEM · 17/12/2008 11:46

instead of going down there, can you not google earth or street and home in on the said spot?

what an arse though. Sounds like you have a good case for getting off.

J2O · 17/12/2008 11:47

sorry, i meant a load of messing about.
Our Tesco are able to have a word with the parking attendents to sort out tickets.

SparklyGothKat · 17/12/2008 11:47

mayorquimby · 17/12/2008 11:50

seems a bizarre system.
what does the diagonal yellow line through them signify.

i have no idea if yabu or not (i suspect not) because i don't think i fully understand your description of the car park and wether or not the space was a disabled spot.
if there is no disabled symbol i fail to see how they can do you for parking in a disabled spot.

"EVERYONE uses these in leui of P&C spaces "

what about people who are neither disabled or p&t, would they be able to use them or are they specifically for overflow?or are they loading bays?

appeal if there was no sign though as that's ludacris

Original poster

Bathsheba · 17/12/2008 11:53

I'll certainly try google earth - thanks for that - there must be a lot of people getting tickets for the same thing today - but I need to write to Edinburgh (I'm in Aberdeen) for the appeal so I'll need some form of photograph because the person dealing with it won't have any local knowledge...

I'll never be able to get a daytime pic of these spaces as they are always full so I'll need to go down when Asda is quiet - hopefully I'll be able to get a decent clear picture.

I do applaud them for fining people parking in the disabled bays - well done them...its just I wasn't - and wouldn;t ever - be one of them...!!

I've not spoken to Asda, I might phone them just now

OP posts:

J2O · 17/12/2008 11:54

yeah give them a ring and explain how upset you are over it, they may help you out by going and taking a pic for you or something.

Original poster

Bathsheba · 17/12/2008 11:58

Adsa can do nothing as the car park isn't owned or operated by them - they couldn't even confrim over the phone if they were classed as disabled spaces or not - they don't have anything to do with the lining or the administration of that car park.

OP posts:

Katw3kitts · 17/12/2008 12:01

A parking fine (if it comes to that ... hopefully it wont) doesnt go on your driving licence at all.

Its a seperate thing between the land owner and you. DVLA are not interested in the slightest.

Nobody need know .... except us on MN

kslatts · 17/12/2008 12:23

YANBU - try not to worry as by the sound of it you have a good case.

earlyriser · 17/12/2008 13:14

Bathsheba, which asda store was it? i never knew the car parks were privately owned in scotland. I will probably be at the portlethen one this weekend if this helps?

islandofsodor · 17/12/2008 13:22

Have a look here on Money Saving Expert for advice and template letters on how to appeal unfair parking tickets.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/parking-ticket-appeals

I think it sounds like you have a good case on the grounds on unclear signage.

cornflakegirl · 17/12/2008 13:44

islandofsodor - I was going to recommend that, but the advice seems to be just for council tickets, not ones issued be private firms.

NotsoHoHoHO · 17/12/2008 13:47

I had the same thing happen to me in Sainsburys but was just given a "warning". Again the bays were not properly marked. I think it must have been some jobsworth with nothing else to do as the time on the ticket was the same as the time I arrived. Instead of pointing out my "error" he probably waited for me to go inside before slamming a ticket on my windscreen. The kids thought it was hilarious and kept chanting "Mummys got a ticket, mummys got a ticket!". Had I actually been fined I would have been furious. YANBU Hope you get it sorted. xx

islandofsodor · 17/12/2008 14:23

The MSE advice also refers to private firms, you just scroll down to a slightly different section.

HarktheheraldAnglepoise · 17/12/2008 14:46

Google private parking tickets - a lot of the time they are not actually enforceable.

And it won't be on a record anywhere, so don't worry about that

cornflakegirl · 17/12/2008 15:18

ios - I can only find a section redirecting you to a page that hasn't been written yet?

Original poster

Bathsheba · 17/12/2008 16:26

Hi Earlyriser - it was the store at the beach..there are these wide spaces outside Pets At Home and Brantano down there...

Thanks so much everyone - my Mum is a bit closer to the store and is going to nip down tomorrow while I'm doing the school run and take a photo (daylight but should be quiet enough to get a shot of the space without anyone in it)

From what I've read in a tiny wee quick scout around on the internet, fines like this issues by private firms aren't actually enforceable anyway and can just be ignored but I'd really not like to do that - my one worry is that the appeals dept might not be that "legit" either....

OP posts:

Original poster

Bathsheba · 18/12/2008 10:15

Appeals letter has been written - photos have been taken, and I've spoken to one of the other shops on the retail park who have advised that as far as they are aware, these spaces are family spaces (as I was using it)...so all I can hope is that this is the last I hear of it all

So furious though that I have lost a morning (well not all morning but a fair chunk of time when DD1 is at preschool) to doing this in the run up to Christmas

OP posts:

AliEightMaidsAMilking · 19/12/2008 02:12

It's not exactly that fines aren't legally enforceable, but that they are not backed by any aspect of criminal law.

Private parking companies rely on the law of contract - basically by parking in their spaces you are enter into a contract with them. However, the terms of that contract (eg when you can park, if the space is a disabled one etc) MUST be clearly displayed.

There's some good advice here and template letters

here about private parking tickets, should the company start insisting you pay. In short - don't!

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