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Advice needed regarding a parking ticket, aghhhhhh...

39 replies

breeze · 25/11/2003 10:47

Just took a sick DS to the doctors. As I pulled up over the road I noticed that there was a space (very rare, normally parked miles away). Was in the doctors 20 minutes, came out to find I had a parking ticket. I did not notice that within the last few weeks they had painted a single line in, because they still had the white parking lines in (Hope you know what I mean, they are the ones just more then a cars width across).

On the ticket it stated that I was in voilation of code 01, and they wrong that the first time they saw me to the time I got the ticket was just 9 minutes, I am sure they wouldn't give me a ticket if not valid, but didn't see any signs saying no parking, the space was so tight I really didn't notice the newly painted yellow line, and with xmas coming up I am el-skinto as it is.

TIA

OP posts:
HopeThisHelps · 25/11/2003 23:52

I've changed my name as all your responses seem negative and I am actually a traffic warden so hopefully i can help.......
Firstly I don't work for the council I work for the police so the councils do actually have their own rules but this may be of benefit to you anyway......

The first thing to establish is what offence you have been given a ticket for...you say an 01 offence but what is the councils wording for 01 offence as it does matter.

If it is for "waiting in a restricted street" then you should deffinately appeal because a 'waiting offence' is marked by a yellow line only & the fact there is a white bay still in place is a contradiction that is very open to appeal - to have two sets of markings is confusing to the public so we don't enforce such issues until the old markings have been removed but as I said before I work for the police so we are different.

if the 01 offence is for 'vehicle not authorised to be parked' then it could well be that you were parked in a doctors bay in which case you will struggle to find grounds for appeal as these sort of bays are marked out sometimes in the way you describe & are to be kept clear for an important reason.

if the 01 offence is for 'parking in a loading or disabled bay' then again grounds for appeal are limited. if a disable bay its pretty much the same reasoning as the doctors bay. If it is a loading bay it would explain why they waited 9 mins to issue the ticket....a loading bay is designed for vehicles unloading, mainly commercial vehicles but private vehicles obviously have to unload sometimes too & loading is deemed to be "something that consists of several trips with heavy items or a single trip requiring two or more persons to carry the item" This is why the warden has to wait a number of minutes before issuing aticket for such an offence...to see if any such activity is taking place which would explain the 9 minutes on your ticket.

I would also suggest if you are going to write in to word it....that you were making an emergency visit to the doctors for your young child, saw the white bay & genuinely thought you were parking legally. You were extremely stressed due to your childs illness & normally take more time to check where you were parking but the white bays gave you reason to believe that parking was ok. Apologise for your mistake & sate that you now understand parking there was wrong but under the circumstances could they please show some compassion to your circumstances. Also if possible enclose an appointmet card or letter from your doctors proving you were there at that date at that time.

Finally...if ou pay within 14 days it is cheaper but your letter of response should also be noted as being recieved within the 14 days & the penalty put on hold until you recieve a reply stating whether payment is to be pursued or not. Again councils work differently to us but our tickets have a 28 day limit & if no payment made it proceeds to court, but if it is being appealed it goes on hold & court hearing postponed so they should work the same way...but they do have different procedures to us.

so if i hope i haven't bored you with ticket info, just trying to help!
You may find it hard to believe but us wardens & supervisors are human too & do have compassion but we are not mind readers...if we see an unattended vehicle we have no prior knowledge as to why it is there...only why it shouldn't be...please don't all bombard this paragraph i genuinely am trying to explain why a ticket is issued not trying to change your opinion of us.

ps...what is it with xmas mumsnet meet ups.....i assisted another ticketed mumsnetter just before last years one too....so want to keep my job a secret.....people have pre-concieved ideas of traffic wardens......don't want to be on a table on my little ownsome!

Tortington · 26/11/2003 02:27

hmmmm so your coming to the meet are you!

janh · 26/11/2003 09:02

Don't people talk about jobs at meet-ups though? What will you say you do, HTH?

No - on second thoughts - better not say!!!

WideWebWitch · 26/11/2003 09:20

Oohh, I know who HTH is! But won't tell, obviously

Twinkie · 26/11/2003 09:26

Message withdrawn

breeze · 26/11/2003 11:46

Thanks hopethishelps, the 01 offence was for PARKED IN A RESTRICTED STREET DURING PRESCRIBED HOURS.
I got someone else to look in case I was insane and missed the sign and they said only sign was for lorries above 4.5 tonnes or something not being able to park.

I posted the letter off yesterday and kindof worded it similar, just have to wait now.

OP posts:
HopeThisHelps · 27/11/2003 17:19

BREEZE - You've got a good case then ...good luck, fingers crossed!

WWW - a promise is a promise!
Are you going again this year, read it's a close call for you? Didn't realise you were pregnant CONGRATULATIONS!!! can't post my thoughts & explainations about this on another thread at moment as could reveal my identity.....

WideWebWitch · 27/11/2003 21:08

HTH, your secret's safe with me

prufrock · 28/11/2003 10:30

And with me HTH - and I'll talk to you at the Xmas meet-up

breeze · 13/12/2003 10:05

Just to let you know that I got a letter this morning from the council, saying that my ticket will be cancelled. I am so chuffed, as I was just on the verge of paying it and then thought NO, The reason they let me off was that "a member of the public removed the sign and a new one will be ordered".

Result

OP posts:
LIZS · 13/12/2003 21:05

Good for you. Well done for sticking to your guns!

whymummy · 13/12/2003 21:12

CONGRATULATIONS breeze

Jimjams · 13/12/2003 21:17

ooo who is HTH?

When we moved into our current house we moved into a road with restricted parking between 8 and 10am. You can't apply for a residents permit until you live in the street obviously. The day we moved in we were parked next to a huge removal van- with men varrying various bits of furniture from the van into the hosue I wrote a note saying we were moving in - gave the house number and displayed the previous owner's permit. And I found a traffic warden booking me!! We had a heated exchange only extinguished by dh doing a yes sir no sir routine. Couldn't believe it! I'm sorry but it is that sort of behaviour that gives traffic wardens a bad name!

Jimjams · 13/12/2003 21:17

well done breeze btw

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