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[Martian]

Just had a PCN through the post for a parking offence that happened last month.

Just before chrimbo we decided to have a spring clean and get rid of all the crap that had been piling up over the years.
As well as getting rid of what was truly rubbish, we ended up with a fair amount of kids clothes and toys that were still more than perfectly usable so we decided they should go to the charity shop instead of the dump so that someone somewhere could get some benefit from them.

The pics (even though they are nothing more than large thumbnails) clearly show our car parked on double yellows, and the old lady clearly remembers the day in question and openly admits it was her so there is no question of guilt.
We are also quite happy to accept that the law was broken, and the penalty must be paid.

Yes she parked on the double yellows, but the entire street was empty (I'm talking not even pedestrians in view) so she wasn't causing a problem or potential issue for anyone......she simply stopped there for a couple of minutes while she off-loaded several boxes outside the charity shop.

Now back in the day it would have been a real (employed by the Metropolitan Police) traffic warden witnessing the offence, and even though the wardens back then were still stereotyped as "little hitlers", they did generally know when (and how) to apply common sense to any given situation (as did the old bill come to that).
Fast forward 25 years and it now seems that if you even so much fart out of place it's gonna cost you £xxx if a camera sees (or hears) it happen, and it doesn't matter one iota what the background circumstances are.

As I said above, the missus did break the law at the end of the day and we accept that when the law is broken that there is some form of penalty to pay.
What gets on my tits about it is that if this had happened 25 years ago the scenario would have more than likely been the warden giving her a warning to get her good deed done ASAP and get out of there, instead it now only takes a snapshot from a camera that can be viewed/processed at any time and then the demand penalty is issued automatically to the person assumed to be guilty without a trial even taking place.

Needless to say we won't bother giving any kind of consideration to those that may be less fortunate than us when we have our next spring clean, whatever we decide we don't need will be going straight to the dump regardless of how usable it might be as £70 is a fair kick in the nuts for an episode that lasted less than 2 minutes and caused no harm/loss/injury to anyone during the course of it's execution.

It seems Orwell was right after all........right about everything except the year!

Judge Dredd anyone?

[Kevin Wood]

From what I recall of the highway code, loading is allowed unless there's also a loading restriction on the kerb.. But that might only be true of single yellows, thinking about it.

But yes, some thanks from the mindless, target-driven drones for an act of charity.

[Jimbob]

worth an appeal on the grounds your were unloading, not actually parked?

(unless kerb also had the vertical yellows too)

[TheBoy]

No point appealling IMHO.

When I started fixing phones for a living, 22yrs ago, driving little yellow vans around town centres, clearly we were always fighting the traffic wardens.  Rarely, even then, such a thing as a 'friendly' one. I include those females ones you'd even taken out the night before . Bitch.

I don't think things have changed, other than there are less wardens than 20yrs ago, and they now have targets.

[Varche]

This sort of thing was one of the many reasons why I moved to Spain. Maybe I was clinging to the common sense of yesteryear, maybe I didn't move with the times.

I have had a bit of a shock here though as they have copied the draconian measures of other countries. I got a driving infringement recorded by helicopter, another one by ANP being in a bus lane too early as I went into an underground car park in a city. Also had my car towed and it cost 140 euros to get it out of a compound 5 hours later- my fault I parked in the last spot in the street and later found out it was a loading and unloading 4 car bay!

Life is hard enough without incurring this sort of grief over a loading indiscretion.

I suspect it will only get worse in years to come.

[TheBoy]

This sort of thing was one of the many reasons why I moved to Spain. Maybe I was clinging to the common sense of yesteryear, maybe I didn't move with the times.

I have had a bit of a shock here though as they have copied the draconian measures of other countries. I got a driving infringement recorded by helicopter, another one by ANP being in a bus lane too early as I went into an underground car park in a city. Also had my car towed and it cost 140 euros to get it out of a compound 5 hours later- my fault I parked in the last spot in the street and later found out it was a loading and unloading 4 car bay!

Life is hard enough without incurring this sort of grief over a loading indiscretion.

I suspect it will only get worse in years to come.

The problem being is that, certain in UK, we have an entire society of lazy, selfish bastards, who lack the capacity to think beyond their own selfish needs, or simply don't care.

Yesterday, in Wheatley, up the narrow streets, which are busy, but just wide enough for 2 cars to pass, 2 useless breakwit retards parked on double yellows outside the chippy, causing utter chaos.  And when window wound done and asked why, either "I'm in here buying dinner" or pure aggression. Selfish idiots.


So, authorities need to clamp down. And as motorists we need to be more observant of the surroundings.

[freecall666]

ask the shop if they have a loading license, if they do and its for the front of the shop you are coverd. has same problem a few years back got ticket ripped up. they had license coverd from 5:30am till 8:30am. monday to friday.

[cleggy]

It is just another grabbing scheme for local authorities, have you seen the vast increase in the number of mindless cretins with a uniform.
 

[Dishevelled Den]

This sort of thing was one of the many reasons why I moved to Spain. Maybe I was clinging to the common sense of yesteryear, maybe I didn't move with the times.

I have had a bit of a shock here though as they have copied the draconian measures of other countries. I got a driving infringement recorded by helicopter, another one by ANP being in a bus lane too early as I went into an underground car park in a city. Also had my car towed and it cost 140 euros to get it out of a compound 5 hours later- my fault I parked in the last spot in the street and later found out it was a loading and unloading 4 car bay!

Life is hard enough without incurring this sort of grief over a loading indiscretion.

I suspect it will only get worse in years to come.

The problem being is that, certain in UK, we have an entire society of lazy, selfish bastards, who lack the capacity to think beyond their own selfish needs, or simply don't care.

Yesterday, in Wheatley, up the narrow streets, which are busy, but just wide enough for 2 cars to pass, 2 useless breakwit retards parked on double yellows outside the chippy, causing utter chaos.  And when window wound done and asked why, either "I'm in here buying dinner" or pure aggression. Selfish idiots.


So, authorities need to clamp down. And as motorists we need to be more observant of the surroundings.

The problem being is that, certain in UK, we have an entire society of lazy, selfish bastards, who lack the capacity to think beyond their own selfish needs, or simply don't care.

You've got that one right.

[Dishevelled Den]

Just had a PCN through the post for a parking offence that happened last month//....

//....It seems Orwell was right after all........right about everything except the year!

Go ahead there Marti - get tore into the bastids.

[OOMV6]

Not a great deal can do about it. Get annoyed and accept it... or don't get annoyed and accept it. When I visit family in Spain, there are traffic wardens watching you park, then ticketing whilst you go to buy a ticket. Nothing can be done about it. I just take the risk and don't pay for parking in the first place. But there, no cameras, so it all depends on whether the traffic wardens are taking their siesta as to whether you get a ticket!

[Rods2]

This sort of thing was one of the many reasons why I moved to Spain. Maybe I was clinging to the common sense of yesteryear, maybe I didn't move with the times.

I have had a bit of a shock here though as they have copied the draconian measures of other countries. I got a driving infringement recorded by helicopter, another one by ANP being in a bus lane too early as I went into an underground car park in a city. Also had my car towed and it cost 140 euros to get it out of a compound 5 hours later- my fault I parked in the last spot in the street and later found out it was a loading and unloading 4 car bay!

Life is hard enough without incurring this sort of grief over a loading indiscretion.

I suspect it will only get worse in years to come.

The problem being is that, certain in UK, we have an entire society of lazy, selfish bastards, who lack the capacity to think beyond their own selfish needs, or simply don't care.

Yesterday, in Wheatley, up the narrow streets, which are busy, but just wide enough for 2 cars to pass, 2 useless breakwit retards parked on double yellows outside the chippy, causing utter chaos.  And when window wound done and asked why, either "I'm in here buying dinner" or pure aggression. Selfish idiots.


So, authorities need to clamp down. And as motorists we need to be more observant of the surroundings.

IMHO the top four popular places for breakless retard parking are:

1. At take ways, not only too lazy to cook a meal, but too lazy and inconsiderate to other road users to park safely.
2. Outside convenience stores. Parking also has to be most convenient for the breakwit shopper and the most inconvenient for every other motorist in the area.
3. This I find most annoying of the lot, parked across the entrance of their fellow retard friend's house, two wheels on the path so mothers with push chairs have to walk in the busy road, directly opposite another parked car, to cause maximum queues where only one car can only get through at a time. Normally on an otherwise pretty empty road, so they could have parked safely away else, but it would have meant walking an extra 20 feet.
4. School opening or closing times. Area best avoided. Double stopped, or triple stopped Chelsea tractors, (I don't use the term parked as that would imply, some sort of effort had been made to be near and parallel to the kerb) with their kids, playing Russian roulette with the traffic, crossing the road, to or from said tractor, while oblivious parent talks to fellow retard friend stopped opposite.

I don't think it is everybody, but probably 10% which means the other 90% of the population suffer, which is always the case.

Since Dick Turpin Traffic Wardens have had targets and bonuses they are only interested in one thing booking you. A friend of mine in an area he didn't know stopped and asked a Traffic Warden where it would be safe to park so he didn't get a ticket, so he parked there and when he came back, yup, you've guessed it he had issued a ticket. 

Parking fines in some boroughs have become their biggest source of income after taxes.

[Jusme]

Just popped my £130 fine in the post.. Not for parking, but for turning left ??  Coming down to the Shaftesbury theatre with son and girlfriend (his) 'late-ish as usual'. Needed to get stopped quickly, but was on the very busy feeder onto Shaftesbury Avenue. Saw the blue board with a white arrow indicating direction of traffic flow, but a little way on was a traffic light controlled cross roads, the road to the right had a 'no entry sign', but the little road to the left with an overflowing lay-by had no sign indicating 'no left turn or no entry sign', also noticed painted on the road to the left, an arrow indicating that I would be travelling in the right direction, (one way street) Blinker on, smart left turn, stop, kids out, drive off... But a snooping cctv camera had recorded my turn, and onto the mat dropped a demand for £65:00. I appealed citing that, 'as far as I was aware, on the public highway I was entitled to turn into any junction as long as there was no sign prohibiting it'. I was informed that there were flow direction arrows that must be adhered to. I pointed out that if this was the case, once onto a roundabout the rest of your life would be spent going round in circles ?? 'Appeal failed, fine now doubled to £130. Some of these people simply do not live in the real world. Bye the way, 'how much were the 2 theatre tickets' ? ... £130:00... Not happy.. 

[albitz]

I hate driving in central London tbh. I always have the feeling that Im breaking some unknown regulation and some camera is filming me doing it. I avoid it if at all possible.

[Jusme]

I agree Albs, but the bl**ders wouldn't move the theatre...