12 replies to this topic

[Fran]

Another exaggerated headline, though it raises an interesting question: "More than 50% of Chilterns parking tickets are overturned". See: Dodgy stats article.

Of course it's half of those that people take to appeal, which on the figures in the article means only about 15% of the total are overturned. Is that a reasonable error rate? (The figures for previous years are broadly similar.) Obviously zero errors would be wonderful, but 15% doesn't seem deserving of the hysterical tone of the article.

I was particularly alarmed by a woman quoted in the article who said, "I would absolutely fight whether I was right or wrong. I think the figures show it's worth it."

So it seems that alarmist reporting makes people think the situation is worse than it is and that therefore they may be justified in breaking the rules and trying to fight, even if they know they are in the wrong.

Does this sort of thing make anyone else angry?

[Eaton]

Does this sort of thing make anyone else angry?

Yes it does.

In almost 24 years of driving I've had two parking tickets. Both were correct but I could possibly have fought the second one and may have won. About 15 years ago I parked in a layby in Hatch End High Street on a winter night right beside a broken street light and when I got back to the car I had a ticket because I'd parked in a disabled bay!

I looked and couldn't see any sign, it was only when I moved the car and got a torch that I could see the wheelchair sign on the road which was very faint and impossible to see with no streetlight. However, I did park there illegally so I accepted the ticket.

[Speedy]

I must be one of those rare cases where i haven't had single parking ticket in 22 years of driving although i have come close on a few occasions.

If i did get one and i felt it was issued wrongly then yes i would fight it, but at the end of the day, if i parked illegally and knew full well i was doing wrong then i'd accept the consequences.

[David P]

I've had three in almost 50 years and only paid one (and that was when I parked at 12:58 in an area where there was a restriction until 13:00)
To be fair if you appeal politely with a reasonable excuse then you will be treated reasonably. When we got one in Watford recently (I hadn't noticed the restriction that the bay was for Loading Only until 11:00) they let us off and said that they had a policy of letting first time offenders off with a warning.

[roob_the_doob]

I've had three in almost 50 years and only paid one (and that was when I parked at 12:58 in an area where there was a restriction until 13:00)

You shouldn't have paid. They aren't supposed to do anything until you've been there for at least 3 minutes.

[PeterC]

OK, so over half the people who appeal do so on valid grounds, that seems pretty reasonable to me. I haven't seen the stats but if that does work out at a 15% error rate I think the parking contractor has a training issue. For an error rate of more than 10% I would expect a penalty clause in the contract.

Like Eaton I have been caught out by poor street markings when parking in a strange place on a dark night.

[Bawbag]

I picked up a charge notice today because the phone system incorrectly picked up my registration number. Here's hoping they use some of that discretion!

[Fran]

I picked up a charge notice today because the phone system incorrectly picked up my registration number. Here's hoping they use some of that discretion!

 

Feel free to say it's  none of my business, but what does the phone system have to do with it?

[03am]

I think its the park by phone service?  You can call/text from your mobile instead of paying by coins...

[Fran]

I think its the park by phone service?  You can call/text from your mobile instead of paying by coins...

 

I didn't know you could do that round here (I thought it was a big city thing!).

Anyway, if that was the problem, I daresay they'll say it was user error and Bawbag may struggle to get the penalty overthrown.

[Bawbag]

I didn't know you could do that round here (I thought it was a big city thing!).

Anyway, if that was the problem, I daresay they'll say it was user error and Bawbag may struggle to get the penalty overthrown.

 

They've not replied but so I'm hoping you aren't correct!

 

On the system itself, it's a boon as you can arrange and pay for a day's parking from the comfort of your home before you set out. No fiddling with change in a windy car park, or even having to walk back to your car.

 

As long as the system works, that is!

[PeterC]

I didn't know you could do that round here (I thought it was a big city thing!).

 

You have to pay extra for the privilage of course.

[Bawbag]

Happy to confirm that they overturned the ticket.

 

The language used was most magnanimous though, a lot of passive-aggressive "on this occasion" and "we are prepared". Hmmm.

You have to pay extra for the privilage of course.

 

Yes, quite backwards that.