Got a ticket while collecting free wood

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:(
Just got back from collecting a load of wood from a tree surgeon working close to my house on our local hospital. You've guessed it, over zealous parking attendant couldn't contain his terminal and camera. I know he was only doing his job but I explained I was on official clear up duty and that I couldn't use the pay and display car park as it was too far away.
Unfortunately he had already pressed the "issue ticket" button and there was nothing he could do:confused:
He said that if I had actually physically been loading wood when he passed it would of been ok but because the car was unattended and I was the other side of the hedge discussing which pile of wood was for me it was the only thing he could do.

I have just paid £15 by debit card:rolleyes:

Note to self. Leave car blocking the main gate where I can keep an eye on it.
 

Tadpole

Full Member
Nov 12, 2005
2,842
21
59
Bristol
:(
Just got back from collecting a load of wood from a tree surgeon working close to my house on our local hospital. You've guessed it, over zealous parking attendant couldn't contain his terminal and camera. I know he was only doing his job but I explained I was on official clear up duty and that I couldn't use the pay and display car park as it was too far away.
Unfortunately he had already pressed the "issue ticket" button and there was nothing he could do:confused:
He said that if I had actually physically been loading wood when he passed it would of been ok but because the car was unattended and I was the other side of the hedge discussing which pile of wood was for me it was the only thing he could do.

I have just paid £15 by debit card:rolleyes:

Note to self. Leave car blocking the main gate where I can keep an eye on it.

I'm not sure how you can call him "over zealous" and admit that he was "only doing his job"
He, from what you said, would have been more than happy to not give you a ticket had he known you were over the hedge.
You can't really ask for fairer than that.
 
I'm not sure how you can call him "over zealous" and admit that he was "only doing his job"
He, from what you said, would have been more than happy to not give you a ticket had he known you were over the hedge.
You can't really ask for fairer than that.

I reckon he was over zealous as he would of been able to see me as he approached my car and he was on me within seconds of me stepping around the hedge, leaving me to believe that he watched me park there. and the smug attitude as he told me there was nothing he could do.
I admit to saying he was "only doing his job" but I believe he was over zealous. A quick shout over the hedge and I would of explained the situation, it was only a small hedge and it literally blocked my view of the front part of my car. He could see tree felling was going on and I believe he would of seen me pull up and get out of my car and walk 10 yards to speak with the tree bloke.

I have paid the fine knowing that I commited a parking offence but I feel I had a just cause to be there in the first place. It would of only taken him 2 seconds to notice what was going on or even to ask before drawing his terminal and booking me. I guess they don't get paid enough to use any common sense.
 

Nagual

Native
Jun 5, 2007
1,963
0
Argyll
If you were there officially, why did you pay the ticket, you could have contested it? Or was it that that seemed the simpler option to you.. or weren't you there officially :D?


Nag.
 
How come he's expected to see you when you didn't see him?

He must of seen me get out of my car as he was by my car within 30 seconds of me leaving it. I couldn't see the front of my car as it was obscured by the small hedge. he would of been able to see me on his approach, but he remained out of view while he typed my details in his machine.

There really was nowhere else to park that was practical for loading up.
I wasn't looking out for him as I didn't expect to get a ticket as I figured I would be ok for loading up the wood. It was just the walking from my car to ask the tree guy which pile I should take and to shake his hand and ask him what beer he drinks.

@ Nagual
I guessed it wasn't worth the hassle and time to object for £15
 

addo

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 8, 2006
2,485
9
Derbyshire
There that quick round here that at pay and display I drive to the machine and get my ticket if in an older style carpark, that way thay cant sneak up on me while im paying for the ticket. Ive often seem them hiding behind a tree/hedge watching as I leave the car, and had a few issued in the past for being over by 2 mins with no sign of the bloke there. It takes at least that time to right the damm thing out so guess it was ready and waiting, slapped on and runner done!
 

Mike Ameling

Need to contact Admin...
Jan 18, 2007
872
1
Iowa U.S.A.
www.angelfire.com
Revenue Generation.

Every city ... budgets ... for a certain amount of income from parking tickets and moving violations. They all do it. But they also FLATLY DENY that there are any "quotas" on writing tickets. But those who write the most tickets also seem to get the best job performance reviews!

I have a friend who is a Peace Officer at a nearby smaller town. He generally works the graveyard shift - trading with the other officers to do so (since they are all supposed to work 2 weeks in each shift on a rotating basis). They all appreciate him wanting to work the bar closing/domestic dispute/bored silly shift, and he doesn't have to adjust to working other time shifts.

Well, he always gets chewed out for not writing enough tickets! He then asks how many he is supposed to write, and he will "find" enough violations to write that many. This then has the Chief boiling over about there not being any ... quotas! And that the Chief and the town council will just ... know ... when he has written enough tickets. His usual reply at that point in the usual discussion is that he was hired as a Peace Officer, not to "generate income" for the city. That usually ends the annual performance review - and his hopes for any advancement within the department. They can't fire him because he does his job very well. And they can't admit that he doesn't meet their "quota" for writing tickets to generate income for the city.

City Budget Politics - and generating revenue. The QUOTAs exist - even if not in writing!

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
 

JohnC

Full Member
Jun 28, 2005
2,624
82
62
Edinburgh
It's always worth contesting the ticket, especially if you were there for a valid reason, that the attendant agreed with. .
 

xylaria

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Last time we had a ticket we couldn't wiggle out, it was paid in person in pennies, tuppences, and five ps all counted accurately into money bags that were then emptied into tescos carrier bag and mixed up. We emptied the bag into the payment tray, the woman behind the counter gave us a class dirty look. She tried to refuse payment, as the office didn't have coin counter. We asked for the supervisor if payment was going to refused we should get the ticket canceled. The supervisor, the counter lady, and another member of staff, counted out the money. There wasn't anyone behind us in the queue before I get moaned at. It put smile on our face.
 

EdS

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I once got a Police parking ticket for parking on the road, while I to sign the register for the practice (as required by the Police's insurance which covers us). Why was I parked on the road - a police car was blocking the access to the track of the road.
 

Martyn

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 7, 2003
5,252
33
58
staffordshire
www.britishblades.com
:(
Just got back from collecting a load of wood from a tree surgeon working close to my house on our local hospital. You've guessed it, over zealous parking attendant couldn't contain his terminal and camera. I know he was only doing his job but I explained I was on official clear up duty and that I couldn't use the pay and display car park as it was too far away.
Unfortunately he had already pressed the "issue ticket" button and there was nothing he could do:confused:
He said that if I had actually physically been loading wood when he passed it would of been ok but because the car was unattended and I was the other side of the hedge discussing which pile of wood was for me it was the only thing he could do.

I have just paid £15 by debit card:rolleyes:

Note to self. Leave car blocking the main gate where I can keep an eye on it.

City General was it?

I work there and have had 4 tickets in the last 6 months. They have cut the parking facilities by 1200 spaces in the last year and used the land to build on. This means when I go to work, I struggle to get a space. If I park in a non-designated zone, I'll get a ticket sure as eggs ...and my permit is paid for directly from my salary. I contested all the 4 tickets and won 3 of em, but had to pay the one - £75. It would of been cheaper to pay all 4 quickly, then it would of only cost me £60. The parkies are super-zealous and will ticket for anything. Even when they are wrong and once the ticket is issued, you have to write and appeal. I had one ticket at 01:50 am while on nightshift, yet we are allowed to park anywhere from 20:00 to 08:00. Another, there were no spaces. I asked the parkie if I could leave my Landy on some grass and come back in half an hour to move it as I was due in work. He agreed. As soon as I set foot on the unit, we had a cardiac arrest and I was immediately drawn into a resuscitation. It was an hour before I could get back to my car and I had a ticket on the screen when I did. The one I couldn't get away with, was when I asked a pakie if I could tempoirarily leave my car in a disabled space, because all the designated staff spaces were full, many of which were non-permit holders - visitors who were looking for parking without paying. Parkie agreed, when I went back an hour later, ticket on the screen. Shift change. Different parkie had ticketed me. I couldn't prove that one so I got stung for £75.

This is my place of work.

Blimmin disgrace. TBH, I think it's a disgrace that hospital staff should have to pay to park at the hospital anyway, but ticketing staff "permit holders" for parking in non-designated spaces when the car park is full, is blimmin extortion. Especially as they have slashed 1200 spaces and now quite openly say there are not enough spaces to cover staff permit holders. The permit doesnt guarantee you a space, it just allows you to park in one if you can find one. This is a hospital that employs 5000 staff.

A big problem is visitors parking in staff spaces. Because parking is so limited, when it gets full, the gloves are off and they will park anywhere. Thjat means the staff have to abandon thier cars too and run the risk of getting a ticket.

I should point out also that this is private land, private car parking which is managed by a privatly contracted parking company (APCOA). It is not "illegal" to park anywhere.
 

SimonM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 7, 2007
4,015
6
East Lancashire
www.wood-sage.co.uk
SWMBO got a ticket from the Police for parking 2 wheels on the footpath.

No defence other than to say it was a narrow terraced street and to park all 4 wheels on the road would have caused an obstruction.

We did not contest it - just paid.

Next day, I saw a Police car in the exact same spot, so took a picture with my phone. The Police car stayed there for 3 hours, which I duly recorded with photos (I was at a friends house).

I took the pictures in to the Police station and asked to see the duty Inspector. I gave him the back ground and he tried to flannel me. So I asked if his officers were exempt from the parking restrictions that are applied to the rest of us.

He offered to issue a ticket to the officr in question - but I said that would not be neccessary as I still had to live in the town!

Point proved & I didn't see an illigally parked Police car for months after!

Simon
 

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