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
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
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.
