Whilst basking in the sunshine we’re having, I gazed upon two parking wardens issuing a ticket to a scooter for parking slightly outside the bounds of the bay, despite the fact the bay is enclosed in a non-pedestrian, non-highway area so no obstruction is being caused. Really, there wasn’t much in it.
I took up my complaint with the wardens, arguing he wasn’t causing an obstruction and it was fair, and reasonable to assume the whole enclosed area was safe to park in. The main chap I spoke to (the other seemed less engaging, like a trainee perhaps) agreed with me, and so I asked him if he would like it done to him personally and he conceeded that he wouldn’t.
He argued that it is not a matter of obstruction, but simple rule-compliance. Out of the bounds = a ticket. Hrm, he wasn’t to be swayed.
I asked him if he would ticket all the other bikes slightly outside of the bay, and he said no, just this one. I don’t know if it was because of my complaint or what, but there you go, they’re irational, unreasonable and dare I say (I wish I had asked him at the time), in conflict with his faith, as most faith’s have some tenant, hadith, etc, that says something like “treat others as you would like to be treated”, and as he had already agreed he wouldn’t like it done to him, he would be in conflict. Doh.
In other words… bastards.
Beware, City parking wardens!
Registration: LX56 BUF
(putting this up in case the owner searches the web for anything to help support a contest)
what an utter tw*t! I know that biking bay (I think) as I used to work close there and for the life of me cannot understand why there is a reason to give a ticket!!!
This is what really pisses me off… a bike parks slightly outside the bay (it may even have been moved out a bit by another bike as it is a light scoot) and ticket is issued… yet when Westminster traffic wardens park on double yellow lines, they’re exempt! And then they wonder why people start abusing traffic wardens…
Also whichever council did a job painting those lines must have been of the same IQ as there is no point painting a bay that goes almost up to the kerb but not enough… :crazy:
Is it worth writing to the council from an observer’s perspective or try and get it published anywhere to give them some bad press? Could this invalidate any fight the guy actually has?
He has no discretion and it’s not in his interests to not issue the PCN for the contravention has he’s paid to issue them not decide if it’s fair or not
Best thing you can do is put a note on his bike and tell him what went on and tell him to appeal. A frightening number of tickets that are appealed and the appeal passes - the real horror is the number of tickets just paid and the money fills up the Council budget black hole…tell him to take pictures etc
Glad you posted this up. I have parked in that bay and sometimes people just slide in at the side. I have thought about doing the same, but when I put my stand down, say, it falls outside the line. I pause for a moment and think whether I should leave it but then decide its not worth the risk - glad I didn’t.
The law is supposed to be reasonable. I would hope this could be contested on its own merit! Also I wonder if it could be pushed to change the rules - and hence the bay lines in these situations. Kaos, any opinion if this is viable for a “good chance” fight? (I typed Kaso there instead of Kaos at first “Not now Kaso!” giggle)
I belive the rule is that the wheels must be within the parking zone. There’s no rule about sidestands.
I had this issue when I was parking my car in front of the house: the wheels were on my drive but the back of the car extended slightly over the pavement. One of my neighbours complained but the parking people rejected the complaint due to the above. BTW, wasn’t being a sh!t, it was possible to walk on the pavement easily, in fact, it was a dead-end road off another dead-end road - as quiet as you can get; no danger from walking in the road at all
in a desparate moment i was thinking about becoming traffic warden because i can be a pissed off individual at times but also as an insight to this industry…decided not to do it as i would get to much agro and my probably pushed to do the same sort of thing, i’ve watched a program once about how they should hit targets…then my mate also told me that if they perform too well then they get sacked?! :w00t: you just can’t win, one f_cked up money making soul destroying business this is.
“Not now Kaso!” giggle)