In car-parks do you give away your unused tickets?

[beeboo]

Although I once tried to give away my dayrider and everyone looked at me like I was trying to push drugs on them, they all backed away scared.

I've tried to give away money-off coupons in the supermarket that I can't use, and most people do mostly just ignore you or eye you with suspicion. But that does at least have the effect of weeding out the misanthropes who don't deserve your coupons anyway.

 

[MikeMcc]

they are annoying, and designed to stop this spreading of car park love

That's a whole different matter and belongs in Knobbing and Sobbing!

 

[weltweit]

I do and I dislike the machines that force you to enter your registration.

If I have bought 2 hours in a car park then I should be able to decide if it is my or another car that benefits for that two hours.

Nazis!

 

[Griff]

God! I'm alarmed and annoyed how widespread these fucking number-plate car-parks appear to be.

 

[berniedicters]

God! I'm alarmed and annoyed how widespread these fucking number-plate car-parks appear to be.

There is a little good news here, though.

Shortly after this idea of typing in the digits from your registration mark came in, we changed the system!

So now, instead of having a roughly 1:1000 chance of finding someone with 3 matching digits, the odds are a lot better - the two-digit combos we're using now offer something rather better than a 1:16 chance of a match, since the first digit is alway 0 or 5, and the second ones only run from 1 to 8...

Short of going for alphanumeric keyboards and capturing the letter combinations, I can't see how they can get around this, big grin.

It seems somehow just: if they're going to go for the easy, low-cost "pay and display" option, they should accept that people will pass on tickets. If, on the other hand, they want to go with the fairer, but more expensive to implement pay-as-you-leave arrangement, then the passing on tickets problem doesn't arise, but people aren't being expected to pay for parking time they don't actually need on the off-chance they might need it.

All seems very reasonable to me.

 

[kabbes]

Pay and display is one of the topics that really can raise my blood pressure, for all the reasons so far explored and more. Another key one is the fact that the machines never give change. Oh, and they often don't take 5p either. So if they are charging 30p, for example, then unless you happen to have both a 10p and a 20p then you are going to be paying more than you should be. Even if it is something like 70p then your options are fairly limited, really. How many of us have gone to pay and found that we don't have the exact change required, so ended up putting a quid in instead?

 

[Badgers]

I don't drive therefore never use car-parks, so this is irrelevent

When I used to drive I did this though
Or if nobody was parking up I stuck it on the machine

 

[Griff]

I think the charges in our town are pretty reasonable: 90p for up to 2 hours and as already mentioned if you park and shop in Waitrose you get your parking fee back.

 

[kabbes]

I think the charges in our town are pretty reasonable: 90p for up to 2 hours and as already mentioned if you park and shop in Waitrose you get your parking fee back.

Do you always have 90p in change or do you ever find yourself paying £1 instead?

Does having to pay 90p ever stop you from stopping for 10 minutes to get a £1 newspaper or cup of coffee or from killing 20 minutes by idly wandering through a few shops?

If you are putting into the local economy of the town by spending money there, why should it be you that pays for your presence in the shops?

 

[Griff]

Do you always have 90p in change or do you ever find yourself paying £1 instead?

Does having to pay 90p ever stop you from stopping for 10 minutes to get a £1 newspaper or cup of coffee or from killing 20 minutes by idly wandering through a few shops?

If you are putting into the local economy of the town by spending money there, why should it be you that pays for your presence in the shops?

Yeah, we do tend to stick a quid in, but as we alternate between the supermarket( and getting our cash back) and the other car-parks we don't seem to mind.

Well it's 60p for up to an hour and we're in town every week walking round the shops/doing our weekly shop, so we don't tend to pop in for just 10 minutes.

True, but the days of free-parking have long since gone. An aregument I would constantly have with the twats on the council when I had a shop and saw potential customers hounded away by privately run traffic-wardens.

 

[kittyP]

I do try to although most of the places I have parked in for a while you have to put your reg.no. on so they are non transferable

 

[berniedicters]

One of the other things that bothers me slightly about pay and display is that you are effectively making a public statement to the effect that "I am not likely to be coming back for as long as $foo hours, so if you steal my car or break into it, it is quite possible that nobody will notice for that length of time".

Of course, people do come back to their cars early, etc., but it does rather seem to me to be a bit of a temptation to a car thief. Even more so when it's a long-stay P&D where you might well be putting on a ticket saying "away until tomorrow"...

 

[kabbes]

One of the other things that bothers me slightly about pay and display is that you are effectively making a public statement to the effect that "I am not likely to be coming back for as long as $foo hours, so if you steal my car or break into it, it is quite possible that nobody will notice for that length of time".

Of course, people do come back to their cars early, etc., but it does rather seem to me to be a bit of a temptation to a car thief. Even more so when it's a long-stay P&D where you might well be putting on a ticket saying "away until tomorrow"...

Great. Something else to hate about pay and display that I hadn't even thought of before. Thanks a lot, agnes.

 

[berniedicters]

Great. Something else to hate about pay and display that I hadn't even thought of before. Thanks a lot, agnes.

We aim to please. And make your day just that little bit brighter...

 

[geminisnake]

Yep or I stick it on the ticket machine

This is what I do too. If someone notices it on the machine fair enough.

 

[Spymaster]

Parking's so expensive in central London (I've seen up to £4 an hour P&D's) that there's very rarely a useable amount left on the ticket when I return. If there is, and I see someone else looking to pay I'll offer it, but usually it's a matter of a few minutes so I don't bother.

I do not pass unexpired travelcards to those dodgy scrotes at the end of a journey.

 

[berniedicters]

Parking's so expensive in central London (I've seen up to £4 an hour P&D's) that there's very rarely a useable amount left on the ticket when I return. If there is, and I see someone else looking to pay I'll offer it, but usually it's a matter of a few minutes so I don't bother.

I do not pass unexpired travelcards to those dodgy scrotes at the end of a journey.

Having been in the past on the receiving end of those dodgy scrotes hawking their travelcard at me as I've tried to go into a station at the end of the day, I agree. But if someone looked as if they probably weren't a dodgy scrote (typically, if I saw someone at the ticket machine, for example), I'd go over and offer them my Travelcard...

 

[DownwardDog]

Most car parks are "policed" by private contractors now, with any public body involved only taking a cut under an agreed business plan.

Sod all to do with taxes.

You're still reducing the amount of money available to the local authority which will have to be made up by taxation.

 

[berniedicters]

You're still reducing the amount of money available to the local authority which will have to be made up by taxation.

Watch me care.

I got a ticket from a local authority as a result of some chronically poor signage on their part. Having pointed this out to them, they weren't having a bit of it, and the thing went to adjudication, where it was determined in my favour. That little episode probably cost them several hundred pounds it didn't need to.

So you'll forgive me if I don't suddenly feel the urge to commit ritual seppuku at the prospect of the local authority being done out of 50p worth of parking ticket that I'd already paid for anyway.

This "has to be made up by tax" seems to be a bit of a get-out-of-jail-free card whipped out as some kind of argument-stopper. But if I've paid for two hours' parking, and don't use them, I can't see how that kind of faux-moral argument applies - essentially, you're saying that a council can't balance its books if it isn't able to charge more than once for the same service. If that isn't complete nonsense, then it's a pretty dire state of affairs!

 

[pogofish]

You're still reducing the amount of money available to the local authority which will have to be made up by taxation.

Its a hell of a lot more complex than that TBH.

We have gone into parking contracts in quite some depth here before (Brixton forum IIRC) & it does look like the more money the contractors take-in, the less finally ends-up in public hands. The usual curse of disadvantageous public contracts seems to apply.

Also is it worth considering that the deterrance of overpriced/badly managed parking can do far more damage to local income than any amount it might raise & finally, many contractors play fast & loose with the regs anyway & ticket ineffectively to begin with.

Highly unsatisfactory all round.

 

[Spymaster]

Watch me care.

I got a ticket from a local authority as a result of some chronically poor signage on their part.

Tell me about it

I've just knocked this up for Ealing today:

Dear Sir,
Representation Against PCN’s ***********and ************

These PCN’s were received on consecutive days, 14th and 15th February 2009 and constitute part of the same alleged offence. I am appealing on the grounds that the signage outlining the CPZ in question is insufficient and ambiguous.

I approached Bromyard Avenue from the A40 late on the evening of Friday 13th February, turning right into Acton Lane from the Old Oak Road. On approaching the roundabout with Bromyard Avenue I became aware of the CPZ ahead (west) of the roundabout clearly detailing its restricted hours as Monday-Friday 9.30am-5.30pm. As I was turning left into Bromyard Avenue I looked for a similar sign to the south of the roundabout. There is no such sign.

I then parked on the single yellow line about half way along Bromyard Avenue feeling it safe to do so while visting friends locally over the weekend. My feelings were reinforced by the aforementioned CPZ sign on the Acton Road and lack of any sign at all on Bromyard Avenue.

On examination of the area after receiving the PCN’s I discovered that the only sign informing drivers approaching the zone from this direction, are on the east end of Acton Lane, a full 700 metres, 2 roundabouts and 2 turns from where I parked, with confusion created by the sign on the Acton Road. Additionally these are dark signs and easily missed at night time. The only signs on Bromyard Avenue itself are at the opposite (south) end facing the other way. The only other signs within the zone are those pertaining to residents parking bays and are therefore irrelevant. It is quite possible to be inside this CPZ and reasonably believe restrictions not to apply at weekends, as was my case.

I therefore respectfully request the cancellation of both of these PCNs on the above grounds. Should you feel it necessary to reject this appeal I request clear information on the London Borough of Ealing’s policy regarding the proximity of signage, as I am confident that 700 metres, with subsequent potentially conficting information is unreasonable, and that my representation will be upheld on further appeal.

Finally, I draw your attention to the fact that PCN# ******** has not been signed by the CEO in the space provided and I believe is therefore technically invalid anyway.

I enclose both PCNs (copies retained) and a map of the area for you information.

Turns out I was in a 9am-9pm Monday to Sunday zone. 200 fucking quids worth. I'll be fighting tooth and nail. .

 

[berniedicters]

Tell me about it

I've just knocked this up for Ealing today:



Turns out I was in a 9am-9pm Monday to Sunday zone. 200 fucking quids worth. I'll be fighting tooth and nail. .

All I would suggest you add to that is that you are so entirely convinced of your case (and you've taken advice to the effect, etc...) that you are fully prepared to take this all the way to NPAS, regardless of the outcome of their deliberations.

And - but check on this first - I think you'll find that it is now possible to claim your expenses if you go to arbitration and win, so there are all kinds of reasons why they may want to back down now.

http://www.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/site/index.php

 

[Spymaster]

All I would suggest you add to that is that you are so entirely convinced of your case (and you've taken advice to the effect, etc...) that you are fully prepared to take this all the way to NPAS, regardless of the outcome of their deliberations.

Nice one. Done.

Watch this space.