Thank you Roger, but the letter is not to our home borough which, I have to say, is more reasonable than the council in question.
My wife's point, if you read what she says, is that there were so many ticket machines out of order in the area, on a weekday afternoon, that no one could park without risking a ticket, and the attendants were having a field day.
She spoke to an attendant and to another lady who was having the same problem. It is perfectly clear that the attendant just went by the book. My wife's point is that the book cannot reasonably be applied when all the machines are stuffed. People still have to live their lives and can do without this very annoying and timewasting petty distraction.
The council is entitled, apparently, to charge people for leaving their cars on the public road. It should not be entitled to screw up people's lives with this silly carp. She paid for parking. The council's machines were out of order. Her word against theirs, except that in the person of the attendant she talked to the council knew perfectly well that the machines weren't working.
Funny in a way, yes, but incredibly annoying. Multiply it by a few hundred thousand a day and you can understand why so many people think the country, or indeed the world, is going down the toilet.
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I'm with Lud on this. I don't want to, and neither should I, be inconvenienced because the council can't or won't fix their stupid machines.
How come the odds are always stacked so far in favour of the authorities, and yet to seek redress is so long-winded, mind-numbingly tedious and soul-destroying? We all have jobs to do, and I am sorry to say it as it goes against my vaguely lefty tendencies, but I don't think of a traffic warden's job as being a particularly noble, or noteworthy profession.... I haven't got time to waste on such people. "Going by the book" sums them up. They knew the machines weren't working, they (or rather their paymasters) should be held accountable.
All, of course, as ever in my humble opinion.
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This part about them being serviced bi-monthly was a surprise. I occasionally park on street and pay my money. I noticed the clock on the one I was using was 5 minutes slow, told a warden who was passing and he opened it up and sorted it out. He also said the machines are emptied and 'serviced' every day so down time is minimal.
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the 'helpful' suggested answers from the council have just cheered me up on what has been proven to be a weary day........especially the bit about filing it under 'B'.
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Just a word of warning to all BR'S.
2 years ago I parked in a road In Shepherds Bush, put the money in the machine and placed the ticket on the inside of window as rquired.
Upon my return I had received a ticket, fortunately the warden was just along the road and when I showed him the ticket, he replied that there was no time / date etc on the ticket - yep the machine had run out of ink and I hadn't checked before placing in the window-
Yes I did have the ticket cancelled, but I now always double check the info has printed correctly
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This part about them being serviced bi-monthly was a surprise. I occasionally park on street and pay my money. I noticed the clock on the one I was using was 5 minutes slow, told a warden who was passing and he opened it up and sorted it out. He also said the machines are emptied and 'serviced' every day so down time is minimal.
Just a conspiracy theory, but the could be a bit of a scam going in Lud's problem area. First Monday of every month, switch off all the machines, then all the attendants go on duty for a bumper bonus day!
But quite possibly a scam by an outsider, much like what used to happen to choclolate machines at tube stations, where the coins are 'eaten' but released when the scammer goes to it.
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so many people think the country, or indeed the world, is going down the toilet.
These days, no one knows what our political parties 'stand for'. Wouldn't it be marvelous if a politician stood up and said "The country IS going down the toilet and WE'RE going to do something about it!"..... And meant it! LoL
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>> These days, no one knows what our political parties 'stand for'. Wouldn't it be marvelous if a politician stood up and said "The country IS going down the toilet and WE'RE going to do something about it!"..... And meant it! LoL
now you are really living in a dream world......... a politician that didn't care about the next vote or where the next source of income was coming from?
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>>Thank you Roger, but the letter is not to our home borough which, I have to say, is more reasonable than the council in question.
Lud, I would suggest approaching the local newspaper covering this council to have a word with one of their reporters. They would find this an interesting local issue, you might be surprised that no one else has contacted them.
I agree with you that your wife's parking ticket should be cancelled as it was issued whilst all ticket machines were out of order, hence it was impossible to display a ticket for the money paid to park correctly.
You will probably have to appeal to win your case, which I have no doubt you will. I would suggest you warn the parking office that you will require recompense for proving your innocence. As mentioned a few days ago you might include www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco2/index.jsp to back up your letter.
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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What do I do if a pay-and-display machine does not register my money or does not work at all? If either of these things happens, you should: 1)buy your parking ticket from another machine in the same road
How do I get a refund for money I?ve lost in a pay-and-display machine? If the pay-and-display machine does not register money or work at all, you should: 1) buy a pay-and-display parking ticket from another machine in the same road with the same tariff; or
How does the Council concerned square the two different clause 1's. The first just tells you to buy from another machine in the same street, the second to check it's the same tariff. So you could read the first clause 1, buy a ticket from the next machine but because it's a different tariff you'll still get a ticket!
I'm just in favour of these things being straightforward but it seems the intention of certain authorities is to obfuscate the rules to such a level that any normal person finds it difficult to comply. This particular scenario is close to home as FIL is currently fighting his LA over just such a situation. He experienced a broken machine, went to next nearest machine in the road, same tariff, buys ticket and displays; returns to car, FPN. FPN issued as 'the machine from which ticket was purchased is in a different charge zone to that in which the ticket issued was displayed', note, same tariff but different charge zone! He gained absolutely nothing, apart from the extra exercise from the longer walk, and cost the LA absolutely nothing as they received exactly the same fee as they would have done had the other machine been working, and the logic is where.........???
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Up here in laid back North Wales ;-) (Flintshire to be precise) we also have problems with pay and display machines taking money when they're out of order.
On each occasion that this has happened to me I have left a brief note on the dashboard explaining that I have attempted to buy a ticket, and showing the date and time.
Touch wood, I have not yet returned to a penalty charge notice.
I should add that the council own and operate the machines and attendants.
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The phrases "laid back North Wales" and "Chief Constable Idiot Br*nstr*om" don't sit too happily together! Last time I had news of him he was being installed as a bard at an Eistefodd!
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Not only might machines in an adjacent bay have different tariff or restrictions, they might even be in a different borough:-
www.parkingandtrafficappeals.gov.uk/user_documents...f
Bladon was, I think, veteran motoring correspondent Stuart Bladon
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Went for lunch with some colleagues today, and parking machine was out of order and not taking money. This thread came to mind, so rather than risking a ticket (especially as I am currently in someone elses courtesy car) I rang the council, reported the problem and told them directly I was parked there, without paying as was unable to do so. Council took all my details and gave me a reference number to quote in case I got a ticket.
Stress free lunch as didn't have to worry about being fined, and on returning to the car less than an hour later the machine had been fixed, no ticket on my car nor any others.
Thanks Lud for highlighting this- at least it made me think today and not assume I would be OK as would have previously done, although I guess it doesn't do anything to improve your situation directly.
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A few short years ago I was on a mission of mercy (delivering the xmas booze etc to various embassies in London) and I stopped at the Ghanain embassy in Belgrave Square.The embassies have their own reserved parking bays and a member of staff gave me permission to park in one of the bays whilst I ferried the vittels back and forth. Enter stage left the panto villain ,the TRAFFIC WARDEN! (Boo! Hiss!) I came out to see him in the process of writing me a ticket.When I told him I had permission from the embassy staff he pointed out that Westminster Council (you can boo here too!) were responsible for the bays not the embassy.
Well,it was the season of goodwill and he understood I had a job to do (smelling salts please!) so in this case he closed his book and wandered off leaving me to get on wih it. I came back out a few minutes later and a DIFFERENT warden was standing by the van writing a ticket! I explained what had just occured with his colleague but that cut no ice with this jobsworth who claimed there was nothing he could do, he'd started writing the ticket. Well there was something I could do and I did it. I called him the sort of names you can't use on here,got in my van and drove off! No ticket ,no problem!
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What is it about the City of Westminster? People keep mentioning it in these negative contexts.
Never go there myself and nor does my wife I hasten to add.
Smirk.
Wish I could say the same for Camden and Islington which bestrew one of my favourite crosstown routes with tiresome 'temporary' traffic lights.
Temporary indeed.... Permanent more like. Permanent on red it often seems. And one of them today wasd so ill-adjusted or ill-timed or otherwise faulty that stuff was crossing long after green, dangerous, thought the bike overtaking me was going to get it after all the delay but he survived. How long before someone doesn't? And what are these excremental clowns playing at for week after week?
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