Do not ignore or forget about Police parking tickets

[robroy]

I’m maybe stating the bleeding obvious to some of the more street wise on here, but if you ever get a Police parking infringement ticket, and hand it in to your firm., thinking it will just go through the proper channels,. DON’T do what I did and assume it has been sorted without checking with the Police yourself first. …it’ll take a 2 minute phone call,.and save yourselves a lot of potential grief.
A long story I’ll try and keep as brief as,…so if you get bored half way through …just bin it.

Firstly I’ve had to eat my words about 2 different things I’ve said,on here in past
.ie…I never park on kerbs,.and ‘boasting’ about keeping a clean licence for 30 + years
.
I pre arranged to park in a yard, got there it was chokker, time up, rest of the estate rammed, so decided to park outside.
Sussed things out…,a high risk of getting my mirror knocked off by trucks leaving said yard, or side swiped with a ripped trailer (narrow road, cul de sac) so took the decision to kerb the near side wheels, thinking ''I’m causing virtually no probs, as likely no pedestrians between 9pm and 6am , (but a clear pavement on other side anyhow.)
Wrong.!

An illustrious crimefighter was sniffing around looking to raise some revenue, and although my predicament was obvious decided to use zero discretion and ticket me through the night…
Ok, I hold my hands up, fair do.s, I was parked illegally (but with mitigation) so took it on the chin.
Handed ticket to firm thinking under circumstances they would sort it.
They filled in driver details part and sent it back.

What SHOULD have happened next was , Old Bill contact me giving me a chance to pay £100 fine, (and me hopefully get re.imbursed by firm)
I totally forgot about it.
In hindsight I SHOULD have made enquiries , but got a summons months afterwards charging me with ‘‘Failing To Give Driver Details’’
My first thoughts…''How tf has there been that particular offence, given that my firm has already done that (quite obviously as my name and address was on their ■■■■ letter. )

So I weighed the situation up, and pleaded Guilty…thinking I technially was, because I had not notified them (firm did)
So I was thinking, …ok. maybe 150 ish quid fine, bish bosh job sorted, move on, put it down to experience,.and better than inconvenience, and losing a days pay and cost of fuel to Liverpool to appear and explain.

Wrong again!!
Got hit with a £550 fine and…
wait for it…

6 ■■■■ PENALTY POINTS on my licence …AND for a non driving offence!!

Anyhoo …upshot was it cost me £1800 up front for a solicitor, I did not even have to take a barrister with me to court which was ONLY meant to be the initial stage of preparation to get the case re.opened to change my plea (another £500 if I had took him with me)

I appeared and was told the Police were… ‘‘Willing to give me a chance’’ .
Aye right, realised they’d ■■■■ ed up more like and wanted to avoid embarrasment) and if I went back to the initial PARKING only charge instead, and pleaded guilty, the previous charge would be dropped!!

I REALLY REALLY wanted to (politely) tell them to ■■■■ off, and that I wanted to sue THEM for the hassle and grief I’d suffered, for their incompetence in administration, but I wasn’t brave enough/couldn’t afford it/and would have maybe lost the case with the points still on my licence. so decided on the spot against it.
So I ate humble pie reluctantly, and re claimed my clean licence.

Thought I’d got a right result, but as Blackadder said…‘The devil ■■■■■ in my face again Balders’’ …the ■■■■ solicitors although only doing a quarter of the work I paid for up front, do not re.imburse part or whole fees.

So thanks to my bad parking decision on my part… and an over zealous ■■■■ copper ticketing drivers taking their obligatory rest (who are only making the best of a ■■■■ chronic UK parking situation,) decided to do me, whilst ‘‘patrolling’’ in one the most notorious crime hot spots of the UK (Merseyside) and then to add insult to injury, an incompetent administrative dept in the Police, I am now a lot of ■■■■ money down, not to mention severely ■■■■■■ off.

Please dont come back (especially the gloating TN Police spokesman Mr Monkey or that Roadrat clown) with ‘‘Serves you right, pavement parking etc’’ I get that , but it was the aftermath of the usual chestnut…‘‘Easy target policing’’ and incompetence following on from it,.as well as my own naivety and bad decision making with the initial charge…so don’t waste your time. I already know.

Well done for sticking with my ramblings. and not getting the arse bored off you.

[scaniaultimate]

Thanks for sharing.
It takes courage to share information about making mistakes, but it is genuinely useful to be made aware of practices like this & the consequences that can arise.

I suspect fines like this will only increase in number now the Police think we are earning more than them.

[jeffa]

Serves you right. The police have enough doughnuts to eat without interrupting their snack for your sort.

[the_nodding_donkey]

I suspect that this is just an elaborate excuse to avoid paying for the next round of coffee…

[yourhavingalarf]

I understand your…

Anger and frustration mate. A system that’s designed to wring as much cash out the hard working as possible.

Could you not have found a lay-by on the side of a busy A road and pulled your mirrors in for 9 hours and had your can of Lilt there?

[zac_a]

Kudos for fessing up to a fubar no one needed to know about, and an excellent cautionary tale to just about everyone.

[peirre]

Bloody hell Rob you don`t do things in a small way

[zac_a]

So this was just for “wheels on the pavement” and not double-yellows or anything else?

[cooper1203]

i feel for ya i would be spitting feathers too. How much would it of taken for the lazy git to knock on ya window and ask why you were there even if the silly so and so couldnt work it out. clearly the lazy ■■■■■■■■ thought they were onto an easy number get thier cases solved numbers up by trumping up another offence then when you turned up to fight it bricked em selves as they knew they were in the wrong.

[franglais]

You did what you could at first to get proper parking, but got stuffed.
Could happen to any of us, and you`ve got my sympathy.

A cop was actually doing the rounds at night, so good!, but did he you. Again, I sympathise.

After that, Im more confused. If you had the ticket stuck on the vehicle why didnt you fill it in and return it yourself?
I can see wanting some cash, (some chance!) or help from company explaining a promised park slot was taken or whatever, but the fine is yours. Pay it or argue it, it`s yours.

Are you sure the company did it all correctly? Sounds to me like they didn`t? Very confusing.

I am awful at keeping on top of paperwork, so no finger wagging from me.

[robroy]

Well thanks …so far.
I thought I was laying myself wide open to revenge abuse there, but I’ll wait for my
‘‘TN fans’’ to arrive…bring it on.

Seriously though, I did think the penalty (even if I’d had been guilty) was a bit severe,.and especially for a non driving issue, it’s a bit like taking your gun licence off you for trespassing in a field whilst carrying it.

The basts have you over a barrel,.the Police AND the authorities will do you for the least little thing, with zero discretion unlike in the past when Police were approachable., and they wonder why nobody (in their righ minds) wants to drive anymore,.and especially do tramping.

[robroy]

Zac_A:
So this was just for “wheels on the pavement” and not double-yellows or anything else?

Yep, no lines, no signs, no restrictions…and I went to the same estate although a different part, and the were cars, presumably employees, parked FULL ON the pavement, presumably the regular ‘done thing.’

[robroy]

Franglais:
You did what you could at first to get proper parking, but got stuffed.
Could happen to any of us, and you`ve got my sympathy.

A cop was actually doing the rounds at night, so good!, but did he you. Again, I sympathise.

After that, Im more confused. If you had the ticket stuck on the vehicle why didnt you fill it in and return it yourself?
I can see wanting some cash, (some chance!) or help from company explaining a promised park slot was taken or whatever, but the fine is yours. Pay it or argue it, it`s yours.

Are you sure the company did it all correctly? Sounds to me like they didn`t? Very confusing.

I am awful at keeping on top of paperwork, so no finger wagging from me.

At first I had a right go at my firm thinking it was them that stuffed me.
I was shown a copy of the ticket by my firm, which said along the lines of…‘‘You must only complete the form if it is addressed to you’’ and ‘‘Do not pass on to driver’’.
Obviously it had their name on the ticket,.and the reg of their truck.

[robroy]

cooper1203:
i feel for ya i would be spitting feathers too. How much would it of taken for the lazy git to knock on ya window and ask why you were there even if the silly so and so couldnt work it out. clearly the lazy [zb] thought they were onto an easy number get thier cases solved numbers up by trumping up another offence then when you turned up to fight it bricked em selves as they knew they were in the wrong.

My thoughts exactly.
The first question by magistrates was ‘‘Are you being represented today’’
I replied ‘‘No, but any further hearings resulting from today, I will be.’’

It was at that point the Prosecuter interupted proceedings, and offered me the option of …‘‘Another chance’’.
If they thought I’d be appearing next by myself yet again, instead of with a solicitor specialising in traffic affairs,. AND with a 93% success rate (hence the fee price) , maybe the offer would not have come up,.and I would have been made mincemeat by their barrister.

[star_down_under]

Consider yourself lucky, capitol punishment has been abolished. Low fruit springs to mind.

[stu675]

robroy:

Zac_A:
So this was just for “wheels on the pavement” and not double-yellows or anything else?

Yep, no lines, no signs, no restrictions…and I went to the same estate although a different part, and the were cars, presumably employees, parked FULL ON the pavement, presumably the regular ‘done thing.’

Cars are allowed to park on the pavement everywhere except London as long as they are not causing an obstruction.
What is the law about lorries not being allowed on the pavement at all?

[noremac]

Did you have a close look at the ticket? Was it a straight out Fixed Penalty Notice? I was thinking perhaps the ticket was a request to attend a police station with driver details and so the matter could be subsequently resolved, such as being able to explain why you were there.

Anyway, got to respect your honesty and willingness to share so that others can benefit from your experience.

[franglais]

stu675:

robroy:

Zac_A:
So this was just for “wheels on the pavement” and not double-yellows or anything else?

Yep, no lines, no signs, no restrictions…and I went to the same estate although a different part, and the were cars, presumably employees, parked FULL ON the pavement, presumably the regular ‘done thing.’

Cars are allowed to park on the pavement everywhere except London as long as they are not causing an obstruction.
What is the law about lorries not being allowed on the pavement at all?

highwaycodeuk.co.uk/parking.html
244
You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.
Law GL(GP)A sect 15

And

246
Goods vehicles. Vehicles with a maximum laden weight of over 7.5 tonnes (including any trailer) MUST NOT be parked on a verge, pavement or any land situated between carriageways, without police permission. The only exception is when parking is essential for loading and unloading, in which case the vehicle MUST NOT be left unattended.
Law RTA 1988 sect 19

[zac_a]

stu675:
Cars are allowed to park on the pavement everywhere except London as long as they are not causing an obstruction.

There are different ways of looking at that, whilst it might not be guaranteed to get you a penalty, I personally wouldn’t interpret that as “being allowed” (see link).
And if your car gets scratched (accidentally or deliberately) while parked on a pavement, then many people would not be sympathetic, especially parents with pushchairs or people in wheelchairs
rac.co.uk/drive/advice/lega … -pavement/

[robroy]

stu675:

robroy:

Zac_A:
So this was just for “wheels on the pavement” and not double-yellows or anything else?

Yep, no lines, no signs, no restrictions…and I went to the same estate although a different part, and the were cars, presumably employees, parked FULL ON the pavement, presumably the regular ‘done thing.’

Cars are allowed to park on the pavement everywhere except London as long as they are not causing an obstruction.
What is the law about lorries not being allowed on the pavement at all?

And a continuous row of cars parked FULLY on the pavement through the day is NOT causing an obstruction?
Strikes me that they are turning a blind eye to the cars parked there everyday, in the times when there are more pedestrians, but for some reason best known to themselves are targeting overnight parked trucks comparitvely not causing half the potential bother through the night.
But that’s a biased opinion based on my past and now present experiences, and love of the Police.