More on parking tickets....

[nutty]

I posted a couple of days back a couple of different threads on parking. At the risk of seeming obsessed - here's another one.

I probably tempted fate in some way but we managed to get our car towed today. The wife went for a hospital appointment at Kings and got confused as to which side of the road was residents parking and which was pay and display. To cut a long story short when she returned from the appointment an hour later with our newborn ready to strap in the car was gone.

A few phone calls later and she's now on the way to Bermondsey to pay ?260 to get it out of the pound.

In what way is this punishment to fit the crime?!? Leaving a new mother stranded and extremely stressed for a genuine mistake. I thought the government was stopping heavy handed tactics such as this? (6)

[Al&Em]

?260 - that's outrageous nutty. I've been lucky and never caught, but always assumed that it was about ?80 to retrieve the offending vehicle....

[downsouth]

No I had the same once in Brixton. Went to watch a show and misread the sign - so was parked wrongly for 45 minutes as the prohibiton stopped at 8pm. Afterwards at 12am I came out to see no car but plenty of cars with tickets - not towed mind. There was severe traffic delays so I had to walk all the way to deepest darkest Camberwell via back roads and estates (approx. 45 minutes) through some dodgy areas to collect the car. The guy laughed and said he knew my car would be collected - they only take nice cars apparently!! ?250 later I was reunited with my car.

[dulwichbloke]

I don't think the latest thread makes you appear obsessed... I got that impression already from the question on your original thread that suggested traffic wardens should be ticketed for stopping their scooters on yellow lines while they ticketed cars which were illegally parked!

That said, I sympathise with you. There's nothing more annoying than feeling fleeced on a parking ticket/tow away. Last time it happended to me I became obsessed as well!

[Jah Lush]

I'd like to offer you some sympathy but I don't think they were to know that your wife was with your new born child when she parked in the wrong bay. It makes no difference anyway. It's an unfortunate and costly mistake but I'll say that the fine seems very extortionate. She'll have to be more careful next time she parks up there.

[nutty]

dulwichbloke Wrote:

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> I don't think the latest thread makes you appear

> obsessed... I got that impression already from the

> question on your original thread that suggested

> traffic wardens should be ticketed for stopping

> their scooters on yellow lines while they ticketed

> cars which were illegally parked!

>

> That said, I sympathise with you. There's nothing

> more annoying than feeling fleeced on a parking

> ticket/tow away. Last time it happened to me I

> became obsessed as well!

re: the last thread - I didn't think at any point I suggested they should be ticketed, I just wondered if that were supposed to park illegally while issuing tickets. I've paid plenty of "fair cop" tickets in the past and had we just been issued a ticket on this occasion I would have taken it on the chin. It's the towing away of the car that leaves me speechless.

If it is supposed to achieve us not doing it again then in this case this would not work as this was 100% genuine error - not saying they all have been :))

[nutty]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> I'd like to offer you some sympathy but I don't

> think they were to know that your wife was with

> your new born child when she parked in the wrong

> bay. It makes no difference anyway. It's an

> unfortunate and costly mistake but I'll say that

> the fine seems very extortionate. She'll have to

> be more careful next time she parks up there.

Agree they couldn't have known who had parked it, but they could have taken a look at the pay and display ticket left in the window and realised it was a genuine mistake!

Only actual gripe is the out of proportion penalty - still fuming....

[Jah Lush]

Agreed it's a lot of money to fork out at the drop of a hat. Bastards!

[Louisa]

I find parking at kings a complete nightmare and I think it is a little harsh for them to be quick to give out tickets when they do not offer many spaces in the first place. I have had sick relatives who have not been able to walk far and I find parking, often as far away as Camberwell Green, a complete nightmare, but thats just the way it is. I would risk a fine if I thought I needed to get into the hospital in an emergency or if a relative or friend was sick and couldnt walk far, but I would hold my hands up and not complain. I just hope in their wisdom the hospital trust will consider some sort of underground parking facility or buying up land nearby (if any exists).

[LostThePlot]

Louisa Wrote:

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> I find parking at kings a complete nightmare

Fully agree, though you can park in the garden centre next to it for a fiver. That always seems to have spaces.

>I just hope in their wisdom the hospital

> trust will consider some sort of underground

> parking facility or buying up land nearby (if any

> exists).

I'd rather they spend money on patients, I have to be honest....

[pk]

LostThePlot Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Louisa Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I find parking at kings a complete nightmare

> Fully agree, though you can park in the garden

> centre next to it for a fiver. That always seems

> to have spaces.

>

> >I just hope in their wisdom the hospital

> > trust will consider some sort of underground

> > parking facility or buying up land nearby (if

> any

> > exists).

>

> I'd rather they spend money on patients, I have to

> be honest....

as a regular visitor when the mrs was in and out i agree that the garden centre's very handy in working hours

outside that the roads round the top of the park are unrestricted parking

also agree that this should not be a priority of the trust - i'd rather have the park

my one gripe tho is that when i parked in the official parking out front to take the mrs to have the baby delivered due to complications i didn't leave the hospital for over 24 hours and got lumbered with a ?60 fee to leave the car park - i'd have been better off getting a ticket

[nutty]

A good point is being made here though. this ticket was being issued by the council. Surely they should take into account that cars parked illegally here may well be doing so for a good reason (emergency rush to hospital) and therefore towing away is really not a sensible punishment.

Anyway - knew I'd seen something about these heavy handed tactics and how councils aren't supposed to use then now...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2267853.ece

Seems it hasn't got through to Southwark yet...

[Louisa]

Southwark's traffic wardens are probably the most ticket happy in all of London. I find myself getting angry even when i'm in the wrong now, just because I know how desperate they are to hand out tickets to relieve boredom.

[kford]

Oh, and they tend to tow first the vehicles whose owners look like they can afford the release fee. I once saw a clapped-out old Saab parked in Southwark left just ticketed while other, newer, vehicles were removed. The Saab was left for weeks gathering dust.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Louisa

I park at the Fox on the Hill pub car park if I need to go to Kings. Probably not supposed to as I'm not a patron (once put me off but that's for another thread), but never had a problem to date.

[Louisa]

I've often considered it. I might do that next time actually. As long as thebar manager isnt locked up in their CCTV cage waiting like a lion to pounce on it's next victim.

[Asset]

I've always parked in King's car park if I've needed to there, weird.

[Jah Lush]

I must say that would seem the most sensible option Asset.;-)

[nutty]

Asset Wrote:

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> I've always parked in King's car park if I've

> needed to there, weird.

Middle of the day it is invariably full in my experience (which was again the case yesterday), otherwise that's our preference too!

[nutty]

found one of those number 10 petition things to sign re: my issue here.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/nomoretowingaway/

Rather took the wind out of my sails when I saw only 20 people have signed it ::o

[nutty]

Just thought I'd resurrect this thread to let you know that after 8 or so months of chasing the Parking department at Lambeth over this and getting little to no response, other than "Yeah we are looking into it", or "Sorry, we seem to have lost this complaint" believe it or not....

We received a full ?260 refund for the fine in the post today! Bonus - goes to show that persistence can get you anywhere!

[pretty polly]

i was most cheesed off the say the least, when i recieved a ticket on sunday night @ 11.30 PM!!!!! on LL???? after careful consideration ...... i rang and had a little BF down the phone to the nice people who take your money, and they told me they would consider the appeal, if i wrote in with all the details. has anyone else got a ticket at that time before??? i was parked outside G Burger?

[Ratpack]

I'm in a huge fight with Southwark Council over a ?650 fine for a parking ticket I was forced to pay. I've done a freedom of information request and Southwark Council raised over ?16,000 last year through parking fines.

Write to the parking manager Nick Costin - [email protected]. Also let your MP Tessa Jowell know as she is helping me with my case, [email protected]. There is also a good website http://www.bailiffadviceonline.co.uk/. The woman who runs it is brilliant and is part of a house of lords group dealing with reform. It tells you what the bailiffs need to do before they two your car.

It is true that councils should only clamp persistent offenders under new legislation.

You need to appeal the parking ticket with the council, if they reject your appeal you need to take it to: http://www.parkingandtrafficappeals.gov.uk/

I'm not an expert in any way but I have spent two months living and breathing this fight to get my money back.

[Ratpack]

I made a huge mistake on the figure I gave you.

Southwark Council made ?1,521,430.63 from parking, bus lane and traffic cameras in 2007/2008.

Since they started using cameras and fining people they have generated ?8,439,648.52.

Shocking !!!!

[bawdy-nan]

I am delighted that people are being fined for using bus lanes.

I am also not so sympathetic about the car parking fines though I can see that it is annoying and can feel unfair ND very very annoying when signs aren't clear and you are trying to obey the rules.

I've been a car owner and a non-car owner and I've been fined and felt furious / sheepish. (Paid my dues but mis-didplayed the ticker - kerching, paid my dues but wafted ticket from dashboard when shutting door, kerching, kerching). I'm a pushbike plus car club girl these days.

As for Kings I go by public transport - bus when not urgent (there's loads), cab when quicker access required, ambulance in an emergency. Its an inner city hospital and can't be expected to have masses of car parking space.

I do think that if Southwark are profiting so well from vigourously enforced car parking fines they should also be doing something more positive to reduce car use - free car parking for car club users, subsidised car club membership etc. THey could do something exciting and interesting instead of grabby and dull.

The fact is that, in London, you mostly don't need a car at all, even with kids (and they are friendlier, fitter and less wan if they walk) but sometimes its the best option for a journey or just a necessary luxury