Parking tickets for mopeds

[sophie13]

Has anyone else had a parking ticket on their moped recently? I have chained my moped to my front wall at night for years without a problem. It wasn't blocking the path or anything (same amount of space as the wheelie bins which line the pavement down our road) then suddenly on Sunday morning there's a ticket on it.

It is an offence unfortunately, but I just thought it was odd after so much time. Just wanted to ask if anyone else has had one or if I just got unlucky?

[safesurfer]

i got one a year ago while my scooter was on the pavement outside my house. i took a photo to show it was not blocking access etc and sent this in with my challenge. the ticket was successfully overturned.

[kford]

Take the plate off, or cover it.

[WorriedMum]

My son got one about a year ago with moped chained to kerbside of lamp post so not on the walkway itself.

[Damo]

Why not park them in the road?

Pavements are for people, innit?

[Andyng]

Were you on the pavement if so thst probably why?A friend of mine got done ?75

near work central london for parking on pavement even though it was wide enough for 3 people

stick a cover over it bungee cord it,they wont bother taking cover off if so

and you see them they are fiddling with other persons property.Prabably some attendant

who had to meet his quota

[TJ]

Hi Sophie. if you are taking about hillcourt, just take a photo and appeal, they normally overturn it. It is one overzealous guy who also targets the disabled bay that is never used (appeal in progress on that one too)

Also a good idea to have a drawstring bag to cover the plate when parked as a warden is not allowed to move it to read the plate.

[????]

Oh lovely. lovely, civic minded (*surely incentivised targeted hitlers?) traffic wardens

[TJ]

Oh - I just remembered, i once saw him get out of his car (old crappy thing - not a parking enforcement van), not wearing a uniform and give a car a ticket that was parked in the disabled bay - it was about 8am on a sunday morning. I wonder what that would mean from an appeal / legal point of view?

What hope have we got if the wardens are giving out tickets on their days off!

[Damo]

Why is it okay for two wheeled motorised vehicles to be parked illegally?

Actually, I'm not sure if it is illegal, is it?

Its potentially pretty selfish and obstructive if not.

Just because you think its "okay" and won't effect anyone, don't make it right.

(Waits for knock on door from ED Hells Angels chapter)

[TJ]

I don't think parking a scooter on a pavement is always illegal. Its a grey area, and if the attendant doesn't know the rules, can easily get it wrong.

On the road in question, a scooter could be considered an obstruction on one side, but because of the layout on the other side of the road, there is a legal argument to say they are not obstructing (wheelie bins are a permanant feature and a scooter has a narrower profile, so is in effect less of an obstruction). I would always make sure a wheelie bin is next to your scooter to prevent the issue.

[PeckhamRose]

This is an interesting subject.

Certainly there is a beautiful irony that if the bike is covered then the wardens can not touch the bike to get the reg number to issue the ticket; whilst also it is illegal to have a vehicle on the road (road? Ha! this was the pavement) without a valid up to date tax disc on display.

I think the law was changed recently that means the wardens can lift the cover, and that putting a sock over the number plate is also illegal.

They always like ruining the fun.

But also, I am of the opinion it is rather selfish to park on the pavement. Pavements are for people. When people wander across the road in front of me I have a scream at them for being so stupid. So reasonably and fairly I should not have my bike on the pavement where such people Should be!

So what do we do.

Email and lobby the council for more secured motorcycle parking bay in your area (ie a rack at the back so you can attach a chain / D lock to it). They'll ignore you, of course...

[????]

The other good tactic is too hang around n your loft conversion with a catapualt and ball bearings and bombard the fuckers

[sophie13]

Hi TJ, as a matter of fact it was Hillcourt - thanks for the inside info!

But I do take other posters' points about pavements being for people, can't argue with that. But in mitigation, down our road the wheelie bins really do take up as much space as a scooter so the path isn't obstructed any further by parking a bike the same width.

To be honest, I was never really sure if it was illegal and I decided to park it right up against my front wall and bolt it there for security. And I would have got away with it, if it wasn't for that meddling parking attendant.

TJ - it was issued early on a Sunday morning so I bet it was the guy you've spotted. Still, I have now sent my bike to live somewhere else with a garage because I don't ride it much these days.