Parking - fair cop or travesty of justice

[Bobby Dazzler]

Mrs D was out and about early this morning. The car park she needed to use has fairly cosy spaces - and none are child friendly - so she deliberately chose an end space with a void beside it so she could straddle the line slightly, and make sure she could get Baby D loaded back in the car upon her return if someone had parked next to her.

She received a PCN for straddling the line. Having counted 9 pavers in the void, it's just under 1.8m wide and therefore too narrow to park a car in, and hence it's a void rather than a space (note that spaces have dotted white lines on all four sides).

I think issuing a PCN a bit harsh because:

1. It's not a parking space, and as such no spaces are unecessarily taken
2. It's not a road way, and so access to vehicles is not impeded
3. It's not a walk way, and so access to pedestrians is not impeded*
4. Child friendly spaces are not available

* Note that the space directly behind the void would block pedestrians access if filled.

So what does the MBClub jury conclude?
View attachment 20212

 

[dinoy]

is this a private car park if so who issued the pcn u should appeal it if is a private contractor

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

It was issued by a civil enforcement officer, and payable to the local council

 

[MOCAŠ]

Is the car really that much wider than the bay? From what you've said, I get the impression that your wife wanted to leave space on the car's nearside, but surely it would have made more sense to park as much within the bay as possible and use the 'void' area to facilitate loading baby D?

 

[markjay]

I seem to remember a story going around in the mid nineteens, that traffic wardens were dishing out tickets to owner of otherwise legally parked Ferrari Testarossa due to the car being wider than the white parking bay markings (when parked parallel to pavement). Don't know if it was true though...

In your case this may be unfair and worth challenging on the odd chance, though ultimately the Council is within its rights if it insists on the penalty.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

No the car's not that much wider than the bay - she's offset to one side to leave extra space on passenger side.

In hindsight she would have been better off going in forwards - and will do if she parks there again. She parked that way because of me asking her to park "nose out" so she has maximum visibility when manouvering out of the space (pedestrian safety rather than cars).

 

[Deleted member 37751]

It's a tough one for me because on of my pet hates is incorrect parking. On the other hand, I have 3 children and a wife who cannot park/reverse very well.
The advice that I give to my wife is this- park right on one of the lines, enough so that it puts people off parking next to you, thus giving you the maximum distance between cars on one side and an empty parking space on the other.

 

[Burger]

It's a ridiculous example of councils abusing by-laws to obtain money. In your position I would contest the fine on the basis that they made the parking spaces too narrow in the first place. You might lose, but it's time we all started taking a stand in this country instead of just asking 'how high?' each time someone says jump.

The parking space guide lines are just that, a guide, not some exclusive independent piece of tarmac. If you'd been encroaching on another parking space then they might just have a case but in this situation it's nothing short of abuse.

I just part exchanged a Jaguar XJ8 (not a small car) that I owned from new for seven years and it didn't have one single dent or ding in the bodywork. Why? Because whenever I went shopping in it, I went to the furthest end of the car park, where no one else was, and parked slap bang down the middle of two spaces. I will be doing exactly the same with my SL and I will continue doing it until car park spaces are marked out at a reasonable size. They are currently beyond ridiculous.

Regards,

 

[whitenemesis]

Is it a Pay and Display car park? It wouldn't be the first time I have parked straddling two spaces and bought two tickets. Got challenged by one 'enforcement officer' but when I politely pointed out the second ticket he said fair enough!

 

[trapperjohn]

Jobsworth at work here. He/she can clearly deduce what is going on.
A polite challenge may not go amiss.
Is the space to the left of the ML (as we look at it) a "usable" space for anything other than a micro car, if not, you may wish to factor that in to your rquest for quashing the ticket.
Measures of Performance and "Ticket Targets" gone mad.
Good Luck.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Appeal. There are enough grounds to argue that the ticket should not have been issued.

 

[raymont]

My local Waitrose car park is managed by a company ( not sure which one ) on behalf of Waitrose.

The same chap is there every day overseeing the car park.

As far as I can see he goes about his duties in a sensible way. E.g If you park straddling white lines, first you get a warning ticket, no fine just explaining the rules, after that you’ll get a ticket.

Because he’s there the disabled / parent spaces tend to be respected.

I have a large car and the spaces are tight so I try to park at the end of a row where I put my wheels on the line or, if there is no reason not to, over the line a bit. I discussed this with him and he’s perfectly happy with it. He sees his job as keeping the car park working well, not penalising minor technical infringements of the rules.

Intelligent application of rules is required. But of course in many cases it’s not about providing an efficient service to motorists it’s about revenue maximisation. Which is why minor motoring transgressions seem to result in a more serious punishment than crimes like shop lifting which are often dealt with by a warning.

 

[tiger]

A year ago i would have been dead against this, but with my wee one just turning 1 tomorrow, i know exactly what you mean. We used to have 2 x 3 door cars, so parking in a tight space wasnt an option. Now when i go out in the other halfs 3 door car, i will either try to get a parent & child(like gold dust) or park out the way in the car park and straddle 2 spaces. Challange it as they will most likely back down.

 

[st4]

Travesty, A complete nonsense, the car can't fit in the space, and she took a non space that no other car could take.

IMHO if it had been a Ford/Vauxhall there would not have been a ticket issued.

 

[kwakdonut]

Looking at the way the lines are painted, it is not a designated space, but a 'void' as BD described.

Definitely a jobsworth who has no common sense that's for sure.

I would definitely challenge it

 

[mattc]

Seems harsh Bobby - what EXACTLY does the fine accuse the good wife of doing?

 

[stevieb15]

I always look for an end space at the supermarket so I can steal a bit, doors on coupes and two seaters are just so large, but on in a public car park you will always end up being ticketed for not parking in a bay.
Although I do think its a hard call by the warden you'll not win your appeal.

 

[martin_a]

What does it actually say on the ticket?

If it is encroaching into another bay or something like that you could well win because that clearly isn't a bay.

m.

 

[Merco]

I agree - it's ridiculous and money-making as ever but might they argue it's a bay for motorcycles? I'm sure they'd try anything!

 

[Rovinghawk]

Travesty, A complete nonsense, the car can't fit in the space, and she took a non space that no other car could take.

Would a motorbike be able to fit in it, perhaps? Even biker types sometimes need to park.

IMHO if it had been a Ford/Vauxhall there would not have been a ticket issued.

Go on- borrow a Ford/Vauxhall and test your theory. Let us know how you get on.

RH