[Closed] Just received a PCN...

So what I learned was that, by all means appeal, but don’t expect your appeal to be dealt with by a grown up. Rather a peevish, spiteful child with too much power.

Best of luck! You massive, massive criminal.

:-p

Which council was that, out of interest?

Why don’t the ones on the other side line up with them?

I reckon it's something to do with many boring and complicated road design rules all coming together - they can't have one directly opposite, because of the location of the bus stop, which is governed by the length of the bus and the size of the block. They can't have it opposite the one to the right of the bus stop because of the sub-station on your side of the street. They can't have one on the other side of the road bang in line with the middle of the junction for the street of new houses. So the one you parked in front of ends up in the middle of nowhere, serving the two either side of the bus stop.

But you thought you’d risk it because you assumed it would be okay?

It didn't really enter my head that there was anything to 'risk'. I'm not one of these "I'll only be a minute so it's OK" double-yellow parkers, I try to be considerate when I'm parking (which is another thread I need to do, but anyway). It was a genuine mistake, I thought it wasn't in use.

You left your car unattended in Padiham.

Hush, you.

I live here now. It's nice. Except at 3:41pm on a Friday.

Which council was that, out of interest?

Stalingrad.

EDIT: I mean Sheffield.

A genuine error, they do happen. my last parking ticket was also like that. A wide stretch of pavement with what I believed to be a parking area on it, yellow lines on the road, apparently the lines on the road also apply to the pavement, I genuinely had no idea, pavement wasn't blocked as there is a full size pavement to the side of where the car was. I paid up and learned my lesson, I won't park there again or anywhere like it.

I reckon it’s something to do with many boring and complicated road design rules all coming together

You're probably right, to be fair. If you look at the timeline view on Google Maps you can see it without the van. I can't see why it couldn't be a couple of metres further back, it'd align better and wouldn't foul the substation access. But yeah, there's probably some "must be x feet from y" regulations and I'm not a town planner.

What it needs is a proper goddamn crossing somewhere.

With zig-zags you can park on? 😜

Stalingrad

Well, I laughed. Thanks for that.

This is one is apparently on behalf of Lancashire CC. My experiences in dealing with Burnley council (who cover Padiham) thus far have been... not great, but LCC might be a little more human? Who knows.

Not so interesting fact. Park on double yellows, you get a few minutes grace from the parking warden. Park in front of a dropped kerb, or on the footway, they don't need to wait and will ticket immediately.

As a utility worker, if you are working in the street you won't normally get tickets. Stand inside the customers door and you are then fair game. I have a note saying I'm working in the street on my dashboard, I've come back to my van a few times to an annoyed warden who has done a full lap of the block looking for me (whilst I was working inside for 20 minutes). I've also had tickets whilst working inside my van preparing kit in the dry. (mobile workshop).

Wardens also stick to their routes and don't seem to notice if you park up in a city centre pedestrianised zone (when there is legitimate access for loading but is too cheeky for lazy shoppers)

If ever a thread needed an @Jamie graphic

I wonder if the “Civil Enforcement Officer” is a curtain-twitcher on that street?

There's a more obvious suspect:

Yes. Sheffield council are famously anti-car. They want us all crammed in to the unreliable expensive covid-wagons that take you nowhere near where you actually want to go.

Christmas shopping a few years back and I see a van pull out leaving me the perfect parking space outside the very shop I wanted to go into. I pull into the space and put my blue badge, correctly displayed, in the window. I go into the shop, collect the pre-ordered item and get back to the car in less than 5 minutes to find a PCN on the windscreen.

I drive home ready to write a stiffly worded letter of complaint but spot a URL where you could see the photo of the violation.

Turns out I was parked in a motorcycle parking area and it was written in big clear letters on the ground next to my car. I hadn't seen it pulling in because the van pulling out obscured it. Annoying but valid so I had to pay up.

Appalling behaviour.
Sorry Cougar I'm going to have to ask Disney+ to drop you from all their shows.

There's a bus stop in front of our house. No yellow lines or anything like that. When we moved in, about 5 years ago, there was no dropped kerb. We levelled the garden to build a drive and paid to get planning permission for a dropped kerb, slightly to the side of the bus stop, and had it installed.
I had no idea, until today, that I could get a ticket for parking outside my own house because of something that I paid to have installed.

And yet the van around the corner is on double yellows, oh and a dropped curb lol

Again though, devil’s advocate: that being the case it’s pretty shit infrastructure. Why isn’t there a crossing?

There is. As described in the DfT "Manual for Streets", it's an uncontrolled crossing consisting of dropped kerbs.

where you driving a singletrack audi then, if so thats the problem.

Not so interesting fact. Park on double yellows, you get a few minutes grace from the parking warden. Park in front of a dropped kerb, or on the footway, they don’t need to wait and will ticket immediately.

London, then?

where you driving a singletrack audi

(-: Honda, these days.

Also, I think they can administer punishment remotely. I remember sitting in a bar in Derby, looking out the window at a warden who was lurking behind a corner. He kept peeping out furtively like a little rodent before tapping into his device thing. ?

If you're going down take this tyre kicker around the corner with you

I paid up and learned my lesson,

That's not the attitude!

Again though, devil’s advocate: that being the case it’s pretty shit infrastructure. Why isn’t there a crossing?

That made me laugh. Have you ever tried using a cycle path in the UK?

You’ve clearly learned you’re lesson and taught a fair few of us about dropped kerbs so the ticket has been quite effective! I’d appeal, with the truth that you thought it was disused and but after checking realised your mistake and won’t do it again. You’ve absolutely nothing to lose as the clock stops. Just pay up if they reject the appeal.

Note: This all relies on a Tom Hanks stylee adjudicator who gets all teary-eyed and stares in to space about your honesty and then gives you that break

I've nothing to lose other than them doubling the fine. I think that's what I'm going to do though, try and appeal to their better nature, assuming they have one.

As mentioned drops kerbs are also for wheelchair access, if you parked in front of it you have case for an appeal.

try and appeal to their better nature

First you assume that infrastructure might be properly planned and now you hope that traffic enforcement might have a 'better nature'. Money to burn for the LOLs there 🤣

What grounds for the appeal?

very ableist of me I know

i always knew you were a nasty piece of work.

2 dropped curbs up our road both with walls behind. People regularly get ticketed there and it's entirely appropriate I'm afraid.

The use of these is very apparent in our road as there is some social housing (little 50's bungalows, you know the sort of thing) for the elderly/infirm.

Unfortunately I'd probably say paying up is the best bet though an appeal freezes the payment period I think so you could try I guess?

appeal to their better nature, assuming they have one.

I'm guessing you don't work in law.

Cougar
Full Member
I’ve nothing to lose other than them doubling the fine. I think that’s what I’m going to do though, try and appeal to their better nature, assuming they have one.

Better nature, it can happen.

Twice ive parked in disabled bays and forgotten to put the disabled badge up on the dash. Appealed fine explaining that it was an honest mistake as is been getting the wheel chair out of the car, helping mum out of the car etc etc and simply forgotten.

Slightly harsh wording in their reply but they did let me off the fines.

i always knew you were a nasty piece of work.

He really isn't and I'd say that whether he was a mod or not, though the wording you refer to isn't great I'll admit.

i always knew you were a nasty piece of work.

I’ve met Cougar and honestly he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve met.

I reckon it’s something to do with many boring and complicated road design rules all coming together

How about the ones over the road are at either end of a bus when it’s at the bus stop?

I’ve met Cougar and honestly he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve met.

should have put a 😀 or 😉

just joking folks. but you know. what a monster. 😉

He really isn’t and I’d say that whether he was a mod or not, though the wording you refer to isn’t great I’ll admit.

Wow, I assumed the post you replied to was Del just being silly. Was it actually supposed to be serious, do I really come across that badly?

Wow. 😲

I’ve met Cougar and honestly he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve met.

Aw. Thanks man.

You probably need to meet more people.

I'll admit I thought Del we being serious.

Wow, I assumed the post you replied to was Del just being silly.

News to me if there is.

Apologies to @Del if I totally misinterpreted his post. Christ, I seem to struggle with the obvious these days.

Welcome to the wacky world of text-based communication. It's easy to misinterpret posts.

Personally I think you're all bastards.

Ah, crossed posts, I've just seen Del's reply at the bottom of the previous page.

GROUP HUG!*

(* - socially distancing Zoom hug)

do I really come across that badly

No actually you come across as pretty well balanced and genuine but occasionally not quite as on message as certain individuals would like, which i think is a good thing.

Crack on.

PS I assumed Del was being sarcastic for what it's worth.

PPS still think you should just pay the fine and move on, life's too short.

yellow lines on the road, apparently the lines on the road also apply to the pavement,

The footway is always part of the highway that the lines apply to. Bitter experience of leaving my motorbike partially parked on one when we lived on a street with an 8am to 6pm restriction outside the house.

Bitter experience of leaving my motorbike partially parked on one