Denizens of STW, I’m a nob. I got a parking ticket today, stupidly, completely bang to rights, in a FREE car park. Thirty quid on the schnozzer simply because I forgot to put my reg in to a machine and obtain a free ticket, taking the kids to their swimming lesson. It’s a free short stay council run scheme, purely to deter all day business parkers from using their leisure centre car park.

I’m going to appeal (to their better nature, as I’m bang to rights so far as rules and regs go) as I think that I didn’t break the spirit of the rules, because I was using the car park for its intended purpose. Below is the first draft of my appeal message, so comments, improvements, predictions on chances and general piss taking will all be taken in good humour.

Dear Sir or Madam,
I would like to request a judgment of good will in this case. I fully accept that the parking charge notice was applied within the letter of the rules, as I had forgotten to obtain and display a ticket. However, the car park in question is free to park in. As I understand it, the ticket system is in place to stop the car park being used by people as all day parking for nearby businesses, thus depriving people who are using the civic and leisure centre of parking spaces. I was using the parking for its intended purpose, as my two young sons Harley, 6, and Ducati, 7, are attending swimming lessons at the pool. The reason (not an excuse) that I forgot to get a ticket is that I was trying to safely herd two excited young lads across an unusually busy car park. I normally pop out to get a ticket once the boys start their lesson as I don’t like walking them back and forth across the carpark, but we were a little early this time and I simply forgot.

So, whilst I completely accept that the parking rules were broken, and I apologise for that, I honestly feel that the spirit of the rules were respected. I humbly request that good will be applied on this occasion and I will endeavour to remember to obtain a parking ticket in the future.

Yours faithfully,

V8ninety and the Vtwins

Do you have a receipt for the swimming lesson or some other evidence you can produce to prove you were taking your kids to a swimming lesson? An email perhaps

Yep, I can screenshot their ‘swimming process’ page on the council site. Thanks, good idea 👍🏼

It’s worth a shot as technically, you’ve done nothing wrong other than forget the get the “free” ticket. Appeals are generally read by a human bean so you might get someone in a good mood on a Friday afternoon. If they say no, you might have to suck it up though. (Which I kinda assume you’ve already decided anyway.) Providing evidence of Triumph and Motoguzzi’s swimming lessons is a good start.

As above, receipts have got me out of similar before.

Nothing to add but isn’t Ducati a girl’s name?

Not judging, just asking.

Yeh I’d scrap all that humour and treat it like a work email. Hi, sorry I forgot to get a ticket, please consider this appeal. Please find attached proof that we were at a swimming lesson..at 2pm on Saturday the 30th June. Kind regards

Yeh its a bit wordy, get to the point, provide evidence, request goodwill.  Two short paragraphs should do it.  If someone is skim reading it may come across as a list of excuses.

Plus, admitting fault constantly isn’t really going to convince someone you should be let off.

Plus, admitting fault constantly isn’t really going to convince someone you should be let off.

See, in my mind, admitting technical fault whilst pointing out that the spirit of the rules has been complied with, with a bit of humanity seems the best way to appeal to someone’s better nature.

after all, I should have got a ticket. 😏

Appeal submitted, shortened a bit and with supportive evidence attached. Fingers crossed! Will report back.

Friend of my dad did call his daughter after his Motorbike, she is called Harley.

Fortunately for my sister my dad didn’t do the same, he had a Norton Dominator at the time…

Doesn’t really help the OP

PS How are they twins when one is 7 and one 6?

[Edit]

Oh, v-twins, I get it!

I wouldn’t try to be funny, or as lengthy.

You are wanting to appeal to the better nature of a person stuck in some 70s concrete shit hole reading a ton of these letters a day.

How are they twins when one is 7 and one 6

Not appropriate in the OP case, but technical they could have been born either side of midnight and it was on the day of the eldest one’s birthday.

There are many twins born in different years and I believe some born in different millennia.

Two points:

1) I find that being humorous and good-natured is a LOT more likely to have a positive response when dealing with customer services types.

2) When it comes to parking enforcement, local councils don’t have a better nature that I’m aware of.  Good luck.

And technically speaking it could be possible for the second born twin to be born a day earlier than the first born.

When it comes to parking enforcement, local councils don’t have a better nature that I’m aware of.  Good luck.

Is the correct answer. Appeal denied. 😕 Ah well it (probably wasn’t) worth a try.

Ps, they aren’t really twins. Just a bad pun on my username, sorry

Aw, unlucky dude.

And technically speaking it could be possible for the second born twin to be born a day earlier than the first born.

I’m confused 🤔

You will have probably had a reply from some poor low-paid soul with no decision making autonomy at all.

The technicality of the ticket isn’t actually as binding as you think, but I’m speaking from experience rather than expertise.

These are the people to help you..

http://forums.pepipoo.com/

I have sympathy for councils with their funding constraints, but it’s not your place to help plug that gap – you did no wrong and need to go in with facts rather than appealing to a better nature . The folks above will help you with that.

I would charge you double for that bollox.

I think it’s better to say you had no idea a ticket was needed because you saw the signs saying that parking was free for up to ___ hours  rather than “i knew I needed a ticket but couldn’t be arsed/forgot/was in a rush”

Cross the International Date Line on a boat/plane?

I was helping out on a Sustrans stand at an environmental awareness event in Bradford-on-Avon some years back, which was taking place in a car park on a Sunday. I got there befor 9am, discovered I had to pay, tried finding someone on the stalls who had some change and couldn’t, so went to move the car and find some on-street parking. I was really pissed to find a ticket on my car! At 9am! On a chuffing Sunday!

As it was a community event, I wrote to the council pointing out that it wasn’t really community minded charging at the event on a Sunday, especially those helping the event, and penalising people who didn’t have change.

They refunded my money!

you did no wrong

Of course he did, he didn’t display the ticket required to qualify for free parking. He knows he did wrong and said so numerous times.

and need to go in with facts

both the OP and the council know the facts already. Which are.

1. He failed to display the correct ticket.

2. He got served the relevant fine for failing to display the ticket.

These are the people to help you..

http://forums.pepipoo.com/

they will tell you to pay the fine  (and it is a FINE not an invoice or whatever)

or appeal to their better nature but otherwise pay the fine

I, like many, always enjoy your contributions.

Is it inaccurate ?

If so, let me know. Otherwise don’t have a pop just because I disagree with your logic.

Telling the OP to waste his time trying to avoid his Council parking fine by visiting a site mostly related to private parking ticket is pretty pointless.